What You See Is What You Get

For anyone who wants to get an idea of exactly how chaotic Times Square is, I found a great video posted on YouTube.  This video is a perfect representation of the sights and sounds of Times Square.  I like that there is no sound editing over it.  What you see and hear, is exactly what you get during a visit to NYC.

From this clip, you're able to get a better idea of the culture.  As you can see, there are so many different things going on, which is exactly why I wanted to write this blog.  There is never a dull moment, and Times Square is always PACKED with people.  Tourists, police officers, Elmo , street performers, and more!  From the weird to the weirder -That guy with the hamsters always scares me! He walks around with a bunch on his shoulders. (Gross!)  I also always see many different dancers and street performers, who are fun to watch.

From a tourist perspective, I'm sure just watching this video can be overwhelming, but that's what makes Times Square so interesting and exciting to be in.

The Grand Place

I decided to shake things up a little, and thought it would be fun to write about another famous square. 

The Grand Place is located in Brussels, Belgium.   I've been here many times and I think it's one of the most beautiful places to visit.   Here are some of my personal photos taken last year in the Grand Place.

 You will see hundreds of people walking around or sitting outside having coffee or desert.  By the way, the chocolates in Belgium are delish!  Within the square, there is a narrow ally with a row of restaurants (similar to restaurant row in Times Square), where my family and I love to eat.  The atmosphere is full of energy, and of course, always full of tourists.  Around the holiday season, there are lights on the buildings that are synced to flash with music playing over speakers.  It's a very cool sight to see!

 This square is the most important tourist destination in Brussels. Every two years in August, an enormous “flower carpet” is set up in the Grand Place for a few days. A million colorful flowers are set up in patterns covering pretty much the entire square.  If you ever plan a trip to Brussels, this is definitely the place to go.  



Unlike Times Square, there aren't a bunch of vendors here trying to sell you things.  I also find it to be cleaner and less cluttered.  There are very few street performers as well.  Europe is a different culture with a different feel.  As I mentioned, I love The Grand Place and can't get enough of it. 

Stay tuned readers, I just might post about more famous squares around the world.

The NYE Ball Drop

The New Years Eve ball drop in Times Square has been around for over 100 years. While billions of people around the world witness the ball's decent every year, few realize the amount of work, time, and thought that goes into creating it. With modern technology through history, the ball has gotten better and brighter.

Fun Historical Facts About the New Years Ball:

•The first ball was actually made out of iron and wood, weighing 400 pounds.
•Next, a 700-pound iron ball that lasted until the 1950s.
•An aluminum ball remained until 1999.
•Next came the Millennium Ball, a rhinestone bedazzled glitter ball lit by halogen lamps.
•It wasn't until 2007 that they experimented with LED technology before converting to a full LED ball in 2008.

After switching to the full LED ball, the ball gained 90 percent efficiency, and quadrupled the brightness.

The New Year’s Eve Ball is nearly 6 tons (11,875 pounds to be exact) and 12 feet in diameter. The Ball is a geodesic sphere, and is the largest crystal ball in existence with 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles varying in size. The Ball is illuminated by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs.

For this past New Years (2013), 288 of the Waterford Crystal triangles introduced the new "Let There Be Peace" design of a dove with wings spread symbolizing a message of peace; engraving of people holding hands around the world.

A team of about 6 people operate and take care of the ball year round. Now completely computer controlled, they don’t need that many people to guide the ball as it comes down.

Maintaining the ball requires careful upkeep. To prevent spotting, a quarter cup of ammonia with lemon detergent is used, rising thoroughly and air-drying on a rack.

Next year when you see the ball drop, think of all that goes into creating the quick 60 second count down!

Big Bright Billboards

The billboard ads that live on our highways always seem to blend into the landscape.  We pass by them, but none of them really make that big of an impact. 

On the other hand, Times Square is an advertiser's dream.  It is home to:

1.8 Million Daily Passersby

32 Million Annual Tourists

48,000 Residents

158,000 Employees

1,500 Businesses

33,360 Households

40 Broadway Theatres

In total, Times Square signage advertising can expect to nearly 1.5 million impressions each day

Since there is such a large number of impressions every single day, there are so many different types of ads EVERYWHERE you look.  It can be overwhelming, especially to someone who has never experienced New York before.  This area is known for the huge bright billboards and signs.

According to The Wall Street Journal, it costs between $1.1 million and $4 million a year if you want to buy one of those flashy, digital or neon billboard in Times square.  The Tall tower in the middle of the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue makes $23 million a year from the billboards they cover. 

This image was taken from Business Insider.  (http://www.businessinsider.com/what-it-costs-to-advertise-in-times-square-2012-12)

In Times Square. you will see an array of advertisements such as billboards, digital signs, wall ads, neon, flashy and moving signs, and much more.

 The Wall Ad:

 I see these giant wall advertisements a lot.  Particularly  when you get out of Port Authority on 40th and 8th, right above the Duane Reed.  You can't miss it, or even ignore it if you tried!  This is definitely an eye catcher.

Billboards:

Times Square is known for it's huge billboards.  The colors, lights, and signs are overwhelming.  They mostly advertise Broadway shows, products, new tv or movies, or various celebrity endorsements.  Thees billboards are constantly changing.  It's a wonder to see, especially at night when the lights are bright.   





Electronic LED Ads:


These signs are the most attractive in Times Square.  They move, are flashy, bright, and bold.  I love seeing these signs, especially at night.  They grab your attention right away, and there is so much going on, sometimes you don't know where to look first.

For a company with (obviously) a large budget, Times Square would be an amazing place to advertise in order to reach a huge demographic.  Since this location is a melting pot of millions of people, advertising here is definitely a home-run.  While an ad averages about 2 million here (unless you are advertising on the Times Square Tower), it's still not as expensive as placing a 30-second commercial ad during the Super Bowl, which reportedly cost between $3.7 million and $3.8 million this year.

Pucker Up

Times Square does an interesting event called the Kiss-In.  This event occurs once every 5 years, marking the anniversary of the famous victory kiss on August 14, 2945 between a U.S. sailor & nurse.  

Hundreds of people fill up Times Square to honor the US Armed Forces.  The Kiss-In is not only a cute, fun idea, but it also symbolizes love, peace and hope.  

I think it's the SMALL things that make a big difference.  It's great when people come together to support a cause, and it is definitely a spectacular sight to see! 

Too bad the next Kiss-In event isn't until August 14, 2015!   We have to wait another 2 years for this fun cause.  I would also love to see this event for myself!  The Kiss-In is so romantic and seems like a lot of fun. 

 

 

Grab your significant other and pucker up!