The square received its name in honor of the famous newspaper The New York Times, whose office was built here at the beginning of the 20th century. The owner of the New York Times newspaper agreed to build a new city subway station on this site and call it “Times Square.” After the opening of the new station, the townspeople speaking among themselves finally changed the name of the square to Times Square, which today has become official, even though the headquarters of the New York Times newspaper is no longer located here.

1949, Times Square Rainy 
Day, Fred Stein

Times Square is the only place in the world where city authorities legally require owners and tenants to place bright advertising billboards on the facade in order to fully match the surroundings of the area. Another well-known name of the square is the  Crossroads of the World, precisely because of its popularity among guests from all over the world.

By the way, apartments' in Times Square average cost is $2,000,000. 

There is free internet and ticket offices where you can buy tickets for various shows and performances. Then, with a paper cup of coffee, you can take part in the traditional mass viewing of the popular television program “Good Morning America!”, broadcast live every day on the huge screen of the ABC building.

The peak of visiting Times Square by tourists and New Yorkers falls on New Year's Eve — the night from December 31 to January 1 of each year. Millions of city residents watch as a huge luminous ball 3.5 m in diameter descends down the spire of The New York Times skyscraper within a minute. The ball reaches the roof at exactly 00:00, marking the beginning of the new year.

The tradition of releasing a ball on a skyscraper began in 1907.

On August 14, you can become part of a global flash mob: numerous couples of lovers kiss, copying the famous photograph that captures the kiss of a sailor and a girl on this square in 1945.

One of the branches of Madame Tussauds London was built in New York in 2000. A 10-story building was built especially for it, which now houses about 200 wax figures of world stars of show business and politics.

Unlike the British museum, in the New York museum almost all the figures are in the public domain, you can take pictures with them, and in one of the halls there are actors hiding among the figures - and at the most unexpected moment they “come to life”!

One day, one of the visitors tore off the head of the wax Hitler, and now the figure of the Fuhrer is the only exhibit in the museum, standing behind glass.

You can register your marriage right in Times Square using the services of a Naked Cowboy with a Guitar. This unusual street musician has long become a symbol of New York and is popular among locals and tourists.

By the way, he has the realest official license to perform a wedding ceremony.