Places / Plaza / Times Square
On the MUSEENYC M ListThe M List — one we'd cross the city for, and keep going back to. See the list →
Times Square
Yes, locals put Times Square on the M List. There is nowhere else on Earth like it: the whole world in a few blocks, and energy you can't find anywhere else.
- Where
- Broadway and Seventh Ave, W 42nd to W 47th St, Times Square Open in Google Maps ↗
- Also called
- Times Square NYC · Duffy Square · The red steps · TKTS steps
- Cost
- Free
- Good with
- Solo · Groups · Family
This might be our most controversial review. Every local New Yorker is supposed to hate Times Square, and here we are putting it on the M List.
We don’t think that’s a contradiction. Strip away the reputation and look at what’s actually there: a few blocks in the heart of the busiest city in the world, where every kind of person on the planet ends up standing next to each other. A tourist from Seoul, a kid from the Bronx, a Broadway chorus line on its dinner break, a businessman late for a train. It’s the biggest melting pot there is, and the energy is unlike anywhere else on Earth.
That’s why we recommend it to locals and visitors alike. Most New Yorkers only ever rush through it. Slow down once, and you’ll see what the rest of the world comes for.
What to know
Don’t try to see it. Sit in it. Find a spot, like the big red steps above the TKTS booth or one of the public tables in the plazas, and just watch. Let the lights, the noise and the people wash over you.
Take your time. There’s no checklist here and nothing you have to get to. Sit for a while, wander a block, find another seat.
Make it your own. Times Square is best when you’re the one deciding where your attention goes, not the costumed characters, the ticket sellers or the crowd pushing past. Hold your ground, keep walking when you want to, and enjoy it on your terms.
Before you go, read our Times Square guide: the best seats, how to shut down every hustle, when to go, and where to eat instead.