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If you’ve never been to Times Square, it’s easy to underestimate how many people throng this popular NYC attraction. You picture bright screens, a few tourists and street performers, maybe a quick photo, and then you move on. That assumption lasts about thirty seconds after you arrive.
Times Square draws over 220,000 visitors per day (330,000 on peak days), totaling 50 million visitors a year. This makes it one of the most visited places on the planet, not just in New York. In fact, its official website proudly proclaims that “more people walk through Times Square than live in Iceland.” Times Square ends up being louder, busier, and more intense than most visitors plan for. Added to this is the fact that most of the people around you are visitors or tourists, many of them first-timers. It is therefore imperative that visitors be aware of certain things before they head to Times Square. Way.com breaks it down.
1. It’s crowded pretty much all the time.
As mentioned earlier, hundreds of thousands of people visit or pass through Times Square on an average day, and that number is much higher during holidays and peak tourist seasons.
At times, the sheer volume of the crowd tends to catch visitors off guard. Even short walks take longer than expected. Stopping to take photos or look around often means stepping aside, because standing still in the middle of the sidewalk doesn’t work here. As for crossing streets, that demands saint-like levels of patience.
If you’re visiting with kids, traveling in a group, or on a tight schedule, you’d do well to plan around this. Times Square is manageable, but only if you account for the fact that it rarely gives you space to move quickly.
2. Parking near Times Square ain’t easy.
Driving to Times Square might sound easy, but once you’re there, it’s a whole different story. With heavy traffic, lane closures, tour buses, and busy crosswalks, even finding a parking garage can take a while. Parking spots are even harder to find, and there’s always a lot of demand.
Prices change depending on the season or events. Driving around looking for a spot just adds more stress to an already busy place. If you’re going to drive, you might want to book Times Square parking ahead of time. That way, you can spend your time enjoying Times Square instead of worrying about your car.
3. Driving through Times Square is not a great idea.
NYC traffic, especially in and around Manhattan, can be a nightmare at the best of times. Times Square is at Manhattan’s busiest crossroads. You can imagine the volume of traffic in Times Square. Heavy pedestrian crossings, frequent signals, bus stops, and ride-share pickups mean cars move slowly most of the day.
So if you think you can just drive through, stop for a minute, and then drive again, you might be in for an unpleasant surpri