Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
luckily for new york there are tons that do enjoy it. In no way is times square common. Theres nothing like it in the united states. People try to sound cool by saying its overrated, especially my fellow new yorkers. TS with its visual grandness mixed with its vibrancy and sea of people- is not overrated
I have fun just walking through times square. I see a new addition every time. TS is new york. You see the diversity,the vibrance and the larger than life every time you drive or walk through. How can it be overrated its exactly what it says it is?
Im just curious though. How is it overrated? Ts puts off as a place filled with lights,screens and excitement.......is it not all those things?
Times Square has a history of being a very unique center of a big city. In the early 1900's, before Hollywood was big, it was the entertainment capital of the nation, home to many theaters, music/dance halls, hotels, and businesses (e.g. the NY Times which it is named after) and rightfully attained iconic status. Through the early 1900's it was an impressive place unlike anyplace in the nation. The lights, billboards, tickers, etc. collected in a limited area were a big deal. It was the Sunset Strip and Las Vegas Strip before either of those existed.
From the 60's thru the 90's it went into decay, but a lot of the historical sites were there, even though many were boarded up and/or decaying. When I would go there as a kid in the 70's and 80's (and we didn't linger there, that's for sure) I could (even as a kid) see the history of the place, even in it's decaying state. It was almost like looking at the ruins of a former civilization that has decayed and been overrun with sleaze and crime.
When they cleaned it up in the 90's, the idea was good, but the way they did it was horrible in that they went to the extreme in making it essentially a huge Disney-type tourist attraction (and in a lot of cases, actual Disney attractions, e.g. ESPN zone and ABC/Good Morning America).
So today, going to Times Square reveals little of its historic glory. A handful of restored and renovated theaters, a couple restaurants and hotels perhaps, and the unique layout of the area are about all that remains from its historic glory. Replacing what has been removed or demolished are nothing but the touristy, over-the-top mega-shops, light displays, restaurants, entertainment, etc., most of which can be found in identical fashion in several other parts of the nation, including DisneyWorld.
So it really IS overrated in the sense that it's not a real great representation of NYC. It's NOT overrated in the sense that it's a huge tourist attraction and tourists love it in the same way they love DisneyWorld; but that's not something unique to NYC.
Way back, when it was still a legitimate NYC icon, it was known for the lights, the unique billboards which would be animated or billow smoke or have other gimmicks; now, the displays are no different from those you'd find in DisneyWorld, the Vegas Strip, or many other touristy venues in the nation. It's not like the old days when only NY could afford to use that kind of technology.
I don't see how anyone in the NYC area can see TS for anything more than it really is, which is just an overblown, modern tourist center where you find the same things you find in other cities' tourist centers. I can get a spray paint painting of outer space or my name in letter that look like birds or my charicature in Vegas, Boston, San Fran, L.A., and many other cities. I can go to ESPNzone or the M&M store or Madame Tussaud's or any other such silly tourist attractions in many of those other cities, also.
At least in Las Vegas their character as a city is to adopt anything and everything that attracts people, but NY City has such a rich and real history and so many attractions that are not hollow like Times Square that it doesn't make sense for Times Square to be seen by anyone who knows NYC as a great representation of the city. In an abstract way it represents the city, but in a more direct way it fails and simply delivers a pathetic appeal to tourists' most shallow and superficial interests.
I find that just a block or two over, on 6th and 5th aves, there is a MUCH better representation of NY City. Rockefeller Center retains much of its history, as does Fifth Ave w/ St. Patrick's Cathedral and many of the old shops like Saks, Bergdorf, Barney's, and the many designer shops and boutiques that have been there for decades. The restaurants are more authentically "New York" than most in Times Square, and it's a very impressive area for visitors in its own right while representing NY in a real way, not through a Disney filter.
Times Square is worth seeing and it's a neat sight, but it distracts from far better things to see and do in NYC, even in midtown. I'm sick of bringing visiting friends to NYC and trying to drag them out of Times Square, trying to convince them that there really are some better dining options than Chevy's or Bubba Gump which they can have anywhere. Half the crap in Times Square can be found in any mall in NJ, for crying out loud.
You're sorely mistaken if you think New Yorkers consider TS "overrated" just to "sound cool"...they consider it overrated because it is overrated as a NYC attraction, even though it's not overrated as a Disney attraction.
Ive actually heard ,from ppl that went to las vegas, that times square is more impressive. How am i easily impressed , theres nothing like times square in america. Theres no bigger combination of lights and screens like that, in the world
You dont have to be five years old to enjoy something thats way different than anything you have in your own city
You don't HAVE to be five, but I think its pretty sad if you're fully grown and expected to be blown away by some neon lights and some billboards. I mean don't get me wrong, its definitely impressive to walk into at first. But after walking a block or so into it it ends up being nothing more than just that. At least for me that's all I got from it. Its just fluff. I was over it by the time I got a block passed that 2 or 3 story Walgreens (on Broadway I think). Tourist traps are not really my thing, sorry. I'd be pissed if I had paid to fly out to NYC and that was the best attraction I had planned on seeing.
And I don't know who you heard from talking about LA vs. TS, but LOLOLOLOL @ any claim of TS being more impressive! Please. In Vegas they have all the neon lights TS has and more, coupled with tons of stuff to actually do. I thought TS was supposed to offer more in that respect than it did, but it ended up being a bunch of over-sized chains. Big whoop. Vegas is like what I'd hoped Times Square would have turned out to be (but didn't), except on steroids. The two really aren't even comparable.
I'm telling you man, you're selling NYC short if you think TS is such a great representation of it. That's like me telling people Fisherman's Wharf is the real SF or Grauman's Theater is the real LA. These are just tourist traps. And as far as tourist traps go, Universal City Walk in LA >>>>>>>>> TS. TS just looks cool (and I'm not disputing that at all), but once you get just underneath the surface its really nothing special.
Shibuya is more impressive I hate to break it to you...there is no question. Yes, I have been to both.
That guy always makes blind statements like that w/o ever having actually seen the rest of the world to make such an assessment. I haven't seen Shibuya but I'm more inclined to believe the two of you who aren't ignorant enough to make bold claims w/o any real knowledge to back them up.
Times Square has a history of being a very unique center of a big city. In the early 1900's, before Hollywood was big, it was the entertainment capital of the nation, home to many theaters, music/dance halls, hotels, and businesses (e.g. the NY Times which it is named after) and rightfully attained iconic status. Through the early 1900's it was an impressive place unlike anyplace in the nation. The lights, billboards, tickers, etc. collected in a limited area were a big deal. It was the Sunset Strip and Las Vegas Strip before either of those existed.
From the 60's thru the 90's it went into decay, but a lot of the historical sites were there, even though many were boarded up and/or decaying. When I would go there as a kid in the 70's and 80's (and we didn't linger there, that's for sure) I could (even as a kid) see the history of the place, even in it's decaying state. It was almost like looking at the ruins of a former civilization that has decayed and been overrun with sleaze and crime.
When they cleaned it up in the 90's, the idea was good, but the way they did it was horrible in that they went to the extreme in making it essentially a huge Disney-type tourist attraction (and in a lot of cases, actual Disney attractions, e.g. ESPN zone and ABC/Good Morning America).
So today, going to Times Square reveals little of its historic glory. A handful of restored and renovated theaters, a couple restaurants and hotels perhaps, and the unique layout of the area are about all that remains from its historic glory. Replacing what has been removed or demolished are nothing but the touristy, over-the-top mega-shops, light displays, restaurants, entertainment, etc., most of which can be found in identical fashion in several other parts of the nation, including DisneyWorld.
So it really IS overrated in the sense that it's not a real great representation of NYC. It's NOT overrated in the sense that it's a huge tourist attraction and tourists love it in the same way they love DisneyWorld; but that's not something unique to NYC.
Way back, when it was still a legitimate NYC icon, it was known for the lights, the unique billboards which would be animated or billow smoke or have other gimmicks; now, the displays are no different from those you'd find in DisneyWorld, the Vegas Strip, or many other touristy venues in the nation. It's not like the old days when only NY could afford to use that kind of technology.
I don't see how anyone in the NYC area can see TS for anything more than it really is, which is just an overblown, modern tourist center where you find the same things you find in other cities' tourist centers. I can get a spray paint painting of outer space or my name in letter that look like birds or my charicature in Vegas, Boston, San Fran, L.A., and many other cities. I can go to ESPNzone or the M&M store or Madame Tussaud's or any other such silly tourist attractions in many of those other cities, also.
At least in Las Vegas their character as a city is to adopt anything and everything that attracts people, but NY City has such a rich and real history and so many attractions that are not hollow like Times Square that it doesn't make sense for Times Square to be seen by anyone who knows NYC as a great representation of the city. In an abstract way it represents the city, but in a more direct way it fails and simply delivers a pathetic appeal to tourists' most shallow and superficial interests.
I find that just a block or two over, on 6th and 5th aves, there is a MUCH better representation of NY City. Rockefeller Center retains much of its history, as does Fifth Ave w/ St. Patrick's Cathedral and many of the old shops like Saks, Bergdorf, Barney's, and the many designer shops and boutiques that have been there for decades. The restaurants are more authentically "New York" than most in Times Square, and it's a very impressive area for visitors in its own right while representing NY in a real way, not through a Disney filter.
Times Square is worth seeing and it's a neat sight, but it distracts from far better things to see and do in NYC, even in midtown. I'm sick of bringing visiting friends to NYC and trying to drag them out of Times Square, trying to convince them that there really are some better dining options than Chevy's or Bubba Gump which they can have anywhere. Half the crap in Times Square can be found in any mall in NJ, for crying out loud.
You're sorely mistaken if you think New Yorkers consider TS "overrated" just to "sound cool"...they consider it overrated because it is overrated as a NYC attraction, even though it's not overrated as a Disney attraction.
"things to do" what is that? Every place has some things to do nevertheless NYC's Times Square has been the most visited location in the US in 2009. LA has nothing on NYC. The people (tourists) have spoken.
Yes TIME SQUARE had the most tourist, but what about NYC vs LA as a WHOLE.
Ive actually heard ,from ppl that went to las vegas, that times square is more impressive. How am i easily impressed , theres nothing like times square in america. Theres no bigger combination of lights and screens like that, in the world
You dont have to be five years old to enjoy something thats way different than anything you have in your own city
saying shibuya is more impressive is ridiculous. Its not about neon lights. Times square jumbo trons are more impressive filling up whole sides of skyscrapers. Neither vegas or shibuya screen display is more impressive than ts. The only thing shibuya has on ts is the people swarm. But ts has trons that take up buildings and many of them at that. The new american eagle tron is more impressive than anything either vegas or tokyo. Stop trying to rely on tokyo everytime TS comes up. Its not more impressive
"You don't HAVE to be five, but I think its pretty sad if you're fully grown and expected to be blown away by some neon lights and some billboards. I mean don't get me wrong, its definitely impressive to walk into at first. But after walking a block or so into it it ends up being nothing more than just that. At least for me that's all I got from it. Its just fluff. I was over it by the time I got a block passed that 2 or 3 story Walgreens (on Broadway I think)."
If u were impressed up until walgreens, than u were basically impressed by the whole thing. I mean thats the end of that strip.lol
As a native i appreciate ts for what it is, aswell as other natives do. I never said it was the greatest rep for new york. But saying its overrated is a stretch.
saying shibuya is more impressive is ridiculous. Its not about neon lights. Times square jumbo trons are more impressive filling up whole sides of skyscrapers. Neither vegas or shibuya screen display is more impressive than ts. The only thing shibuya has on ts is the people swarm. But ts has trons that take up buildings and many of them at that. The new american eagle tron is more impressive than anything either vegas or tokyo. Stop trying to rely on tokyo everytime TS comes up. Its not more impressive
"You don't HAVE to be five, but I think its pretty sad if you're fully grown and expected to be blown away by some neon lights and some billboards. I mean don't get me wrong, its definitely impressive to walk into at first. But after walking a block or so into it it ends up being nothing more than just that. At least for me that's all I got from it. Its just fluff. I was over it by the time I got a block passed that 2 or 3 story Walgreens (on Broadway I think)."
If u were impressed up until walgreens, than u were basically impressed by the whole thing. I mean thats the end of that strip.lol
As a native i appreciate ts for what it is, aswell as other natives do. I never said it was the greatest rep for new york. But saying its overrated is a stretch.
The more you describe Time Square, less appealing it seems to me. It sounds like a massive tourist trap that represents a monument to commercialism and corporate America. No thanks. I'd rather spend my New York vacation Brooklyn which I've heard/read a lot of cool things about.
saying shibuya is more impressive is ridiculous. Its not about neon lights. Times square jumbo trons are more impressive filling up whole sides of skyscrapers. Neither vegas or shibuya screen display is more impressive than ts. The only thing shibuya has on ts is the people swarm. But ts has trons that take up buildings and many of them at that. The new american eagle tron is more impressive than anything either vegas or tokyo. Stop trying to rely on tokyo everytime TS comes up. Its not more impressive
"You don't HAVE to be five, but I think its pretty sad if you're fully grown and expected to be blown away by some neon lights and some billboards. I mean don't get me wrong, its definitely impressive to walk into at first. But after walking a block or so into it it ends up being nothing more than just that. At least for me that's all I got from it. Its just fluff. I was over it by the time I got a block passed that 2 or 3 story Walgreens (on Broadway I think)."
If u were impressed up until walgreens, than u were basically impressed by the whole thing. I mean thats the end of that strip.lol
As a native i appreciate ts for what it is, aswell as other natives do. I never said it was the greatest rep for new york. But saying its overrated is a stretch.
I'm not surprised. I heard that New York City's light pollution is some of the worst in the country. They don't really try to contain it from what I heard.
From where I live in Bergen County, I see a constant bright orange glow in the direction of NYC, so the light pollution affects the metro area quite a bit.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Please. In Vegas they have all the neon lights TS has and more, coupled with tons of stuff to actually do. I thought TS was supposed to offer more in that respect than it did, but it ended up being a bunch of over-sized chains. Big whoop. Vegas is like what I'd hoped Times Square would have turned out to be (but didn't), except on steroids. The two really aren't even comparable. 
I'd rather spend my New York vacation Brooklyn which I've heard/read a lot of cool things about.