Times Square is a major intersection in New York City in the borough of Manhattan and was named after the Times Building (now “One Time Square”) which was the former offices of The New York Times. It is located at Broadway and Seventh Avenue and extends from West 42nd to West 47th Streets (view map of Times Square). Like city squares in many other famous cities around the world, Times Square has become a symbol and primary landmark in its home city. Its animated, digital advertisements help create an incredibly exciting vibe contributing to Times Square popularity to both tourists, locals and the Manhattan business community (it is the only neighborhood that actually requires building owners to display illuminated signs!!).
Times Square is also home or adjacent to many of the Broadway theatres that feature some of the most popular award winning productions ever produced (such as “Wicked and Jersey Boys”.
There are many upscale hotels in Times Square to choose from and the area is a cultural hub featuring music, nightlife and many quality shops that cater mainly to tourists. At peak hours of the day, Times Square is often so congested that people are forced to walk in the streets to compete with traffic.
New Year's Eve in Times Square
On New Year’s Eve each year, well over one million people crowd into One Times Square to view the annual “New Year’s Eve ball drop”. The Waterford crystal ball is lowered on a pole atop the building marking the New Year with millions of people on hand and across the world watching on TV and simultaneously counting down 10-9-8…
On December 31, 1907, the first ball was dropped at Times Square, and the Square has held the main New Year's celebration in New York City ever since! For the millennium celebration on December 31, 1999, approximately 2 million people crowded into Times Square, from 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue and all the way back on Broadway and Seventh Avenues to 59th Street, making it the largest gathering in New York City since August 1945, at the end of World War II.
In 1972, Dick Clark began hosting a live half-hour ABC special covering the event, known as Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, which airs the descent of the ball. The show also features performances from popular bands, and commentary from other hosts in other cities around the US, usually Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Orlando.
Live Webcam in Times Square. Serving as the epicenter for NASDAQ news and events, MarketSite is located in the heart of New York's Times Square.
(To access the webcam, you will need Windows Media Player).
(LIVE)
Major buildings on and near Times Square
1 Times Square
Reuters Building (3 Times Square)
Times Square Tower
New York Times Tower
Bank of America Tower, New York City
The Orion
New York Marriott Marquis
AXA Center
One Astor Plaza
1500 Broadway
W Times Square
Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel (2 Times Square)