Marie

I know, it's a tad early to be thinking about New Year's Eve...However, we're making our 6th trip to NYC to visit friends after Christmas. This will be our first winter trip. Like us, our friends are from the UK and are New Year, NYC 'virgins'. Any tips on how to get the most out of the evening? Obviously Times Sqare is the first thing to spring to mind, do we need tickets? Is it all it's cracked up to be? Any other suggestions? All will be gratefully accepted!

Howard

TO many, New Year's Eve is one of those things you've got to do once in a lifetime!
No, you don't need tickets, but you've got to get there early! Revelers start gathering there hours before the ball drops!
Yes, it's crazy, insane.....but, hey, I did once when I was young!

marie

Thanks Howard.Got me very excited now! This will be our best chance of doing it cos our friends are coming home early next year - certainly trying to get it in before we leave the realms of 'young'!!! (Might just make it!)

joAnn

Get there VERY! early or you won't be able to see the ball drop at all. You will wind up in a heard of people just being rerouted by the police till after everything is over. Not a lot of fun. Ask anyone who has been there. But if you do it right it's a blast. Just hope for good weather. Unless you can do that you are better-off just clubbing it. Not always a blast.

marie

Scuse my further ignorance, but how early is VERY early? 7pm? 9pm? Earlier? Thanks for the advice. Don't fancy being herded around - hey I can stay at home for that on New Year's Eve!

Alexis

Very early means about 3 or 4PM. Seriously.

Ess

Marie, even though I lived for years in NYC I never went to Times Sqaure to watch the ball drop. However, I was once in the first taxi to go through Times Square in the New Year. My impression of Times Square at New Year's is that you will be corralled for hours with hordes of other people by police barricades. You have to get there very early. You will be cold - for hours. There will be no restroom.

I am always amazed at what hardy souls are willing to endure for what amounts to a 10-second high. I don't want to seem like I'm trying to discourage you - just want you to know up front that you may be in for some discomfort. If that doesn't faze you - then have fun! I'm sure it's a hoot!

Howard

Marie, Alexis is correctly you have to get there AT LEAST by 3-4 p.m., probably earlier to get a good vantage point.

marie

Thanks one & all for your extremely helpful tips. I guess we'll have to decide if the whole experience will be worth it - or indeed if we're hardy enough! Thanks for giving me a clearer picture of the event - hugely appreciated

Ess

Marie, I second the recommendation of clubbing it, you can have a lot of fun in NYC on New Year's. On the other hand, if you're up to it, Times Square at New Year's might be the quintessential NYC experience. Personally, I'm not up to it. But thousands of others are, otherwise it wouldn't be such a big event. I noticed on tv that everyone there is usually very young. When you're that age you're willing to put up with a few inconveniences. It depends on your tolerance level.

Owen O'Neill

Although I won't be doing it this year, I'm inclined to spring for a hotel room that faces Times Square and allows a view of the ball drop. I was at the Paramount on W. 46th Street this past New Year's Eve and appreciated the fact that police will allow anyone with a hotel key from a hotel in the designated area, to get past the security blockades at any point in the evening. Everyone else arriving after about 6PM must walk many blocks uptown or downtown then across and back in. Previous posters are correct that you ust be there VERY early to get a spot where you can really view the proceedings. We wandered out from the hotel at about 11:30-11:45 to see the madness (although we couldn't get past the corner of 46th and 7th to see the ball). The level of energy in the air was like a palpable force of nature - unlike anything I've ever experienced before and really worth doing/seeing once. Even though we didn't witness the actual ball drop it was great fun being there.

Ess

Owen, that's a GREAT idea!