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Growing up on the Upper West (Upper Diane Wiest) Side of Manhattan, our apartment was close to Times Square. “How amazing,” I thought, “that this small area so close to where I live is also a place tourists come from all over the world to visit.” Times Square is where Broadway is and it’s a good snapshot of mainstream culture at any given moment. As a boy, I felt lucky to be able to walk through the square and enjoy the unique sights and sounds as part of my “ordinary day.” Later in life, it came as a surprise when I discovered people hating on Times Square. They felt that to identify as a “real New Yorker” was to despise Times Square. I believe being a “real New Yorker” is to adore Times Square. I suggest going alone. Sit on one of the new chairs. Gaze at the screens. Take a photo. Walk up the TKTS steps. Read. Write. Watch people. Like I always say, “If NYC were a face, Times Square is the lips, and we are frenching.”
May 31, 2022