Today, June 2 at 5 pm, thousands of people will gather at Times Square to join Taste of Times Square, one of New York City’s most visited food festivals. Visitors can taste delicious dishes from more than 50 restaurants including Chilean Pomaire, Italian family style Carmine’s and Cuban Havana Central.

“Nowhere else can you find such a diversity of chefs and cuisine from all around the world as you can in Times Square,” said Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins, “and it is this that makes dining out in Times Square such an adventure.”

Besides food tastings from Times Square’s best restaurants, participators can watch the moves of skilled street performers and enjoy local entertainment on three stages.

Didn’t have the chance to make it to this year’s food festival? No problem. Just keep an eye out for Taste of Times Square 2009 at The Official Website of Times Square.

People visiting New York City will most likely sooner or later come to Times Square around 42nd and 47th Street. Before our New York visit, I didn’t know more than Times Square equals Broadway, a famous theater district.

Although the safety is much better today than before 9/11, keep your wallet and other valuable belongings in a safe place to avoid pickpockets. And don’t get fooled by the photographers who assure you a great portrait with Times Square in the background. The results don’t turn out half as good as their example photos. So, bring your own camera. And skip the souvenir shops around Times Square and listen to free music in the spacious Virgin Megastore instead. One of my favorite shops on Times Square was Quicksilver, mostly because I liked watching the different takes on surf- and snowboard sessions on the huge screen above the store.

For happenings and things to do around Times Square, check out the online issue of Times Square or visit The Official Website of Times Square.