Times Square

Times Square is the dazzling intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue between 42nd and 47th Streets, and one of the most visited places on earth. It was called Longacre Square until 1904, when The New York Times moved its headquarters here and the name changed, and the ball drop on New Year's Eve has been held since 1907. Today it is a sensory overload of electronic billboards, theater marquees, street performers, costumed characters, flagship stores and crowds. Pedestrian plazas, created in 2009, give visitors room to stand and look, and the red TKTS steps in Father Duffy Square offer a place to sit and watch the spectacle. It is free to visit at any hour, and the best time is after dark, when the screens are at their brightest. It is touristy and often overwhelming, but every first-time visitor should see it once.

Know what you are getting. Times Square is not a place to eat well, shop for bargains or find quiet; it is a spectacle best enjoyed as a short stop. The screens run advertising, public service messages and sometimes live broadcast events, and the energy changes with the hour. Early morning is the quietest time, with delivery trucks and workers, while evenings and weekends are busiest.

Costumed characters and street performers work for tips and may ask for payment for photos, so decide ahead how to respond. Keep valuables secure and be alert to pickpockets and street hustlers offering tickets or tours; buy theater tickets from the box offices or the TKTS booth.

The area is the center of Broadway, and the theaters lining the side streets are the main reason to be here at night. The TKTS booth sells same-day discounted tickets for many shows, and the red steps above it are a good place to take in the scene. Shubert Alley, the Museum of Broadway and Restaurant Row on West 46th Street are within a couple of blocks, and several visitor attractions, including Madame Tussauds, are nearby.

For holiday visitors, the New Year's Eve celebration draws huge crowds, and access is tightly controlled, with a long wait and few facilities, so plan carefully or watch from a screen.

Budget thirty minutes to an hour to take in the lights and snap photographs, and combine it with a show, a museum visit or dinner nearby. It makes sense to go once, absorb the energy, and then spend your remaining time in the quieter neighborhoods where the city's character is more varied.

To enjoy it without stress, keep your bag zipped in front of you, agree on a meeting point in case your group is separated and resist the pressure to buy from costumed characters or street ticket sellers. For the best photographs, stand near the red steps and use the reflection of the screens in wet pavement after rain. If you plan to attend a Broadway show, arrive early for dinner on Restaurant Row, and take a short walk to Bryant Park if you need a quiet break.