Times Square New York City

If there is a ground zero in the war to make New York more pedestrian-friendly, it is Times Square. And if there is a weapon of choice, it is a collection of chairs plunked in the middle of what used to be the city's most traffic-choked intersection. David Letterman has scorned them, taxi drivers have cursed them and some of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's critics have called them just plain silly. "It's so patently stupid," City Councilman Tony Avella, who is challenging Bloomberg in the November mayoral election, said of the idea of setting up a pedestrian mall on Broadway.

The search for a bicyclist who bombed the Times Square military recruiting office expanded quickly Thursday as the probe's focus turned to photos of the attack site that were sent to Capitol Hill and possible connections to previous attacks on two consulate buildings in the city. The early morning bombing at perhaps the armed forces' most visible presence in the nation's largest city rattled windows and nerves but caused little damage.

Los Angeles Police Capt. Andrew Smith walked north on 8th Avenue, past the bright lights of Times Square, and dreamed of what downtown Los Angeles could be. The streets around him were bustling with shops, restaurants and people -- but there was not a single drug dealer, or homeless person, in sight. "This is what I picture downtown looking like," Smith said. "You don't see people lying on the street, or in physical distress, or screaming at the top of their lungs."

Times Square real estate may be too pricey for the average tourist, but a few hundred bucks could score a piece of the area's dazzling history. Artkraft Strauss -- the company that built the famed smoking Camel billboard, six-story Coca-Cola displays and dozens of descending New Year's Eve balls -- is holding a garage sale as it downsizes in a post-neon age.

It's a lot to ask a New Yorker -- to slow down, look up and thoughtfully observe. Especially around Times Square, the eyes are so aroused by so many fast-moving images that it's difficult to absorb any one of them. But this month a digital billboard at West 42nd Street and 8th Avenue has offered passersby a classy eyeful. And some have even stopped to look.

Viewers will have their choice of New Year's Eve television specials on Dec. 31 when both ABC and MTV host countdown celebrations in Times Square with live performances from top musical artists. Mariah Carey is scheduled to close ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2006" with a live performance outside in Times Square, the first singer to do so on the program.

Extra tight security turned Times Square into a fortress Wednesday night as hundreds of thousands of revelers celebrated New Year's Eve with cheers, confetti, fireworks and a tribute to American troops in Iraq. At midnight, as the countdown ended and a huge crystal ball reached bottom, a blizzard of multicolored paper tumbled over the crowd. People kissed, sang, danced, shouted, waved and wished each other happy new year as 2004 was born.

With cake, confetti, acrobats and no small measure of pride, New Yorkers on Wednesday celebrated the 100th anniversary of Times Square -- a destination and neon-lighted symbol for millions throughout the world. "Times Square is New York, and it has been for a long time," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who spoke at the party honoring the square. "When you talk to anybody around this country and around the world, that's what New York is."

Colin L. Powell is none too popular on the east end of 42nd Street, at the United Nations, but he's expecting a better reception in Times Square when he drops the ball on New Year's Eve. Powell, who is stepping down as secretary of State early next year, will push the ceremonial button on the 100th anniversary of the celebration, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said at a Manhattan news conference.

A falconer who helped chase sea gulls away from planes at John F. Kennedy International Airport is using hawks to quell a deluge of pigeon droppings in a park near bustling Times Square in the heart of the city. Master falconer Tom Cullen, a leather glove running up his left arm, whistled commands in Bryant Park on Thursday to Mocha, a Harris hawk whose patrols encourage the pigeons to move elsewhere.