Times Square

As you approach Times Square, it is as exciting and mesmerizing as you anticipated! Masses of people rush by you as you stop to take in the giant animated LED billboards. There's so much color and movement all around you! Times Square is located on Broadway (pedestrian-only for 5 blocks) from 42nd Street, where the New York Times building (from which it was named) is located, to 47th Street, the wide open area where the action really peaks. It is aptly (as you'll see) called the Center of the World! It is also the hub of the Broadway Theater area. Times Square is the world's most visited tourist attraction, hence the crowds of people, 300,000 passing through each day! New Yorkers gather in Times Square to await world-changing news, like the results of a presidential election, or to celebrate great moments in history like the end of World War II.

Times Square has gone through a series of changes in its history. It used to be a glamorous entertainment capital, full of gorgeous movie palaces and showgirls. Then in the the 1970s, it became a seedy area filled with peep shows and drug dealers. The reason it looks like Disneyland now is that Disney was invited in the 1990s to revitalize it. The movie palaces were restored, along with Broadway Theatre, and its face was prettied up! Now it is the lovely Times Square that we watch on TV every New Years Eve, and see all the cold, rose-cheeked faces waiting for the ball to drop!
Come at night for the most effect, when the large animated billboards are truly awe-inspiring. The wide open triangle at 47th Street filled with people is so exciting! When we were there we saw all manner of scantily-clad people dressed up taking donations for a photo with them. Kids can also get a photo with their favorite super hero or TV character, such as Elmo. The stepped red roof of the TKTS ticket booth in the middle of the triangle provides seating where you can watch the action from above. Times Square at night is a do-not-miss on your NYC trip!
In the middle of the triangle at 47th Street and Broadway, you can buy discount same-day tickets for Broadway plays at the TKTS ticket booth.
Smoking is not allowed in Times Square. I love NY!
While in this area, make sure you see Rockefeller Center, a gorgeous spot! Also lovely is a stroll in Paris-inspired Bryant Park.

Directions

Times Square runs north to south from 42nd to 47th Street, along Broadway (pedestrian-only for 5 blocks) and Seventh Avenue. It's a short walk from Penn Station. There is also a metro station in the midst of it at 42nd Street. The main area that you must not miss is at 47th St and Broadway, or at 1551 Broadway. 

Click on map for interactive view