It rains an average of 122 days a year in New York, but that hardly slows the pace of Times Square. Instead, a downpour brings a special beauty to the "Crossroads of the World" glistening streets, a sea of colorful umbrellas and a kaleidoscope of blurred neon lights.

If you happen to be in New York when it's raining, perhaps heed this umbrella advice from a 1981 Times article: "Be careful, not Kelly. Don't think you're jaunty Gene and swing your umbrella around as though you were dancing your way through a movie musical. When it's folded, carry your umbrella straight down where it can't hurt anyone. Refrain from twirling it. Also refrain from whistling, which always makes you want to twirl your umbrella. When the umbrella is open, hold it straight up, not at a rakish angle. Rakish angles rankle the people walking or standing next to you."