Entertainment

Where in Times Square to take each member of your family

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Don't get overwhelmed! Follow our guide for fun in Times Square for each family member, including your cool cousin, cranky grandparents, gay uncle and more.

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FOR YOUR CRANKY GRANDPARENTS The seniors have been cooped up in the apartment most of the day and would love to get out — but honestly, it’s cold out there. Why not head to Grand Central and its annual Holiday Fair? It’s indoors, located in the Beaux Arts beauty Vanderbilt Hall, where older members of your group can shop for gifts without complaining of a chill. The market brings together more than 70 vendors, offering jewelry, high-end bath products, clothing and art. Also in the terminal, you’ll find the holiday train show, which could make Gran and Gramps nostalgic for their youth: Old-school toy train maker Lionel has assembled a 34-foot track around which miniature Metro-North trains zip. * Tip: After all that shopping, satiate your seniors’ appetites with a trip to Estiatorio Milos, a Greek seafood restaurant offering a reasonable $49 prix fixe menu from 5 to 6:30 p.m. (What, grandparents will want to eat later?) The four courses include options such as crab cakes, grilled salmon and a walnut cake. Grand Central Holiday Fair, through Dec. 24 in the Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal, 42nd Street and Park Avenue. Estiatorio Milos, 125 W. 55th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues; 212-245-7400. — Reed Tucker

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FOR YOUR COOL COUSIN If tacky mall brands and “I love NY” tees aren’t your thing, turn to the Muji store for a Midtown fashion fix. Known mostly for cute office accessories and clear storage containers, the minimalist mecca also sells clothing for guys and gals. For women, sack dresses and sleek tunics top the list, while fashion-forward men will love the striped turtlenecks and linen blazers. Don’t forget to pick up a T-shirt cube — an adult-size tee shrink-wrapped into a 2-by-2-inch stackable block. This is where hip is square — literally. * Tip: After finding your retail zen make a stop at Grace Bar at the Grace Hotel, where you can unleash to DJ beats or get wild in the barside pool. Try the au courant black currant margarita and don’t be afraid of having one too many — Grace Bar’s steam room and sauna serve all your chic detox needs. Muji, 620 Eighth Ave., between 40th and 41st streets; 212-382-2300. Grace Bar at the Grace Hotel, 125 W. 45th St., near Sixth Avenue; 212-380-2711. —Timothy Mitchell

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FOR STRAIGHT-LACED PARENTS Your visiting folks want to see a Broadway show — but nothing too racy, loud, weird or long. The new revival of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” fits that (Play)bill. Inspired by Charles Dickens’ final, unfinished novel and set in a Victorian music hall, it’s both a musical and a murder mystery. Every night the audience votes for the character they think killed Drood — with the ending changed accordingly. The killer could be the great Chita Rivera, as an opium-den mistress. Or Will Chase, from TV’s “Smash.” No matter whodunit, it’s great fun for all. * Tip: Your parents want quality pizza, but you can’t bear to fight the crowd at John’s. Fortunately, the finest pizza in Times Square comes out of the coal oven at Angelo’s, just down the block from Studio 54. And Angelo’s plays it straight: no crazy combos, just quality marinara and fresh mozzarella on a thin crust at reasonable, non-touristy prices. Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St.; 212-719-1300. Angelo’s Pizzeria, 1697 Broadway, at 54th Street; 212-245-8811. — Elisabeth Vincentelli

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FOR YOUR WACKY AUNT Got a hankering to check out some stupid human tricks or a few cheap shots at Jay Leno? Why not head up Broadway and take in a taping of “Late Night With David Letterman”? It helps to reserve the free tickets online up to one month in advance (if selected, you must answer a random trivia question correctly by phone), but same-day tickets are also available by queuing at the box office at the Ed Sullivan Theater starting at 9:30 a.m. * Tip: Before or after the late-afternoon taping, stop by the retro-’50s Ellen’s Stardust Diner for a milkshake and a burger (there are 11 different options, including the “Be Bop a Lula,” with American cheese, bacon, grilled onion and sauteed mushrooms; $17.95). Stick around for a little burst of nuttiness from the ebullient singing waitstaff, who are likely to bust out something from “Cats,” “Phantom” and other musicals at any time. Ed Sullivan Theater, 1697 Broadway, between 53rd and 54th streets; cbs.com/shows/late_show/tickets. Ellen’s Stardust Diner, 1650 Broadway, at 51st Street; 212-956-5151. — Kyle Smith

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FOR YOUR GAY UNCLE He wears Tom Ford. He’s been buffed to a shine. He’s got a homoerotic flirtation going on with a super-villain, his living quarters are immaculate, and he’s obsessed with Judi Dench. Yes, the James Bond of “Skyfall” is the gayest Bond ever — so treat your man-loving uncle to “Skyfall” in IMAX on 42nd Street at the AMC Empire. * Tip: After the flick, head west for a look at The Out NYC. Yes, it’s Times Square’s first gay hotel (straights welcome! Cool ones, at least), with dancing at the 14,000-foot XL club and a 200-seat cabaret featuring such attractions as Drag Bingo (try finding that back in Milwaukee, Unk!). But if your relative isn’t into clubbing there’s also a 24-hour restaurant at the hotel, where you’re sure to make friends. AMC Empire, 234 W. 42nd St., at Eighth Avenue. The Out NYC, 510 W. 42nd St., between 10th and 11th avenues; 212-947-2999. — Kyle Smith

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FOR ANGSTY TEENS Your average “been-there-done-that” teenager might sniff at the gaudy lights and endlessly moving ads of Times Square. But hidden away at the top of a staircase of a nondescript building, the original location of the citywide Midtown Comics chain is a two-story teen mecca. You could spend hours in here catching up on your favorite stories, from new releases to old back issues. Much of the store is taken up with collectibles and toys, such as Doctor Who’s sonic screwdriver and Wolverine figurines. * Tip: After checking out the low art, stroll a few blocks uptown for some pie art: The recently opened, first US outlet of Australian company Pie Face turns out savory pies stuffed with ingredients such as mince beef, tandoori vegetables and chunky steak. This quirky bit of Australian cuisine comes with something recognizable to American teens: The smiley faces on the pies resemble little edible emoticons. Midtown Comics, 200 W. 40th St.; 212-302-8192. Pie Face, 1691 Broadway, at 53rd St.; 212-247-9065. — Tim Donnelly

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FOR RESTLESS KIDS Show them a whole new set of bright lights, far away from the crowds and without feeling like you’re a salmon swimming upstream. iLuminate, a dance-in-the-dark act featuring performers in mesmerizing digitally lit costumes, comes to the 200-seat black box theater The Duke through the New Year. The one-hour show of fast-paced dance, catchy music and aerial stunts is suitable for everyone age 4 and up. Devised by Columbia University computer science graduate Miral Kotb, the patent-pending technology has been used by backup dancers for Christina Aguilera and the Black Eyed Peas. Imagine a high-tech son et lumiere for the Apple age. * Tip: Pre- or post-show, give them another high — from sugar — at new sweets shop Schmackary’s Bakery. The cute sit-in or takeout cafe churns out baked-on-premises gourmet cookies with inventive flavors such as White Chocolate Cherry Chunker. Kids can wash the cookies down with ice-cold milk; espresso for grown-ups. iLuminate, The Duke, 229 W. 42nd St.; $49.50. Running time: 55 minutes, no intermission. Schmackary’s, 362 W. 45th St., near Ninth Avenue; 646-801-9866. — Jane Ridley