Times Square 2000

Times Square millenium street sign (41K)

If New York is "The Capital of the World, then it's no wonder that Times Square is called "The Crossroads of the World".

You think New York would keep quiet about the New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square on this special occasion?

No way!

Just to make the point, they gave this section of 7th Ave the honorary title "Millenium Way".

There are at least six or seven giant tickers in Times Square, here's one of them, see if you can spot the other three on this page!

Giant stock ticker (59K)

Here's the most modest and subtle sign in the whole of Times Square and, compared to the others, a model of propriety and good taste.

Hard Rock Cafe sign (25K)

See what I mean?

The hundreds of foot-tall vertical items on this billboard are neon lit spoons, one of which is lit up at random at any one time

Giant Jello Sign (60K)

Even a company as stodgy as a monopoly public power utility can grasp the two principles of advertising in Times Square...

giant Con Edison sign (30K)
Coca Cola and Suntory Whisky signs (52K)

Make it big...

...and make it bright!

Coca Cola and Suntory Whisky signs at night (34K)
Old New York Times building and Time Ball

Somehow, flashy advertising suits this place, and there's nothing more fraudulent than the name "Times Square" itself. 

You can look and look, but the one thing you won't find in Times Square is a square.   On a tourist map, Times Square is all the city blocks between 9th Ave on the West and 6th Ave on the East, and 41st St on the South to 53rd St on the North.   At ground level in the very heart of Times Square, there are two roads, 7th Ave running directly North and South, and Broadway, running at an angle.   There's a narrow strip between these roads and this, together with the roads themselves, constitute the square.   When you're standing in Times Square, you're standing in the street.

Oh yes, and in Times Square there's a ball on a stick on top of what used to be the New York Times building.   I assume that the ball is a classic "timeball" like the ones last century installed in harbors all around the world which would drop at midday to let all the ships in the harbor set their clocks.    One of the few of these timeballs remaining is in New Zealand, in the South Island city of Dunedin.

The ball on the stick is only 6 feet across.   A lot of noise was made about its construction from Irish Waterford crystal, but at this distance it could just as well be made from silly putty.   In this photo, the giant TV screen below the ball is carrying live footage of the ball itself.