A closer look

Times Square is not technically a square in any geometric sense, but rather a pair of triangles created by the awkward intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue. The massive tourist trap was originally named Longacre Square before a famous newspaper moved its headquarters there in the early twentieth century and successfully lobbied the city for a permanent branding change. Today, it stands as the ultimate monument to sensory overload, where thousands of confused tourists stand in the middle of a chaotic intersection taking photos of massive LED advertisements for products they already buy at home. Locals avoid this glowing hellscape at all costs, fully aware that entering the area means dodging aggressive costumed characters, overpriced chain restaurants, and herds of people walking at an infuriatingly slow pace. It is deeply ironic that New York City's most famous destination is just a badly shaped traffic intersection dedicated entirely to the unbridled worship of corporate marketing