Travel Journal: Times Square by Day and by Night

My third day in New York is a shopping day, well it’s a window shopping day really, but it’s still fun to browse. I spent my day around Times Square and later came back after dark to check out all the iconic lights as well as exploring the other New York landmarks in the night time city glow.

While I would have loved to treat myself to a whole new wardrobe in New York, neither my budget nor my backpack would really allow for a spending spree. I did spend a fair part of my day browsing and occasionally trying on clothes but turns out I’m not quite an American shape. I’m not too big or too small just different dimensions it would seem.

Time Square itself really surprised me as I was expecting a much bigger area and definitely more of a pedestrian area. I was think more along the lines of big open European plaza and not so much a junction of multiple busy roads. The traffic does have one advantage though. New York’s yellow cabs are well known worldwide but the sheer number of them really does need to be seen to be believed. I love them, not that I have ever taken one but they’re pretty good for photos.

New York yellow taxi cabs at Times Square
Yellow, yellow everywhere
More Yellow Cabs as Dusk sets in at Times Square
More Yellow Cabs as Dusk sets in at Times Square

While Times Square’s billboards are active 24/7, it is after dark that you really appreciate the number and brightness of this phenomenon. I make no illusions about the state of my camera. I take pictures with a little battered digital Fujifilm camera. It is definitely nothing fancy and you can probably tell that it struggles somewhat in poor light conditions. However, here are a few shots of night time NYC. Even in bad photography this place looks awesome.

Times Square, New York
Times Square, New York
Yellow taxi cabs in the Times Square darkness
They look awesome at night too

As well as Time Square I also do a bit of a walk about to check out some other beautifully lit spots nearby and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s clear to see why this is the city that never sleeps – there are bright lights illuminating everything. The lights of New York are not to be missed though I don’t dare stop to think about how much light pollution and energy consumption is associated with it all.

Grand Central Station and the Chrysler Building, New York
Grand Central Station and the Chrysler Building

Have you visited New York’s Times Square? Was it what you expected?