Hi, this is our first time in New York, we appreciate some advise on how to spend New Year's eve. We would like to be at Time's Square for the 2001 countdown, but how will the situation be like? Will it be very crowded, do we need to get there very early? Is it safe to walk back to our hotel (48th street/Park Ave) after midnight, or should we get a cab? I will be grateful for any advise, thanks!

Yes, it will be crowded, very crowded. How does a few hundred thousand people sound?
Yes, you should get there early. People start arriving in the morning of Dec. 31.
No, you won't need a cab to get back to your hotel. It's only four blocks from Times Square. And there will be plenty of people around.
Are you nuts for doing it? Probably! But, everyone should do it once!

Hi Alicia:
NYC for NEW Years Eve....many,many,many people placed in NYPD barricades called corrals....very very cold....very very crowded.....no bathrooms worth mentioning...Safety should not be a problem there are hundreds of police officers on duty. If you are brave and frost free, go for it! Have a great time!

I've never had a desire to do it, but if you do, I say go for it. I'm still laughing (with you, not at you) at your thought of getting a cab after the countdown to your hotel at 48th and Park. I bet you couldn't find a cab as close as your hotel, unless you're armed with a machete or machine gun to mow down the other million people who will be trying to get a cab at the same time.

Ditto above. Insanity to the nth degree and should only be done once---like marriage!!