New York is a place that everyone dreams of. Times Square is a must-tour place in New York. Times Square, one of Manhattan’s busiest neighborhoods, runs from West 42nd Street to West 47th Street at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in midtown Manhattan (Morand & Lubbers, 1931). Times Square was built by the New York Times to replace the city’s downtown premises. It has become a famous tourist spot since then and has contributed greatly to the progress and development of the city. However, it encountered a decline in the thirties because of the great depression (Whitehead, 2004). After this dilemma, Times Square regained its grandeur and remains a beautiful part of the city.

Times Square is the center of the Broadway theater district where many shopping malls, entertainment centers, and office buildings are gathered. The walls of surrounding buildings are covered with colorful LED advertisements where commercial information and high-tech artistic means are perfectly integrated. The mix of buskers and tourists fill the streets and the crowds send the message that ‘You have not been to America until you have been to New York. You have not been to New York until you have been to Times Square.’ Times Square is more than just a tourist spot that people can visit from time to time. For me, Times Square symbolizes the nature of life and how diverse people can come together as one and redefine society simply by accepting one another. Times Square has always symbolized the convergence of different cultures and the different people that constitute these cultures (Reid-Pharr & Delany, 2019).

My first encounter with Times Square was at a summer camp that required us to visit the place. I was 12 years old at the time and I can only remember that I was so shocked by everything around me. The substantial overhead buildings and colorful LED lights made me feel like I am as small as the humble ant. During that experience, I was awed by the diversity of the people that I encountered. I saw different people with different skin colors and it made me happy that they all looked like they were having such a good time at Times Square. It was like all the differences that set each of them apart really did not matter in that moment. Some of the people seemed to be a part of a parade since they were wearing heavy makeup and extravagant clothes which I have never seen before. At that time, I remember that I was overwhelmed with everything around me from the colorful sights to the sweet aroma of food that wafted from the different stalls around me.

Luckily, I was given the opportunity to visit Times Square again after I got accepted at New York University (NYU). Ever since my first visit to Times Square, I have always dreamed of coming back. It was at the beginning of the semester that I visited Times Square with my parents. We walked out of the Metropolitan Museum and took a taxi south of Fifth Avenue. Fifth Avenue is a bustling north-south thoroughfare in the heart of Manhattan. Along the way, we admired the modern scenes of New York. On the right was New York’s famous Central Park while on the left were the high-rise buildings. Men in suits and ladies in fashionable clothes were rushing to their appointments on both sides of the street while presenting an elegant and chic scene of American life. The driver reminded us to see the current US President’s Trump Tower standing on the left side of the street, with the golden glass wall shining in the sunlight and police guarding the entrance of the building. We got off at Rockefeller Center, then walked about 10 minutes to Times Square.

Times Square still shocks me. This surreal scene consists of towering buildings looking down upon this landmark of America. Hanging from the buildings were advertisements for everything under the sun. Many billboards were for the different musicals that were going to be shown at Broadway soon such as the classics like the West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, Annie, and Wicked which are always there. Others announced the release of new laptops or Samsung HDTVs. Some unveil a high fashion store’s new fall line of sweaters and jeans. Of course, there is the obligatory Coke commercial telling you to enjoy a refreshing bottle of iced Coke.

After standing and staring at the buildings, we strolled up to the red stairs in the middle of 42nd street in times square and sat contentedly sipping a fresh matcha latte while watching the crowd walking around which produced an orchestra of sounds that came blaring through the ears. From the consistent taxi horn to simple chit chat between two friends enjoying a day out, the cacophony of sounds really made me happy to be back at Times Square again.

Looking from side to side, it seemed that all the big shops were within the vicinity. While we were looking around, it seemed that the stores were calling to us to splurge on their merchandise. From the five-levels-tall Ferris wheel in Toys R’ Us to the largest Forever 21 store, Times Square is surely a paradise for people who wish to splurge. In observing the crowds that swiftly passed by, I noticed that most people were carrying a bag or two from the surrounding stores. There were people who stopped to take pictures with Spiderman and Batman. If one wanted to accomplish several things at a certain time period, then Times Square would be the best place to be.

I will never forget the sound of Times Square. The cars are aligned in rough, jagged lines; some are jutting out from their lanes, trying to switch lanes. The drivers are impatient and blast their car’s horn, ordering those in front of them to let them through, but those in front of him are just as busy and don’t budge. There are so many cars with different colors; The yellow taxis are very conspicuous and are characteristic here. There are big red buses and a big orange truck zoom past the people walking on the sidewalks. There is no single discernible sound, the voice in your head being the only thing that you can hear clearly, but at times, even that can be drowned out. All around you, the noises tend to become overwhelming since you can hear people yelling, talking, or cheering at the same time. The advertisements playing on the giant screens are colorful and loud. There is someone selling hotdogs on the corner of the street, bellowing praise for his goods. You hear children laughing and hollering, chasing after each other or playing a game. A man in a suit struts past you, yelling into his phone, promising that he won’t be late for his 4:00 meeting, even though it’s already 3:53. Across the street, you can spot a man in solid, neon green attire: shirt, pants, shoes, and all. You hear him singing out loud terribly, but he is unashamed of his novice skill. But beside these noisy scenes, there are also many like me just observing everything from the sides. I was impressed by a smoking lady who has found a rare quiet spot in the noisy aperture. She was holding her cigarette with both hands and was puffing and puffing on it with an expression of enjoyment while maintaining an elegant posture.

I stayed here for over an hour and by the time I almost closed my observation of Times Square, nothing changed. The mass of people continued to fill the streets and provide economic growth. From what I have observed, Times Square is comparable to a cultural fair. A lot of different races and cultures are seen divulging in this tourist spot and one could really say that Times Square is the “melting bowl” due to the fact that we can see black, white, Latino, and Asian people gathering there.

I’ve been to Times Square a few times since this visit and its magnificence and the fast pace of the city have inspired me to make continuous efforts to move forward in a pace similar to the pace of the people who seemed to always be rushing off to something important. Whenever I feel enormous pressure, I would come here to have a look and sit down. Seeing all kinds of people around me are busy, and the colorful atmosphere here makes me feel that my usual troubles are nothing such as troubles in school. By being a part of something big and dynamic, I realize that different people have different reasons of living and I know that I can strive to move forward and be a part of the population that has found purpose here in this city. In order for me to explore and navigate the city from beginning to ending, I would have to explore its history and visit significant sites that have shaped the city’s progress. Looking back now, I can really say that Times Square really does bring people together regardless of their differences (Reid-Pharr & Delany, 2019).

References

Morand, P., & Lubbers, A. (1931). New-York. [Paris]: E. Flammarion.

Reid-Pharr, R., & Delany, S. (2019). Times Square Red, Times Square Blue 20th Anniversary       Edition. New York: New York University Press.

Whitehead, C. (2004). The colossus of New York. Anchor.