New year's in new York

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Mar 15, 2013
Messages
4,023
Hey everyone I'd like some thoughts and advice on possibly going to new York for the ball drop. I am considering going but don't want to spend a fortune. Do you meed passes to see the ball drop . Anyone with experience would be an amazing help. Thank you everyone.
 
As someone who worked in the hotel industry for years, most rooms, and private drivers are already spoken for. If not the prices are probably going up daily at this point. If you can wait awhile after the crowd thins out or have family that can meet you somewhere would be your best bet. Not sure how crowded your towns 4th of July is but AMP that up for NYC. Ball drop passes are selling quick, and this year are $219-$269 per ticket.
 
Last edited:
Living 20 miles from NYC my entire life I never went, and never will go. IMO it's not worth the effort or the money. Just getting into and out of the place is enough of a turn off. Sorry to rain on your parade, maybe its because of living here all my life. LOL
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Living 20 miles from NYC my entire life I never went, and never will go. IMO it's not worth the effort or the money. Just getting into and out of the place is enough of a turn off. Sorry to rain on your parade, maybe its because of living here all my life. LOL


I have to agree with you, plus its better to stay home in your warm bed and watch it on TV.
 
Not direct experience, just a tale from a coworker. He got there and at some point police cordoned off sections of Times Square. They pretty much had to stay put. If you leave a cordoned area (e.g. for a bathroom break) you're not allowed back in. Crowded, noisy, "entertainment" except for commercial breaks. The ball drops everybody goes "Happy New Year" and then it's over. Cordons go down and the police shush everybody off, show's over - go home.

I imagine these days the security would be crazy.

Didn't sound like much fun to me.
 
Last edited:
I have been to NYC Time Square in the fall without a special event going on and there is too many people I can only imagine how nuts it would be on New Years eve. No thanks.

Have fun if this is your thing...
thumbsup2.gif
 
Last edited:
My niece who works for Planet Fitness corporate marketing who is a sponser. She mentioned her college friends using diapers and waiting hours in the cold although she provided the passes to them.

I did see her in a clip and friends on TV but all good looking young ladies so camera swung on them. They had a blast.
 
I've been there a few times for New Years Eve. My perspective was the same as Rick in PA's coworker.Maybe if you like being penned up like cattle with no place to move, you'd like it. Also remember the weather could be pretty bad. Not for me.
 
I've always thought that this would be a great experience, but I would think you'd have to book a room WAY early or know somebody in the area to stay with. Really wonder where all those people stay, get food, go to the bathroom, etc.
Never once saw the great fireworks up close from the Chicago lakefront despite living in the area a total of about 25 years. Tried to run down there once with friends just after my college years and we got stuck on the highway quite a ways from the lake, on 290 I think. Everybody just got out of their cars and shared drinks and snacks while watching the show, kind of a nice experience in its own right. Taste of Chicago was similar, I had to work in the city one weekend when it was going on and it was just a nightmare to get around.
 
A friend of mine and his wife went to watch the ball drop in New York one year just to say they had been there. If you can imagine having to stand in one place for several hours in the cold, shoulder to shoulder with 10,000 strangers with no place to go when nature calls, that would be it. He can say he did it, but he would never go again.
 
1) I worked for decades in the Theatre District which is immediately west of Times Square. FYI: Times Square is where 7th Ave. and Broadway cross at a shallow angle and stretches from W.42nd St. north to W.47th St. and a little beyond. When work was over the battle cry was, "Get into the subway or walk to Penn Station / Grand Central Station or the Port Authority Bus Station and just go home". It's what I always did.

2) Once I hung in a restaurant on 45th St. and we were able to stay warm and eat and drink and stroll to the edge of the throng seconds before the ball dropped. We had a blast. It was great fun.

3) Once I had to work a New Year's broadcast at NBC and I drew the lucky straw to be the first to be let go home and I walked south on 6th Ave. I'd try to go west to get to the edge of Times Square from W.49th St. all the way down but there were tons of people on the edge of each street so I went BELOW 42nd St. I got there just as the ball fell. I could hear the thousands counting down. THEN a flow of people marched south and I simply stayed put and watched the revelers pour around me on their way home. It was actually kind of cool. I had a party to go to downtown so I joined in the " makeshift parade". Groovy it was.

4) For security reasons, you're ushered into position. You're barred from standing on the grates which are the subway's air equalization vents.
The restaurant owners either close or reserve their restrooms for customers. Once you leave there's no getting back in. It's been that way for years and years-long before 2001.
I'd avoid it due to the confinement but if you're in town DO WALK NEARBY and see if you can see it at least....then go downtown to a pub or walk west to 9th or 10th Aves. for a restaurant. Again, they're affordable on those streets.

5) If you happen to go into town for New Year's and want a GREAT SPOT to party I respectfully suggest McKenna's Pub on W.14th St. The owners go all out decorating for every holiday. REAL NEW YORKERS go there and the feeling is sincerely warm and fuzzy. You'll enjoy the prices. The food they make there is pub food but it's top shelf.
EVERYONE I've sent to McKenna's LOVED it.

6) If you're north of Times Sq. and need a good, affordable restaurant go to the Applejack Diner. It's at 1725 Broadway @ W.55th St. The food is quite good. Don't let the word "Diner" in their name fool you.

7) If you're well south (downtown by the World Trade Center Site) you MUST go to Puffy's. It's the 3rd oldest bar in NYC and is GREAT. It's at 81 Hudson St. (SW cor. with Harrison Sts.).
When you're down there you can go visit the firehouse from Ghostbusters. Everybody does.
That neighborhood (Tribeca) is rich with pubs. Walk to Greenwich Village with ease.
 
Originally Posted By: Kira
1) ....
5) If you happen to go into town for New Year's and want a GREAT SPOT to party I respectfully suggest McKenna's Pub on W.14th St. The owners go all out decorating for every holiday. REAL NEW YORKERS go there and the feeling is sincerely warm and fuzzy. You'll enjoy the prices. The food they make there is pub food but it's top shelf.
EVERYONE I've sent to McKenna's LOVED it.


6) If you're north of Times Sq. and need a good, affordable restaurant go to the Applejack Diner. It's at 1725 Broadway @ W.55th St. The food is quite good. Don't let the word "Diner" in their name fool you.

7) If you're well south (downtown by the World Trade Center Site) you MUST go to Puffy's. It's the 3rd oldest bar in NYC and is GREAT. It's at 81 Hudson St. (SW cor. with Harrison Sts.).
When you're down there you can go visit the firehouse from Ghostbusters. Everybody does.
That neighborhood (Tribeca) is rich with pubs. Walk to Greenwich Village with ease.


I am making note of these places, thanks.
Did you ever go to Milady's before it closed a couple of years ago?
A buddy of mine ran across it maybe 20 years ago and we would stop there every time we met in NYC.
Somehow heard that their landlord was kicking them out and wasn't able to make it down before their last day, guess I only made it there 5-6 times but I had great memories from a small number of visits.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: BobsArmory
That's one big juicy target for terrorists and psychos. In today's world No thanks.


Yep....a very big prize for these murdering swine.

I've been at JFK during the holiday season....a total nightmare in itself. I would not ever do it again.
 
Originally Posted By: ram_man
Hey everyone I'd like some thoughts and advice on possibly going to new York for the ball drop. I am considering going but don't want to spend a fortune. Do you meed passes to see the ball drop . Anyone with experience would be an amazing help. Thank you everyone.

Is it just you and wife, or are you taking kids with you as well? Kids will probably get bored if you are just standing in the crowds waiting for the ball to drop, and you will probably have to carry them on your shoulders so they dont get trampled and can see something besides other people's legs and chests.

In any case, plan on parking the car in NJ somewhere and taking the train into the city.
 
Growing up in New Mexico, living in western Colorado for decades and retired in Columbus, Nebraska, I could not survive being exposed to NYC and that "packed in" feeling. Way too much for me to even think about visiting there.
 
It will be just me and the misses. We are making it a little weekend honeymoon get away. We are thinking now we may not do new York but are considering Chicago, Nashville , new Orleans. Any thoughts on those places?
 
New Orleans is great in the winter. No humidity, and not as many tourists as Mardi Gras. I go there every year. Nashville is nice, but colder. There are a lot of celebrations, but also lots of tourists there these days. I don’t know much about Chicago, I’ve never been too interested in it.
 
My wife and I went for the 1999-2000 NYE. We stayed Dec. 30 as far north as the transit system extended (Poughkeepsie?) and took transit into the city first thing in the morning. This was us trusting a complete stranger with our camera a few minutes after we got there:



The NYPD was gradually "fencing" in city blocks as the day went on; and not wanting to be confined for several hours prior to the ball drop we kept moving. Eventually we settled on a spot with an OK vantage point on 43rd (?) between Times Square and Grand Central. That way, as soon as the ball dropping was over we were able to head directly to the train station. We were on a train by about 12:15am.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top