A few weeks ago I went to Times Square for the first time. I was told that it was overrated before I went, but I decided I needed to go as it was THE place that all tourists visit when they come to the city. Although I was told it was crowded, I didn’t expect it to be anywhere near as “packed” as it was. It was very hard to maneuver though the crowds and I uttered a quick “excuse me” every few seconds after bumping into numerous people. I’ve never really enjoyed being in crowds and instinctually I always try to find an empty space to walk through. The lights of the billboards and neon signs lit up the area.
You could feel the energy of the crowds, lights, and sounds. It was like you were in an amusement park. Never have I been to any place similar. In the suburbs of Saint Louis, our only lights are street lamps with their dim yellow bulbs. Here, there were red, green, blue, and yellow lights; all in various shapes and sizes. Some were formed into letters making up company names. Others were entire advertisements on huge big screens. The sound of taxis honking was almost constant. The experience was a little bit stressful with the commotion and bustling so intense. The culture of Manhattan is epitomized by Times Square. It seems the appeal of the city is how much fun the chaos is. It seems ironic, but it’s true.
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I think it’s great that you got a chance to go out and see how it is for yourself! I can only imagine how it felt for someone from outside of the city to walk through Times Square. Even though I’ve lived in New York my whole life, I still feel overwhelmed walking through city streets. Just kidding, I feel that way walking around anywhere with crowds of people! I found it a little funny that you said, “Excuse me,” to people you’ve bumped into because chances are, if they’re from New York, they wouldn’t have thought twice about apologizing, haha.
An interesting word choice, chaos! I liked Isabel’s comment that even though she is a New Yorker, it overwhelms her, too.
I think that it’s interesting that you compared Times Square to an amusement park. Now that you mention it, the two do hold some sort of resemblance. Whenever I’m in Times Square, I tend to speed-walk through the sea of people, weaving in and out. It’s actually fun! I really like the environment Times Square creates; as cliche as it sounds, it’s like a city that doesn’t sleep. The neon lights are able to illuminate the streets in a way that I don’t realize that I’m actually there late at night. I definitely agree with Isabel’s comment. Not many people will think about apologizing if they’re in your way.
Hopefully you don’t think its overrated anymore. It’s truly one of the most amazing places to be. It’s the hustle and bustle of New York combined with the mix of many different cultures as tourists roam the streets. And yes I cannot agree with you more on the crowdedness. I prefer to go to Times Square at night and thats because you can truly see how NYC is truly the city that never sleeps! Also one of my favourite things to do is to sit at Duffy Square and just let the time past. I definitely recommend doing it because although New York doesn’t stop for anyone, when you sit down and just take a look around, things slow down a bit and everything around you sinks in.
I used to feel the same way as you; the fascination by times square, and how it seemed like the center and heart of New York City. I often pass by it, but for me, unlike you, it has kind of lost it’s appeal. Now that I’m a dorming “New Yorker” (haha), I feel as if the way to find the true beauty of the city is not only in it’s crowds and diversity but also in it’s more quiet and serene places, the ones I often refer to as my “happy places”. For example, one place that I found to be very calming but somewhat crowded at the same time was Washington Square Park, smack in the center. It’s a strange calming effect, and occasionally you get sprayed by the fountain depending on the wind. Definitely check it out!
I went there years ago (maybe 2000 or something like that) and it’s probably changed a lot but I remember standing in the middle of it, in the daytime, and getting a sense of the space rather than noticing the chaos, and thinking with all the screens it was like a giant moving outdoor art gallery/installation. I probably will need to go there at night to experience it differently, it’s really true I’d never been anywhere quite like it either, it was pretty amazing!