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“Let Me Tell You” is a series of columns from our expert editors about NYC living, including the best things to do, where to eat and drink, and what to see at the theater. They publish each Tuesday so you’re hearing from us each week. Last time, Things to Do Editor Rossilynne Skena Culgan took on the challenge of trying all the unlimited samples at the Museum of Ice Cream.
A lot of New Yorkers like to talk smack about Times Square. I’m not one of them.
Sure, I avoid the area during high tourism times when I can’t lose precious minutes trudging through crowds on the sidewalk. Yes, I regularly feel disgusted by the display of capitalism. And I most certainly do not want to be so much as grazed by a costumed character.
RECOMMENDED: Let me tell you—it’s time to fill the giant, empty Sbarro in Times Square. We have ideas.
But I remember the magic of Times Square on my first visit to New York City, an experience so foreign and transformative for a girl who grew up among hayfields, rather than skyscrapers. I adore seeing that same awestruck expression on the faces of tourists—so much that I won't even get that mad if they stop right in front of me on the sidewalk.
Even so, when I traveled to Toronto recently, I didn’t intend to visit the “Times Square of Toronto.” It wasn’t on my carefully planned, absolutely packed itinerary filled with local cafes, renowned restaurants and quirky “non-commercial” experiences. But I ended up there by chance and found out that New York City could learn a few things from Toronto's Yonge-Dundas Square.
After spending a little too long enjoying a series of cold plunges and sauna time at Alter Wellness, I realized the best bus stop for my next experience was at Yonge-Dundas Square, a.k.a. Toronto's Times Square, which has also been compared to Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo and Piccadilly Circus in London.
I booked it there and expected to fight through throngs of people in a chaotic public plaza to find the bus stop. Instead, I discovered a public space reminiscent of Times Square with its billboards and commerce but with a much calmer energy.
I was immediately struck by the water features, a series of 20 dancing fountains that were not only beautiful to watch but also provided a calming hush over the traffic noise. I now dream of some kind of water feature near the Red Steps. Restaurants with balconies offer a chance to feel like a part of the square without being blocks away on a rooftop bar, like in New York City.
Plop down in a collection of colorful Adirondack chairs giving space to hang out and eat, people watch or just relax—and relax is not a word I'd ever associate with Times Square. Extra perk: I didn't see a single costumed creature when I visited.
Streetcars pass through Toronto's main public space—a much quieter form of transit than New York City’s honking taxis. For pedestrians, there’s a lot more room to spread out.
To be fair, Yonge-Dundas Square is much newer than Times Square, and it grew from planned development. In 1998, the City of Toronto launched a competition to design Yonge-Dundas Square, and it hired an architecture firm create a vision for the space. It officially opened in 2003, while Times Square’s history dates back to the late 1800s.
Plus, while Toronto's busiest square sees about 146,000 people every day, Times Square more than doubles that with pedestrian traffic up to 400,000 daily.
All that to say, despite the differences, New York could learn a few things from Toronto's Yonge-Dundas Square, which has found ways to carve out moments of peace in the busiest part of the city. That's something New Yorkers could certainly benefit from.