Times Square Up Close

New Yorkers avoid Times Square for one simple reason, the crowds. I may live on an island with millions of people but it doesn’t mean I want to interact with them.

The only reason I visit Times Square is either see to  a Broadway play or screen a movie. This past weekend, I went to  a screening of Jurassic Park 3D (review to come) and I decided rather that  race to and from the theater to stop and take a few photos of my surroundings because Times Square provides such a wealth of sights and sounds.

This is the hand outside of Madame Tussaud’s was museum.  I haven’t been in Madame Tussaud’s in years. I think it actually is a lot of fun just to see how realistic the celebrities look and of course it’s a blast taking photos with them.

My daughter and I were dumbfounded by what the hedge on the girl’s head is suppose to represent. It’s advertising like this that really makes me wish I could be in the room when the idea of putting hedge on the woman’s head comes up and the rationale for it.

Here are couple of the costumed characters you will find all throughout Times Square. What tourists don’t know is that these characters are not sanctioned by the companies (this is one time, I wish Disney, Hello Kitty would sue).  Some of the characters are perverts and have been arrested. And if you look closely, the costumes are filthy and finally, it’s scam, they just want you to pay them for a photo. My daughter at nine has figured how creepy they are and that you have no idea who is behind those costumes.

Of course, wandering Times Square would not be complete without caricature artists. We have never stopped to do this but I guess it would be a fun thing to have as a momento. I have stopped and watched as they have drawn  customers and I will admit most of them are pretty good.

I can’t say I am a big fan of Nikki Minaj but this poster of her just caught my eye because it was so huge (my photo does not do it justice); so colorful and proves how any of us can look totally fabulous on a Times Square  billboard if we were photoshopped.

 

Disclosure: NYC Single Mom was not compensated for this post.