On our third day in New York City, Rooster and I found ourselves hanging out in Times Square. #New York City #Times Square
Hanging out in Times Square
The third day of our stay in New York City the sky was overcast, but the temperatures had warmed to a tolerable degree. It was a lazy Saturday, our son bought tickets to a Broadway musical, and all was right with the world. Thus, Rooster and I found ourselves hanging out in Time Square.
Why I love riding the subway.
We caught the subway at the stop located two blocks from the kid’s apartment. I love riding these trains. You never know who you might meet when you roll down the tracks. There’s always a great sense of adventure with every trip. Riding the rails would be monotonous if as a daily commute nevertheless as a visitor I enjoyed riding the train.
The car we rode clicked and clanked on the elevated track past the curve to Queens Plaza and past Long Island City. Then it eventually went underground. We disembarked near Broadway and climbed the stairs to the street. The sound of emergency vehicles screamed at us when we started our stroll toward the theatre.
It was a false alarm because the first responders didn’t bother to take the time to unload their gear before they pulled away from the curb to go back to the station. We walked a block to the Neil Simon Theatre where the musical was going to take place to get in line. We were early. So we decided to hang out in Times Square until it was time for doors to open The Cher Show.
What we saw while hanging out in Times Square.
As soon as we rounded the corner and I stepped onto the Great White Way, I knew I’d stumbled into another world. The only thing I can compare it with is Dorthey entering the Emerald City during her adventure in The Wonderful Wizard of OZ. I discovered everything in Times Square scaled in giant proportions.
Enormous electronic billboards lined the streets creating a neon overload for the senses. There were souvenir shops galore and bakeries where you could buy yourself a New York City black and white cookie. Chris decided we needed to try one of these delicacies. He went into a bakery and emerged with a giant cookie covered in chocolate frosting on one side and white on the other.
The black and white cookie tantalized the taste buds but did nothing to help the waistline. We saw short cartoon costumed people who tried to force us to take a picture with them. They were quite aggressive. The witch from Wicked stared down from a billboard hung high in the sky along with the M&M’s who had their own electronic big screen advertisement that played a constant stream of their TV commercials.
We saw the Green Giant, a South Korean Street preacher, and a guy sitting on the corner strumming away on his guitar. The New Year’s Eve ball hung in place ready to welcome 2019. In short, hanging out in Times Square a person could experience sensory overload.
People-watching in Times Square
A person could spend the day hanging out in Times Square people watching, and it would be an entertaining experience. You can spot the New Yorker from the tourist at one glance. The locals walk fast, don’t make eye contact, and dress in grays and blacks. The goal is to never stand out or make yourself a walking target.
The tourists stand in the middle of the sidewalk gawking at all the sights, causing them to jump when drivers honk their horns. Moreover, they meander across intersections at a slow pace. Furthermore, they have been known to stop in the middle of the sidewalk because they are afraid to miss something. In fact, they refuse to take their eyes off a single one of the building-sized billboards. They pull out their camera to snap the perfect picture to show people back home. Locals snap a random image of the sightseer snapping photographs to prove to their friends that out-of-towners are irritating and uncool.
Rooster and I fit into the tourist category. Richard and Chris played the role of tour guides. I asked them if they ever came to Times Square just for fun. The answer was quick. Chris said, “no, never.” Richard agreed. My son said the heavy crowds and business didn’t agree with his taste as a result he avoided The Tenderloin when he went about his daily business to avoid a lot of delays.
Why a local wouldn’t want to spend time hanging out in Times Square
A local would need to navigate around all those slow-moving picture takers. The sensory overload of all the magic happenings in Time Square is enough to make a person giddy. if they traveled through the chaos very often. You could develop a whole new concept of reality. The costume characters chasing you around would make a person nervous.
Staying away from Times Square for a New Yorker is similar to a ‘Who Dat’ native in New Orleans avoiding Bourbon Street. One time is enough to satisfy a person’s curiosity. After that, the mystery of the place vanishes into thin air. Dorthy’s goal was to go home to Kansas. Even a visit to the Emerald City didn’t change her mind.
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana, who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures click here.
Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!