During spring break, my parents and I went into New York City for the day, since we haven’t visited in quite some time and I missed the atmosphere and all of the lights. We spent the day walking around, mostly wandering the popular hot-spot Times Square and even ending up in Bryant Park for the first time. However, while wandering around, I realized that there are some things that you will always see when you visit Times Square.

1. Someone with a Jesus sign

I don’t think that there has ever been a time that I’ve visited Times Square where I haven’t seen some man carrying around a “Jesus will save you” sign, or a sign with a similar message.

2. The Naked Cowboy

I have unfortunately seen countless variations of this -- most traumatizing, the Naked Grandma -- but the Naked Cowboy always seems to be out and flaunting far too much, especially as the weather turns warmer.

3. Those creepy knockoff costumes (i.e.: Mario, Elsa)

Anyone who has visited Times Square knows what I’m talking about. You’ve all seen those costumes of the Super Mario characters or the Sesame Street characters and you can tell which character they’re trying to be, but they’re the knockoff version that will haunt you and pay you a visit in your nightmares.

4. Someone who thinks that it’s a good idea to jaywalk into oncoming traffic

I’m not sure why people think that this is a good idea, but there’s always someone who walks into traffic like it’s nobody’s business and I suppose you can find this in any area of New York City, but people, especially tourists, seem to be even more inspired to throw caution in the more populated areas where gridlock is inevitable.

5. The Statue of Liberty on stilts

In all honesty, the person wearing The Statue of Liberty costume freaks me out, mostly because I have no idea how they manage to walk around without falling over.

6. Someone with a selfie stick

If you’re in the middle of Times Square, turn left and then turn right and chances are you’ll see someone using a selfie stick. I saw at least two people with them in a 10-foot radius when I went into the city and it’s always amusing to watch.

7. The infamous pretzel vendors

Those pretzels smell absolutely amazing and every time we walk through Times Square, my mother makes a beeline toward them to take a photo. As she says, “It’s art.”

8. A replica of the purse that you got over a year ago that’s still there and makes you question your purchase

Maybe this is just me, but I got a really colorful tote bag several years ago and somehow, every time I walk through Times Square, I pass the same stand that has an identical bag. At this point, I think it’s starting to say something about how in demand that bag is.

9. Someone with a professional camera

There are always people visiting Times Square who have professional cameras and tripods to capture the memories. During my last visit, I saw some people with professional equipment telling people in those long bleachers to stand up and cheer. No one seemed to be confused by this, but I just turned to my mom and said, “I suppose people will listen to anything said by someone with a professional camera.”

10. Someone taking photos or videos of every passing attraction

If you’ve never seen this person, chances are it’s you. Whenever I go through Times Square, I always see someone either walking around with a camera, but more frequently a video recording device. The final product is likely extremely cool, but it would be a bit less creepy if these people didn’t have “zombified” expressions.

11. Some form of temporary artwork

Whenever I visit the city, there is usually some form of artwork done and constructed in the middle of Times Square. During my most recent visit, I was able to see a sculpture called “Heart of Hearts” that was ending its time in Times Square that same day.

There are always new things to experience when visiting New York City and Times Square, but there are aspects that never change. Some of them are wearisome after a while, but then there are truly incredible views that capture the true essence of the City That Never Sleeps.