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The Heart of the Big Apple
Times
Square is an attraction that could only be found in the
modern world.
As you walk in New York City towards Times Square, the
streets become even more packed
with pedestrians. People bump into you, talking with
each other or on cell phones. You walk by clean, modern
stores with expensive clothes and shoe stores
filled with the newest
styles of running shoe. Cheap fast-food restaurants
are noisy and
full
of customers. As you get closer, more and more
people hold cameras and look up at the tall buildings
around them, preparing to see the
spectacle
of Times Square.
Then you
hit Times Square. This
section of Manhattan (the main part of New York City,
where many big financial companies
operate) is one of New
York's oldest tourist attractions. With
its tall buildings and massive lit-up
advertisements, Times
Square has come to symbolize
New York itself. And as New York changes
over
time, so does
Times Square. Today, Times Square is mainly about
advertising and 21st-century
commerce. Traffic is too
busy to make it a good
place to walk around and enjoy the afternoon. In the
past, however, Times Square was a cultural center in New
York.
Once a year, though, Times Square is the site for a
special celebration. On New Year's Eve,
enormous
crowds gather in Times Square. As people
count down to midnight
together, a gigantic ball
made of
crystal
and lights descends along a
pole. When midnight
strikes,
the ball reaches the bottom, and the crowds hug and kiss
and cheer, thinking of the year that has passed and the
year to come. It is a celebration that has become famous
all over the world, and it is one of the traditions that
keep New York
in touch with its past. |
