Times Square Favorites
Enjoy the best of the neighborhood, courtesy of the Times Square Alliance.
1
Bond 45
1
221 W. 46th St.
Restaurateur Shelly Fireman engineered a two-block move for Bond 45, keeping the name although it’s on 46th Street now, across from the Richard Rodgers Theatre (where Hamilton is in residence). The enormous, bi-level, Italian-ish venue offers breakfast all day, a lavish antipasti bar and, in the downstairs bar, postshow happy hour discounts nightly after 9pm. Thin-crust pizzas, pasta, big salads, grilled fish and burgers with cacio e pepe-dusted fries are available for lunch or dinner.
2
Joe Allen
2
326 W. 46th St.
Joe Allen is the quintessential theater hangout, buzzing with producers, actors and sundry fans of the stage. This long-running show (open since 1965) celebrates flops, the brick walls showcasing posters of stinkers that didn't last much more than a night, like the notorious Moose Murders. Pull up to the bar for an expert martini that's partly poured in a glass, the rest filling a small carafe on ice so it stays nice and cold. Lunch, pre-theater or post-theater are all good times to come for uncomplicated American fare, such as sandwiches, salads, meatloaf with mashed potatoes and grilled New York strip steak in a red wine reduction
3
Times Square Arts: Midnight Moment
3
Broadway
Every night from 11:57pm to 12am, billboards throughout Times Square take a break from their regularly scheduled programming to display digital artworks. The program, ongoing since 2012, transforms the City’s famed intersection into a massive outdoor gallery space. Previous artists have included notables like Nick Cave, Tracy Emin, JR, Laurie Anderson and Andy Warhol. Up in June 2022 is Polar Rainbow by Kristaps Ancāns; it imagines a double rainbow running along the 74W longitude line on which NYC and commemorates Pride month.
4
Pass Over
4
245 W. 52nd St.
Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s award-winning play contains elements of Waiting for Godot and Exodus, with Moses and Kitch talking of their visions for a promised land until a stranger interrupts their conversation. The production, which marks the Broadway debut of Nwandu and director Danya Taymor, reunites the cast from its 2018 Lincoln Center Theater run: Jon Michael Hill, Namir Smallwood and Tony Award winner Gabriel Ebert.
5
Speakeasy
5
221 W. 46th St.
Part burlesque show, part cocktail tasting, Speakeasy is a live performance inside Times Square’s Bond 45 featuring circus and burlesque stars. Conceived by director Holly-Anne Devlin, who was part of the original Jersey Boys creative team on Broadway, Speakeasy promises to be a high-energy, sparkly, immersive experience. Tickets include a five-cocktail flight (virgin cocktails are available), as well as an appetizer, all prepared by the team at Bond 45.
6
Shubert Brothers & Beyond
6
149 W. 45th St.
Named for the family who established Broadway’s Theatre District against all odds, the Shubert Brothers & Beyond walking tour covers the starry venues between West 44th and West 46th Streets. Hear insider stories about plays like Hamilton while your tour guide—a professional actor or stage manager—shows you around. Tours take place at 11am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and last 1 hour 45 minutes. Reservations are required.
7
TDF’s TKTS Steps
7
Broadway at West 47th Street
If you’re in need of a quick rest in Times Square, but don’t want to miss out on the action, take a seat on one of the Red Steps atop the TKTS booth. Located between Broadway and Seventh Avenue in Father Duffy Square, the 27 ruby-red steps can accommodate up to 1,500 people at a time and provide the perfect vantage point of the Theatre District.
8
Showstoppers
8
234 W. 42nd St.
The former Modell's department store in the heart of Times Square has been transformed into a pop-up exhibition featuring over 100 garments from theater productions. Throughout the venue are immersive displays and live demonstrations of professional costume makers executing their craft. Proceeds will benefit the Costume Industry Coalition Recovery Fund.
9
Spotlight on Broadway
9
729 Seventh Ave.
This is one art installation that’s OK to step on. Spotlight on Broadway is a visual representation of the Theatre District’s 40 currently open playhouses, etched in steel and granite on Father Duffy Square.
10
Live Music in Times Square
10
Broadway
This live summer concert series allows theater and music fans to see top-notch performances, free of charge. On Thursday evenings, swing to the sounds of jazz bands in the plaza as part of Jazz in Times Square, curated by Jazz at Lincoln Center. On Friday evenings, Ben Cameron hosts the Broadway Busker series, where Broadway stars from shows like Company and Jagged Little Pill perform their own original music.