Love it or hate it, the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Ave, aka Times Square, pumps out the NYC of the global imagination – yellow cabs, neon lights, arches, towering skyscrapers and musical performances.
Times Square is an extremely busy area which is located in the center of Manhattan.
Above your head, the billboards are always bigger than you imagine. All of them are playing advertisements day and night. Particularly at night, the light of billboards make Time Square looks like daytime.
Once you stand in the center of Times Square, you can see hundreds of rushing people walking on the street. There are also amounts of people who are lining up to buy Broadway show tickets. In short it is always crowded and noisy.
For me, it’s really hard to imagine what brave courage you need to drive a car to Times Square because inconceivable amounts of people always walk in the street without watching the traffic light. Also police need to keep up by driving little cars to move around pretty easy.
What do you think when you hear about Times Square?
Apart from all the lights and the people, the first thing that comes to my mind is Broadway. We met up with my American friend @_wanderlostandfound_ ( Do you know she has a blog too? Check it out here! ). She came from New Jersey and spent a day with all of us, it was such a fun day!
We decided to watch A Bronx Tale on Broadway, at the lovely Longacre Theater, and boy, it was everything we’d imagined and more. Right from the music to the costumes and set design, everything was just spectacular, making the Musical a must-see show on Broadway.
“Based on the critically acclaimed play that inspired the now classic film, this streetwise musical will take you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s—where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he’d love to be. “
Good tips |For Broadway on a budget, you can pick up discounted theatre tickets at TKTS booths which sell same-day seats for up to 50% off. Their Times Square booth usually has big queues, but there are quieter branches at South Street Seaport and Downtown Brooklyn. Or check out the next generation of actors, dancers and musicians at a free performance by students from the Juilliard performing arts school.
During these 6 beautiful days we had the pleasure to stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New York, which is located on the southern edge of Times Square.
I loved its strategic position, close to most of the famous attractions like the Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, Grand Central Station and much more.
While the rooms themselves are small, that’s nothing new in mid-town Manhattan and for the price, the Double Tree by Hilton New York Times Square West is a great value to discover New York City. My main gripe with the hotel is the elevators – they need more for this size hotel. Most of the time they weren’t work properly and I got stuck inside for 10 minutes because they kept going up and down.
The view from the 34th floor was not bad at all. We had a partial view of the Hudson River and a little tiny spot from Times Square.
Every morning we used to have breakfast in our room. Nina’s mum liked to surprise us with assorted donuts from Dunkin’. What better way to start the day?
The view from the Rooftop was breathtaking with all those lights. If it wasn’t for the cold weather I would have enjoyed it even more!
Where to eat | While in the Times Square area, if you ever want to go to a fun, family restauraunt, Ellen’s Stardust Diner is the place to go.
Located on the corner of 51st and Broadway this New York Broadway diner is famous for their singing wait staff along with their retro 1950s theme. The diner is named and owned by Ellen Hart, a former Misss Subway back in the 1950s. “Miss Subway” was a beauty compeition that was held for more than 3 decades, but ended in the 70s.
The restaurant itself is known for it’s fun energitic atmosphere, not so much the food. It’s your basic American-style food. The names of the dishes are as original as the diner itself, but don’t expect to be wowed in taste.
You go more for the environment and the singing, not the quality of food. I personally think they are a bit overpriced, but the salads and burgers are pretty good! Service was good too, and I must admit that I did enjoy the experience!
In conclusion, if you’re planning your trip to New York you should definitely check out Times Square to have an idea of what “the city that never sleeps” means. A place where the lights couldn’t shine brighter; from the giant billboards to and the iconic Broadway and Madame Tussauds, Times Square embodies luxury and showbiz.
Check out the other series of my NYC trip!
- Through my eyes: New York-Times Square
- Through my eyes: New York – There’s more to see
- If you’re a chocolate lover, I suggest you Max Brenner: Chocolate Bar & Restaurant
- Through my eyes: New York- Wanderlust
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