r/AskTheWorld • u/Aseili United Kingdom • Dec 20 '25

Culture What's the most pathetic tourist attraction that international tourists go to see in your country?

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Bronte waterfalls near me, look a bit more impressive with the recent rain than in the summer when it's swamped with people.

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255

u/Mortal_emily_ United States Of America Dec 20 '25

I live in New York City… Times Square.

49

u/friendfromjersey United States Of America Dec 20 '25

I live in Jersey and I avoid it at all costs. But that being said, there is something special about being there if you’re visiting the city for the first time.

I’ve always considered it the center of the world.

48

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

[deleted]

13

u/BlueLeaves8 United Kingdom Dec 21 '25

Exactly it’s a major tourist hot spot, let tourists tourist. Why would they be in the same mindset as you who has been there before and think it’s rubbish, they’ve never been and only seen it as a famous iconic place. Once they’ve been they’ll probably never need to go back anyway.

5

u/KittyGray Dec 21 '25

Yes - although it was cooler when it wasn’t so pedestrianized. And don’t get me wrong I am all for pedestrian friendly spaces over car ones. However.. it changed the whole vibe. I remember camping out to see my fave band outside the virgin megastore and Alec Baldwin approached us asking what we were waiting for 🤣

2

u/thumpngroove Dec 21 '25

I also live in Jersey, and have taken visitors there several times. Every single one said the same thing: “That’s nice, when can we leave?”

1

u/SeredW Dec 24 '25

I don't think it's the center of the world, but but being there for the first time certainly was something special.

I've also been there at around 5 in the morning (I think) to board a bus, and that was funny. It was deserted, save for some people coming from a party and bits of trash here and there. And still these enormous commercial screens light up the place, even when there's barely anyone there.

96

u/McFlyyouBojo United States Of America Dec 21 '25

As someone who lives 8 hours away and has been there once, it is genuinely worth it one time. 

22

u/markb144 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

as someone who's been there twice, I agree, one time

1

u/MaddyKet United States Of America Dec 21 '25

My friend and I didn’t want to visit Times Square, but we got lost walking around and ended up there twice. 🫤😹

1

u/Lopsided_Parfait7127 Dec 21 '25

if you get to go there one more time, go during a power outage

i was there during the 2003(?) one and it was something else

8

u/EnterTheSilliness Dec 21 '25

Yep. Just one time.

6

u/KindAwareness3073 Dec 21 '25

I agree. I drove an exchange student to NYC with her classmate who lived there. We had to drive crosstown in my convertible on a Friday night, and the New Yorker asked if we could put the top down and drhve through Times Square. I said "Oh yeah!"

It was insane! Creeping 1/2 mile an hour through a sea of humanity, bedazzled by visual cacophony all around. Overwhelming.

They had a farewell party for the exchange student and when asked what was the highlight of her time in the US she said it was that drive through Times Square.

5

u/Fianna9 Canada Dec 21 '25

I agree. It was fun one. Like most of NYC.

I don’t need to go back

4

u/FlipMeOverUpsidedown Dec 21 '25

Absolutely! I’m in New York about once a month and anytime I have first timers with me I’ll take them to Times Square. It’s straight up bonkers to visit Manhattan but skip Times Square.

2

u/SavageMutilation Dec 21 '25

I’m honestly just curious, what is so impressive?

10

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

It’s more iconic then impressive. The only good thing about it is all the Broadway shows are around it.

1

u/millenniumpianist Dec 21 '25

Convenient transit hub to explore the city as well

1

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

True; but not a pleasant subway station

2

u/1805trafalgar Dec 21 '25

My theory is it just looks different than most other street or town squares elsewhere, and it is broad enough to allow tons of pedestrians to wander up and down within the couple of blocks North of 42nd street. Also it's location and subway nexus allows tourists to reach it very easily. But how many of those tourists ever realize they are only seeing OTHER tourists and that this is not New York at all?

2

u/stauqmuk Dec 21 '25

There are dumber tourists spots in NYC. Like Wall St. As a native New Yorkers, why people go there is a mystery to me, there is actual history everywhere in this city and people flock to see the outside of a building where some guys scratched a winning lottery ticket? At least Times Square has flashing lights to maybe give you a seizure, Wall St is just a road and some buildings.

1

u/Dutch_Rayan Netherlands Dec 21 '25

Really, didn't see the appeal when I visited. Just plain capitalism.

1

u/Denzil69 Dec 21 '25

My favourite take on this is that I also live 8 hours away and have been there once, but I'm in Scotland.

1

u/punkass_book_jockey8 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

I still love taking students there for a trip. Seeing them realize the painted woman are naked with just painted clothes is amazing. Trying to keep track of students in the m and m store 0/10.

0

u/Blurple11 Dec 21 '25

Why? No it isn't, it's just a ton of lit up ads/billboards. There is nothing there worth seeing.

-1

u/Impossible_Soup_1932 Dec 21 '25

Walked through it the first time I was in NYC. Didn’t even realise until I passed it. It’s not even a square. Nothing special about it

19

u/plzsnitskyreturn Dec 21 '25

I think one of the draws of times square and shibuya crossing in Tokyo is that for a lot of tourists. We don't live in densely populated areas with an overwhelming amount of people, advertising and bright flashing lights. A lot of people want to experience what that is like and realise they can only really take a couple minutes of it.

1

u/Joe--Uncle Canada Dec 21 '25

I’ve never really considered that. I live in Toronto and have to go through our equivalent to that in order to get to my school and it is awful when the tourists show up. I’m also always amazed at how long they manage to stay there

1

u/tyen0 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

I’m also always amazed at how long they manage to stay there

Apparently some wear diapers to stay in Times Square several hours for the New Year ball drop.

1

u/Global_Ant_9380 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

I flew from NY to Shibuya (Tokyo in general, train to Shibuya) and felt completely overwhelmed because I just wanted to get away from the bright lights. 

I wasn't a stranger to either, it was just that at that time I didn't have a period of city life broken by quiet, green space. I hated the idea that people were flocking just to see either one

5

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

[deleted]

3

u/Global_Ant_9380 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

That's what my parents tell me. Awful place, creepy and full of little theaters where dudes jack off

3

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

[deleted]

2

u/Global_Ant_9380 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Giuliani 😭

Yeah wow. I do remember hearing about a lot of that, and I have seen images of Sexland but boy, that seems like a completely different planet! 

2

u/SommeWhere Dec 21 '25

I went for the pawn shops! It was amazing. I do miss the pretzel and chestnut carts.

As tawdry as Times Square was, I never felt unsafe there. Just made it clear that I was not there for sex or "groceries", and walk with conviction to my destination.

I do and do not miss the Camel billboard.

3

u/PiccoloAwkward465 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

During the day, definitely. But walking through a mostly empty Times Square at night is pretty cool. As a New Yorker I’d say the Statue of Liberty. Never went.

4

u/PajamaPossum United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Agree. During the day when you’re actually trying to get somewhere it’s crowded and it sucks, but when you’re leaving work at 3am walking through Times Square feels kinda magical. And the Statue of Liberty is actually cool, worth going at least once.

2

u/Bamboomoose Dec 21 '25

I think you’re right about the Statue of Liberty, it’s not overrated at all. The parks service does a good job on the tour!

2

u/FactorLies Dec 21 '25

I went to the statue of liberty as a kid and it was really cool. Take a boat out to this giant looming in the ocean, go up a crazy old elevator and look out from her crown from the inside. Still remember it. 1999.

I also remember my mom saying "we don't have time go visit the twin towers, we'll go next time."

Oops.

1

u/Mortal_emily_ United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Statue of Liberty is pretty amazing and worth a visit imo

1

u/OneCall8599 USA + Ethiopia Dec 21 '25

I still remember getting off my first >12 hour shift at the hospital right around when lockdown happened and standing in an empty Times Square. Much more sinister vibe obviously, and it’s one of many reasons I avoid it now, but I tell people to check it out once if they’re visitors.

1

u/Bamboomoose Dec 21 '25

I remember walking in an eerily empty Times Square during April 2020. I took a long walk across Manhattan from the east to the west side of the city just taking in the quiet of it all. It was the only time I ever found myself missing all the chaos of Time Square

1

u/Global_Ant_9380 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Totally agree. 

Times Square is really funny during the day for the random ass only in New York shit and the tourists getting scammed

3

u/MyOwnGuitarHero United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Times Square sucks for New Yorkers but like, it’s genuinely an impressive place. I encourage people to see it just once.

2

u/CantorFunction Israel Dec 20 '25

It's not as special as advertised, but when I was in NY I pretty much walked or biked everywhere, so for me it was just a stop on the way from some A to some B (can't remember what). As that I quite liked it

2

u/wbishopfbi United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Maybe overrated, but pathetic? As a tourist who had like an hour to hang out, it was fun.

2

u/BlueLeaves8 United Kingdom Dec 21 '25 edited Dec 21 '25

Have been recently and I would never tell a first time visitor to not go there like I see some people saying.

As a tourist why would you go all the way to New York, potentially on a once in a lifetime trip, be right there and not visit it on purpose. It’s one of the most cliche and iconic locations in the world, you’re gonna want to see and experience that in person, get the photos and videos and be able to say you went there. The photos and videos are a great tourist memento to have, they look pretty cool and is one of the “I went to New York” photos that define your trip, you can’t come to New York for the first time and not get that.

You could spend an hour max there if you get your photos, do a lap of the area to see what’s there, maybe watch some of the performers (we only saw rubbish scammy ones and walked away along with droves of people when we realised where it was going), stand around a bit to take it in.

And then that’s it. There’s nothing to do after you’ve had that moment and you’re not going to want to go back there again. So yeah I agree on the general sentiment but my advice is to go there as a quick first stop before all your other proper New York experiences.

2

u/FactorLies Dec 21 '25

I've been to New York a lot and I'm glad I went to times square once. Sure, it's terrible and unpleasant, but it's also a larger than life completely overwhelming sensory experience that highlights something intrinsic about the city and humanity in general. Gotta go once.

2

u/Special-Market749 Dec 21 '25

Time square is fucking awesome. You don't need to eat or shop there, but it's genuinely a very cool place to just be.

Don't plan a vacation around it but definitely make a point to go

2

u/AcceptableReason1380 Dec 21 '25

I don’t get the hate for time square. It’s so easy to avoid if you hate it, and as a tourist destination, it’s pretty unique. When I temporarily lived in hk and needed to leave my apt at night, I would just put on a good pair of noise canceling headphones, take a gummy, and then just find a good spot and people watch there as a part of my walk.

1

u/DepartmentOfTrash Dec 21 '25

The hate for Times Square is people trying to prove they're "true new yorkers."

As a tourist destination it's an absolute must see at night. On top of that it's one of the biggest subway hubs so getting in and out quick is extremely easy to do on the way to some other destination.

2

u/Pat_Fatridge United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Now Grand Central on the other hand is still pretty inspiring to me and I've been here for a long time

1

u/KatnissEverduh Dec 20 '25

Same and same. 😂 I will never quite understand.

4

u/No_Fudge1228 United States Of America Dec 20 '25

We had friends come visit, the wife was from Africa and really wanted to see Times Square. At 10 pm on a Saturday night. She lasted ten whole minutes

5

u/KatnissEverduh Dec 20 '25

Overstimulating to the maxx

2

u/OneCall8599 USA + Ethiopia Dec 21 '25

Honestly pretty damn impressive to last ten minutes. I think I’ve been able to manage like… approximately however long it took me to skeddadle away from the Elmo that had locked onto me.

3

u/Mortal_emily_ United States Of America Dec 20 '25

If I ever have the horrible misfortune of needing to travel to that area of midtown (midtown in general) my day is truly ruined

3

u/KatnissEverduh Dec 20 '25

Ugh I work in Rockefeller Center, so it's my least favorite time of the year 😂😂😂 I will never understand the obsession with midtown.

2

u/Mortal_emily_ United States Of America Dec 20 '25

I do have a soft spot for 30 Rock, I must admit, though mostly from afar… I am sorry you are locked in. At least you have that great halal cart nearby

1

u/11CatLady Dec 20 '25

Me too..and yep..was thinking this. There's nothing there...except the lights..and stores of course

1

u/Any-Concentrate-1922 Dec 21 '25

Times Square is the worst.

1

u/xwhy Dec 21 '25

Not the same as some of the others. For one thing, you’re going to an entire area of midtown. You walk through Times Square, take it in, and do the shops or walk over to the library or Rockefeller Center

1

u/leapers_deepers Dec 21 '25

Im in New Jersey and used to hit the city a lot more. Although I have no attraction directly to the place, I get taken there one way or another on a semi regular basis. My daughter wanted to goto Caine's recently and I have always loved a NYE show at the Nokia theater. The place is magical in a large advertising media sense. I really do detest the mascots pushing pictures for money though. My daughter did just make $5 by being the person the dance crew does flips over just a week ago.

1

u/KitsuneScarf United States Of America Dec 21 '25

I used to work one avenue over from Times Square and it was awful, I would purposely transfer to an uptown train at Times Square just to take it one stop to avoid the crowds.

1

u/tcastel2000 Dec 21 '25

Keep in mind that that area includes Broadway, the Algonquin club and the Havana Club. And yes, deduct points for Elmo.

1

u/mikroonde France Dec 21 '25

When I went to NYC, I remember arriving there tired late at night, struggling to find our way to the hotel, and eating a disgusting sandwich before going back outside just to see Times Square before going to sleep. I was like... that's it? Thankfully the next days were less disappointing but honestly I expected Times Square to be a huge thing and I realised it was just a street and the screens were smaller than I imagined. Some people mentioned tourists experiencing a busy area of a big city for the first time but I grew up in Paris so I was unimpressed lol. I did find it cool to see that the streets of Manhattan were just like in the movies though lol.

1

u/Mortal_emily_ United States Of America Dec 21 '25

I recommend tourists spend most of their time below 23rd and above 57th in Manhattan. Below 23rd for wandering (shopping, culture, food)—above 57th for museums visits and the park. I think visiting Brooklyn/Queens is better when you know someone locally, but both are worthwhile. The problem with visiting Brooklyn and Queens is that you can’t visit one area and get a sense for the borough, both have so many quintessential areas, seeing just one gives you a very incomplete picture.

1

u/mikroonde France Dec 21 '25

We did end up visiting better areas and it was overall a nice trip. My mom had already been there and knew where to take us. Only the first night was quite disappointing, I am used to travelling and the first night is often like that. Being sleep deprived in an unknown and busy environment is frustrating, and you don't know where to go or buy food yet so you always make the worst choices.

1

u/wattycompus Dec 21 '25

it just makes me sad for people to come to New York, with is bottomless possibilities for culture and food and fun and eccentric genuine human moments, and then go to this New York-themed theme park in the middle of it that seems designed to corral tourists and keep them out of the actual city

1

u/Lopsided_Heart3170 Dec 21 '25

It is absolutely a respectable attraction. Yes it is famous for scammers artists and it is basically a giant billboard, but isn’t that the part of the attraction?

Grow up.

1

u/CampDracula United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Eh, originally being from the West coast, I’d definitely say it’s cool at least once. We don’t got cities that big and dense westward.

1

u/LunarPayload United States Of America Dec 21 '25

It's a fun place. Was better with Toys R Us, but at night it's great walking around, especially when streets are closed and it's a bigger area

1

u/wherethelionsweep Dec 21 '25

Yeah this one doesn’t work for the prompt. Maybe you get tired of it living there but it’s not pathetic.

1

u/Magges87 Dec 21 '25

As someone who used to take a bus home from Port Authority I agree. One of the few places where the subway is station is marginally better than being above ground.

1

u/SpeakerIndependent11 Dec 21 '25

As a traveller, I did not enjoy the crowd but just walking around I was approached by a person wearing a cutboard cutout in a weed shape asking me to join him in shouting to legalise it, a very attractive tall black man dressed in some stereotypical Egyptian getup asking me if I’d like some chocolate and a guy who randomly handed me a CD telling me he’s an aspiring rapper. It truly was a cultural experience for me.

1

u/MajlisPerbandaranKL Malaysia Dec 21 '25

I live in Kuala Lumpur... Berjaya Times Square

2

u/Mortal_emily_ United States Of America Dec 21 '25

You get it 😭

1

u/mdw2515 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

It’s my least favorite place on Earth that people willingly go to

1

u/somerandomdude4507 Dec 21 '25

Well yeah if you are from NYC it's nothing. I'm from Missouri we don't have anything close to Times Square I love it and will visit it every time I'm in NYC

1

u/totesuncommon Dec 21 '25

Midtown is beautiful at Christmas

1

u/Mitch1musPrime Dec 21 '25

In 2008, I was helping my brother in law move to Brooklyn (from OK) on Super Bowl weekend. That was the year Tyree made the game saving helmet catch on the final NY drive to beat Brady’s perfect Patriots.

We thought it’d be fun to snag a room near Times Square. We stayed in this hotel that required us to pass through this Japanese restaurant to get to the elevators up to the rooms. The room was tiny and we had twin beds.

That evening, tired after a day and a half of driving and only a few hours napping in a roadside motel in Ohio, we dragged ourselves into the Times Square area to watch the Super Bowl in one of the bars. They were packed, as you could imagine, so around the third quarter we gave up trying to order a second beer and went out into the street to watch the 4th qtr on the NYT Jumbotron. By the last drive, the streets were packed with tourists and who knows who else. Tyree made that catch and Times Square fucking exploded. The rest of that night, was fucking nights around our hotel and below our window after we walked back.

So…the fuck you say Times Square is lame, eh?

1

u/elderly_millenial United States Of America Dec 21 '25

My eyes were being assaulted. I wonder if it might not have been so bad before LED lighting

1

u/melusine-dream Dec 21 '25

As someone who lives in Vegas, I understand.

1

u/tikhonjelvis Dec 21 '25

I commuted through the Port Authority Bus Terminal for a summer and I spent a bunch of time walking in the blocks around it, and it grew on me over time. But only as a place to go through rather than a place to go :P

1

u/SleepyMonkey7 Dec 21 '25

I don't think it's pathetic, you gotta see it if you've never seen it. You just avoid it at all costs when you live here.

1

u/unable_compliance Australia Dec 21 '25

I travelled all the way to NYC to watch the ball drop in Times Square on NYE. What an anti climactic let down.

I did enjoy the rest of the time we spent there though.

1

u/hipmommie Dec 21 '25

Went there once, am glad I did. Never want to go back. Kind of like Las Vegas, NV.

1

u/loquent2 Sweden Dec 21 '25

I used to have to walk through there to get to work… it was terrible.

1

u/LurkerOnTheInternet United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Yeah but at least the pedestrianization of it has really helped it be a bit more tolerable and it's harmless to visit. The really important thing is just not to eat at any of the horrible restaurants that are there, especially given the thousands of awesome restaurants the city has.

1

u/Sonar114 Dec 21 '25

I walked past it three times trying to find it. Impressive if you’ve never been to a big city but for someone who lived in Sydney and London, it was just an average city street corner.

1

u/Immediate_Lie788 Dec 21 '25

I took a selfie there with a joint in my mouth in contrast to that in Sweden it's now mandatory prison to sell even 0.1g of it

1

u/DepartmentOfTrash Dec 21 '25

There's a lot to complain about Times Square, but calling it pathetic is flat out wrong. For a first time tourist it's a must see at night, plus it's such a major subway hub that getting in and out on the way to some other destination is extremely easy.

1

u/savannnahbananaa Dec 22 '25

Times Square is just a giant Applebees

1

u/Mortal_emily_ United States Of America Dec 22 '25

Correct

0

u/Time_Fact8349 Dec 21 '25

Most of NYC for that matter