Times Square: Slowly, but surely, the iconic intersection is bouncing back

Times Square: Slowly, but surely, the iconic intersection is bouncing back

10/12/23 8:00PM

Squarely back in business‍

‍Times Square is buzzing brightly once again, as the glitzy attraction recently celebrated its 180th business opening since the pandemic — finally surpassing the 179 businesses that Covid-19 permanently shuttered.

As rubbing shoulders with strangers was the last thing on anyone's mind during the pandemic, daily visitor numbers plummeted from an average of over 360,000 in 2019 to just 125,000 in 2020, only inching up to a little over 172,000 the following year, per the Times Square Alliance.

Having once held the coveted title of the most visited location in the world, reaching its pre-pandemic neon highs was never going to happen overnight for Times Square. However, with businesses reopening, hotel bookings are also on the up — the area accounted for a quarter of the $1.9 billion worth of hotel transactions in Manhattan this year. Although visitor numbers have inched closer to 2019 levels so far in 2023, no month has yet brought the iconic intersection back to its former footfall heights.

More World

world

Tom Jones7/10/26

The most watched soccer match in US history got less than a third of the views the Super Bowl did

Between a top-spot finish in the group stage, a sweeping performance against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, and the president’s controversial intervention, Monday evening’s USMNT game against Belgium had, to put it lightly, shaped up into a box-office clash.

And though the US players’ performance on the pitch might not have lived up to the high drama off it, American soccer fans certainly showed up. According to early estimates, the 4-1 defeat against Belgium was the most watched soccer telecast in US history, hauling some 40 million viewers on average across the coverage on Fox and Telemundo.

That may be a record tally in the US for the sport that much of the world calls some variant of “football” — besting the 36.2 million who tuned in to watch the team’s previous knock-out match — but it’s still peanuts in comparison to the sport that shares the same name in the States.

World cup viewers chart — Sherwood News

burning question

Over 50% of Americans say climate change is a serious threat; only 10% think their compatriots feel the same

That perception gap on the issue is among the highest in the world, per a new Gallup poll.

Youth Climate Strikes Break Out Across The U.S.

Reddit alien stock exchange

Reddit’s advertising business is getting bigger. It’s already booming.

The platform will plow more money into its ad offerings as it cements itself as a “trove of human intelligence.”

Tom Jones6/22/26

45% of Americans say they’re not taking a summer vacation this year, mostly due to costs

Flight comparison site Skyscanner is recommending some cheaper alternatives closer to home.

Bored annoyed man looking funny and angry during his summer staycations

Despite slight declines, Japanese tourism figures are still hovering around record highs

Tourism: Still big in Japan.

Aerial view of Tokyo cityscape with Fuji mountain in Japan.

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC and Chartr Limited produce fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and are fully owned subsidiaries of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, Robinhood Money, LLC, Robinhood U.K. Ltd, Robinhood Derivatives, LLC, Robinhood Gold, LLC, Robinhood Asset Management, LLC, Robinhood Credit, Inc., Robinhood Ventures DE, LLC and, where applicable, its managed investment vehicles.

©2026 Sherwood Media, LLC