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Sensory Overload & Unwritten Norms:
Times Square has a constant buzz. With flashing ads, street performers, police, and hectic crowds navigating with unspoken rules: don’t stop in the middle, avoid eye contact with mascots unless you're paying, stay alert, clutch onto your purse, and don't have a bag that has an open hole. Although the rules aren't announced, they are apparent once you're there.

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Access and Exclusion:
Anyone can physically enter Times Square but not everyone feels they belong. Wealthier tourists are catered to, while non-consumers may feel unwelcome. I feel like I only belong in Times Square because I was born and raised in New York, and also the fact that I work in Times Square. I would not go there just for fun, especially as someone who suffers from moderate social anxiety.

Power & Surveillance:
The NYPD presence and surveillance cameras are everywhere. Authority is visually expressed through uniforms, and barricades. However, I don't personally feel safe still. To me, police feel like it's more for show, instead of for actual safety, but then again, I haven't seen any police in action, most likely because they don't need to be.

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Personal Perspective:
Working at JD Sports in Times Square has opened my eyes because I've seen New York from the perspective of a worker and someone in the crowd. During the weekends, holiday seasons, after-work hours, and even in just good weather, my store can get overwhelmingly busy. You can tell when there's about to be a rush. The behind-the-scenes of a TS store is extremely hectic. We have over 300 employees and hundreds more in branching departments that help JD stay afloat. For example, the most important department in JD is our loss prevention. They make sure all employees are safe from threats, and that inventory isn't stolen in-store. The Security is allowed to go through any measures to prevent theft and ensure safety. There are also cameras scattered throughout, and key cards that only certain employees have access to.

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Image take by: Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times

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I would say it does. Walking with intention helped shift your perspective from “worker” or “passerby” to “observer-researcher.” I noticed how much I tune things out when walking through there—how my body reacts or doesn't react, to sudden noises, who I avoid eye contact with, and where the rhythm of my steps changes.

Tie in Springgay & Truman:
There is an emphasis on "walking as more-than-human." Your senses, body, and space are interconnected. In Times Square, this applies. Your body moves in sync with crowds, yet feels individual, overwhelmed, and alive. I would say that even though it's such a hectic environment, there's also this intimacy that you can only get from being alone. This is because everyone is just focusing on themselves, and there's so much happening you know not a single person is looking at you.

Tie in with WalkingLab Podcast:
The podcast discusses how walking helps you think differently about a place. Even though I work here, walking slowly through Times Square helped me see how much performance and surveillance exist here.

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Walking through Times Square made me realize how much I overlook when I’m just going to work. My head typically stays down, I walk fast because I have an objective. But this time was different, I went slow, looked around, and my only objective was to walk around and take in my surroundings. I started asking myself: Who controls the space? Why is everything built around buying something? I’d like to explore how local street performers make a living here or how policing affects unhoused people in the area. This experience reminded me that spaces can be both welcoming and restrictive at the same time, depending on who you are. Using different modes helped me capture what I felt. I wish my photos were better at showing my experiences through my walk, but I feel like the media I chose was way better in terms of conveying my experience. I think combining them gave a fuller picture than just writing would.

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Historical Atmosphere:
Times Square’s history of commercialization and tourism still lingers. Times Square did not look anything like it does now. Before the Times Square that we see now, it was full of sex shops, adult entertainment centers, and bars.

Interaction Rules:
Times Square is a place that lacks empathy, and it encourages transactional interactions (buying, selling, selfies, performances) but discourages intimate social connections. People rarely stop to talk unless it’s for business or performance. It's not the type of place that I could say you could just stop and walk and think.

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Economic Access:

The space is built for spending. Ads push luxury. Even the performers or mascots operate on tips. There’s pressure to participate economically. As someone on the inside of this, working at a popular store in Times Square, it can be overwhelming to see and hear managers telling me to push for sales and having high expectations to meet a certain quota.

Social Markers:

You see diversity in race, age, and nationality, but class divisions are visible in clothing, language, and body language. Certain groups are stared at more, some are ignored. You can also immediately tell when people are tourists because they lack these unspoken norms.

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Image taken by: Cam Pollack/The Wall Street Journal

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Assumptions vs. Reality:

Most people think Times Square is all glam and fun, but you know it can also be chaotic, exhausting, or performative. You may assume everyone loves it, but many locals avoid it. To be honest, once you experience one-on-one conversations with tourists in TS as a worker, you can get disappointed with the way you are treated. I have had people (not limited to tourists) yell at me, complain about me, stalk me, and harass me at work. This takes away from the awe that Times Square has, and I know once I leave this job I will do everything in my power to not return.

How to Learn More:

You could research its gentrification, policing, and commercialization, or talk to street performers or workers in nearby businesses. I always find that I am pleasantly surprised when customers genuinely ask me questions and want to know how I'm feelings today. It's sad that consumers who haven't experienced that type of environment don't understand how it feels and often take it for granted. I feel like just educating yourself and seeing workers from a human perspective can help with how you interact and can make Times Square a better place.

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Times Square audio

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Open Window Times Square, New York City Soundscape for Work/Study (Night to Sunrise) 12 Hours