Times Square is a really glittery place in all the pictures. But in real life, it can be quite overwhelming. These are some great New York City travel tips that transfer over into Central Park and many other places inside the city.

New York City Travel Tips: Times Square

I really wish that my husband and I had read a blog post like this before traveling to New York. It would have made us both a lot more comfortable with our experience. Probably a little safer too!

General Rules

Everyone is trying to sell you something. And everyone is trying to make a living. There a few general rules that I recommend to avoid the awkward (and completely legal) highway robbery experience:

1. Keep your free hand(s) in your pockets.
2. Don’t stop and look.
3. Don’t make eye contact.
4. Whenever someone tries to make a sale for a comedy club evening or anything else the only way to prevent that is to firmly say “No Thank You or Have a Nice Day.” These are neutral phrases that are polite and will work to  whatever sales pitch you get.

Common Sales Pitches

Here are some gimmicks you may want to steer clear of:

• When that Lady Liberty Statue impersonator beckons you with their hands, or that rip-off version of Minne Mouse takes you by the shoulders both beckoning for a picture don’t make eye contact. Those pictures cost money.
• If you see a performing arts group jumping all around and stop to look, they do expect payment. And they’re very good at making it known.
• If your hand is not in your pocket someone will be sure to place a rap CD or wooden rose in it and then demand payment. You wouldn’t drop it would you? That’s against human nature. And then if you try to give it back oftentimes they will ask you why you’re rejecting their product in a way that makes you seem guilty. So to be a nice person, you just pay the donation they suggest.

My husband and I are from a smaller town of about one hundred thousand and we weren’t used to such aggressive selling. It’s what landed my husband with two rap CD’s for $40 that he didn’t even want after a lot of goading. And if we’d read some of these New York City travel tips beforehand it would have really helped!

Favorite Times Square Gems

So, we talked about the not so lovely parts of Times Square. But Times Square is truly magical too! Some of my husband and I’s favorite parts of Times Square were:

• The Disney Store: If you arrive upon opening in the morning they serenade you with a fabulous “Good Morning” reminiscent of a song you would find in Beauty & the Beast. Also, one small child will get to ‘unlock’ the store with a giant ornate key. They are able to keep a replica to take home. This was definitely a treat to watch! Also, Disney is just so extra all the time. Their staff is friendly and their store is immaculate!
• The Hershey’s Store: If you love Hershey’s, this is the place for you. Outfitted from top to bottom with chocolate themed décor and a S’mores truck inside this place is a blast for kids and chocolate lovers alike. However, it does not hold a candle to Dylan’s Candy.
• Ray’s Pizza: If you’re looking for a delicious (and cheap) pizza bar on Times Square this is a great place to grab a bite! It get’s wall to wall crowded in there but it’s one of the only Pizza style buffets in sight where you could grab a spot at the bar or table with limited wait.
• Swarovski Crystals: I love to admire the Crystal’s hanging from the awning outside of their store. They are magnificent!

The Not So Glamorous Bit…

Finally on a logistical note, one of the most important (and least glamorous) parts of Times Square (and New York City travel tips in general) is finding a clean bathroom. Or a bathroom, period.

Wandering around Times Square will eventually require a bathroom.

1. McDonalds – Even though there were only three stalls the line wasn’t terribly long and they were reasonably clean. The McDonalds bathrooms can be found on the top level near the back of the store.
2. H & M – The women’s bathrooms are located on the second floor near the dressing room.

Times Square can be a lot of fun if you do it right! I certainly hope that these New York City travel tips about this gem was helpful!

Thanks for reading!

Lauren

Next, if you liked this post you’d probably enjoy reading more about our adventures in the articles linked below:

• Swimming With Stingrays In the Grand Cayman Islands
• We Will Never Forget – 9/11 Memorial and Museum
• 5 Hacks to Travel New York City Like a Boss
• 5 Things Not to Do at a Hot Air Balloon Festival
• What It’s Really Like to Swim With Dolphins In the Grand Cayman Islands