Since 1973, the small traffic island (called "Father Duffy Square") at the northern end of Times Square has been the place to buy half-price tickets for Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. The TKTS booth located there is run by the Theatre Development Fund - which was created to support the Theatre Arts and to encourage diverse audiences to attend live theater.
TKTS works by selling day-of-show tickets that the theaters themselves have not yet sold. A few hours before curtain, the theaters will send unsold tickets over to the TKTS booth, which the public can line up and purchase for 25-50% off the face value (plus a small service charge). It's a great deal.
After undergoing a renovation, The TKTS booth recently reopened. The renovated TKTS structure now features a seating area above the ticket booth - a set of ruby-red bleachers where you can people-watch in the "Crossroads of the World"...
The statue (above) is Father Duffy himself. On Sunday I walked through Times Square and took these pictures of the new TKTS booth, and the red steps above it.
And below is the view from the steps - looking down onto the new pedestrian mall the city created by closing much of Broadway to automobiles. This, unsurprisingly, has pissed off cabbies, deliverymen, and commuters. On the other hand, the tourists (and the homeless) simply LOVE it...
