NYE in Times Square NY (questions for anyone that has ever been)

[mmaikisch]

Please forgive me if this is the wrong forum to ask this, but I'm not sure what else this would fall under lol. My husband and I were considering going to times square this year for the 1st time to watch the ball drop and watch the perfomers live. My question is, what can we expect while there? How early should we arrive if we want a good view of the performers, are there any places that we can reserve for dinner that will have a good view of the performers and the ball drop, and last but not least, is it appropriate for an 11year old girl to attend with us? I know she would love to see Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga live, and that she has no problem staying up until midnight lol, but being that we have never been, I'm not sure if it is appropriate for her. Any advice would be greatly appreciated so that we can make a more informed decision. Thanks so much =)

 

[emma'smom]

I'm sure others will chime in with different opinions, but let me just stay it is something everyone should do ONCE in their lifetime to say you've done it....but then you'll never want to do it again!

The live acts----you probably won't get close enough to see them unless you stake out a place the night before or early morning near the soundstage on 7th and Broadway. However, if you position yourself right, you'll be able to see the ball well enough from most places since it is up so high and you'll be in the "atmosphere" with the tickers tape falling, etc.

However, you should plan to get there pretty early (early afternoon--by 3pm at the latest) if you want be in a line of sight of the ball. Once you arrive, you'll be "penned" in by the NYC police who set up the "pens" block by block with police barricades. Once your in, you can leave but may not be able to get back in.

So...use the restroom early and take any food/drink you might want...and dress warmly. Just as a point of information---no backpacks are allowed in the pens. It will be tight packed, and they will start closing the pens block by block moving north from 42nd street up to 58th street.

They'll put up screens so if you are far back you can watch the screens....

Don't take alcohol (although many will) because they do slap you with open-container tickets..but with an 11 year old, you probably wouldn't be doing that anyway.

...and yes, if you are up to the adventure, your 11 year old is too. (her bladder is younger!)

Afterwards, have a plan to leave---the police will try to dismiss the crowds pen by pen which could keep you waiting longer than you expect, but eventually it is just mass movement with a crowd thicker than anything you've ever experienced (for most people).

If you try to leave by subway, note that revelers inevitably fall into tracks and hold up the trains while they are fetched and reports written---everything moves much slower than you would expect but they try to be as efficient as possible.


So...this is why it is great to do it once---if you do it once your adventurous.....if you do it twice....your just nuts! (IMHO) =)

Now we turn it on from a toasty living room somewhere and bask in the fact that we are warm, have access to friends, snacks, bathrooms.....and can go to bed at 12:15 if we wish!

Please forgive me if this is the wrong forum to ask this, but I'm not sure what else this would fall under lol. My husband and I were considering going to times square this year for the 1st time to watch the ball drop and watch the perfomers live. My question is, what can we expect while there? How early should we arrive if we want a good view of the performers, are there any places that we can reserve for dinner that will have a good view of the performers and the ball drop, and last but not least, is it appropriate for an 11year old girl to attend with us? I know she would love to see Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga live, and that she has no problem staying up until midnight lol, but being that we have never been, I'm not sure if it is appropriate for her. Any advice would be greatly appreciated so that we can make a more informed decision. Thanks so much =)

 

[deegack]

Don't do it. To get even remotely close you have to be there by noon. You cannot leave the pens once you are in them and this includes for bathroom and food. People will sneak in alcohol and as midnight approaches it will get very rowdy.

 

[billwendy]

We went once, and I was actually kinda scared. A lot of open use of alcohol and drugs and then the roudy people who had used them. It was not very fun for me. The crowd was massive - only think I can compare to is when I've been to Disney on NYE - lol - but the atmosphere was very different

 

[krcit]

You could not pay me enough to be in TS on NYE. If I win the lottery one day, I will get a hotel room overlooking it but to be in that crowd for all those hours with no bathroom or food? No way!

 

[moonpie85]

The tips above are great. If you choose to go I can't blame ya, it's quite an experience. But I for sure would not take my child because it can be scary and crazy.

 

[cornflake]

Add me to the 'don't do that' crowd. I will do some tourist things with friends if they really want to but that I just laugh at.

I walked through Times Square on New Year's Eve once, on my way out of the theatre. It couldn't have been less rowdy; it was dead silent, as everyone stood packed in their little pens like shivering sardines, waiting for the ball to drop or a camera to turn on them. Was actually freaky. Like what'll happen when the alien overlords come and sort us (hopefully into tasty tourist and not edible native. ) Certainly perfectly safe though. I don't know when the above poster went but I'm wagering it was decades ago.

There are no drugs or alcohol - that was the days when there were not little pens and cops guarding each pen and checking each person going into the pens for alcohol and then closing them in and surrounding them. Plenty of kids in attendance.

As others note above, to see performers, you'd have to get there before like, noon or something, and be prepared to spend the next 12 hours standing up, no bathroom breaks, pretty much packed in like the subway at rush hour, in whatever weather. It's not pretty.

Even then, I don't know that you actually could see them - aren't they on top of a thing they erect over by the ABC thing or the MTV side or something? I dunno, I have this notion they're on top of a thing, like, high - like closer to the network standup positions.

That said, there are plenty of other NYC things to do on New Year's Eve. There are fireworks over the Park, used to be fireworks downtown over the river that was fun to take the ferry in time to see (I presume they're still there, just haven't gone in a while) - there's also a Brooklyn Bridge walk around then. Big Apple Circus is always up for NYE, I ran into that one year with some friends. Didn't go, it has animals, but it's there, afaik.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

Skip it. It's cold. You can't go to the bathroom. People are nuts and most of them aren't from new York and therefore don't really know what they are doing or where they are. Add alcohol to that and it just isn't fun. Unless you know someone in the nypd who can get you into their corrals, then it's just not worth it. That being said, I'm a new yorker and probably have a different opinion about it than someone from out of town.

There are so many other things to do on NYE in new York - how about a concert? Or head to one of the museums for their NYE activity?

If you do decide to go, get there early and go easy on the booze!

 

[cogero]

Times Square on New Years Eve is not my thing. I did it the first year I was married because DH was working LOL He is a NYPD officer. It was minus 10 and jam packed.

I wouldn't even consider going with my 10 year old it is a zoo.

I consider it a tourist only attraction LOL. If you go have a great time.

 

[ElenaRN]

I am a true hearted NYer. I love ALL things NY.

You would NEVER catch me anywhere near TS on NYE.

The year of the millenium, H & I went into the city AFTER midnight.

 

[RMulieri]

I'm sure others will chime in with different opinions, but let me just stay it is something everyone should do ONCE in their lifetime to say you've done it....but then you'll never want to do it again!

The live acts----you probably won't get close enough to see them unless you stake out a place the night before or early morning near the soundstage on 7th and Broadway. However, if you position yourself right, you'll be able to see the ball well enough from most places since it is up so high and you'll be in the "atmosphere" with the tickers tape falling, etc.

However, you should plan to get there pretty early (early afternoon--by 3pm at the latest) if you want be in a line of sight of the ball. Once you arrive, you'll be "penned" in by the NYC police who set up the "pens" block by block with police barricades. Once your in, you can leave but may not be able to get back in.

So...use the restroom early and take any food/drink you might want...and dress warmly. Just as a point of information---no backpacks are allowed in the pens. It will be tight packed, and they will start closing the pens block by block moving north from 42nd street up to 58th street.

They'll put up screens so if you are far back you can watch the screens....

Don't take alcohol (although many will) because they do slap you with open-container tickets..but with an 11 year old, you probably wouldn't be doing that anyway.

...and yes, if you are up to the adventure, your 11 year old is too. (her bladder is younger!)

Afterwards, have a plan to leave---the police will try to dismiss the crowds pen by pen which could keep you waiting longer than you expect, but eventually it is just mass movement with a crowd thicker than anything you've ever experienced (for most people).

If you try to leave by subway, note that revelers inevitably fall into tracks and hold up the trains while they are fetched and reports written---everything moves much slower than you would expect but they try to be as efficient as possible.


So...this is why it is great to do it once---if you do it once your adventurous.....if you do it twice....your just nuts! (IMHO) =)

Now we turn it on from a toasty living room somewhere and bask in the fact that we are warm, have access to friends, snacks, bathrooms.....and can go to bed at 12:15 if we wish!

2nd this..I did it when I turned 21..It was the coldest night of the year, there are few public bathrooms and many buisnesses won't let you use theirs.It also took me over 5.5 hrs to get home using public transportation because of the huge amts of people using it.I rather watch at home where it is wrm, the food is good and the bathroom is down the hall

 

[Happiest mommy]

Its very cold and ur going to be packed in and once you move someone rushes to take ur spot n standing all that time in the cold with no bathroom breaks not fun, no backpacks it all gets checked as mentioned before it is a tourist thing you won't find many NY's there, the only way you would find me there is looking from a Hotel or something. I love seeing it from my home

 

[1Princess1Prince2006]

I know I'm not the OP, but I'm loving all the info! DD was born on New Year's Eve and she will be 10 next year and is wanting to go to NYC and Times Square to celebrate. I keep telling her we'll do that when she's 21 because I don't want to be anywhere near there when she's 10. LOL

I'll have to let her read some of these responses and maybe she'll understand. I have no problem going to NYC during Christmas time, I just don't want to be anywhere near there for NYE. Hmmmm...maybe I can talk her into Disney for that.

 

[RMulieri]

I know I'm not the OP, but I'm loving all the info! DD was born on New Year's Eve and she will be 10 next year and is wanting to go to NYC and Times Square to celebrate. I keep telling her we'll do that when she's 21 because I don't want to be anywhere near there when she's 10. LOL

I'll have to let her read some of these responses and maybe she'll understand. I have no problem going to NYC during Christmas time, I just don't want to be anywhere near there for NYE. Hmmmm...maybe I can talk her into Disney for that.

I went when I was 21, and it was TOO much for me( and I was a big time party girl) ..I can't imagine bringing a 10yr old into that madness..People are pushy ,drunk and alot of common sense goes out the window ..

 

[cornflake]

I'm guessing you were 21 kind of a while ago, heh.

Again, there aren't drunks and stuff anymore. Since Giuliani in his infinite "wisdom" scrubbed Times Square of everything that made it Times Square, the place is Disneyfied.

New Year's Eve certainly included. There aren't drunks, because everyone is in little pens surrounded by bored cops. To get into the pens, you're searched by cops for contraband, like alcohol. If they see you boozing in the pen, they'll pull you from the pen and send you on your way. It is, as others note, just tourists who, I fear, are sadly disillusioned upon encountering what they thought would be a party but then have noplace else to go.

I walked through, like 20 minutes to midnight. Quiet as a church on a Tuesday morning.

In short, Times Square hasn't been fun for like two decades, I'd say it's perfectly safe to bring a kid to New Year's Eve, they'd just get so bored you'd all go insane, and with no bathroom breaks and standing up, fairly still in one spot for 8 or 12 hours, it's not going to be pretty.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I went last year. If you want to be near the stage go very early. You will be jam packed in your section. We were not searched, can't imagine the police actually searching that many people. Maybe they randomly pull aside some people. The bathroom thing is a pain. We left our section at about 11pm and went into a bar, lol. Much more pleasant, champagne, bathroom, heat and a seat.

 

[RMulieri]

I'm guessing you were 21 kind of a while ago, heh.

Again, there aren't drunks and stuff anymore. Since Giuliani in his infinite "wisdom" scrubbed Times Square of everything that made it Times Square, the place is Disneyfied.

New Year's Eve certainly included. There aren't drunks, because everyone is in little pens surrounded by bored cops. To get into the pens, you're searched by cops for contraband, like alcohol. If they see you boozing in the pen, they'll pull you from the pen and send you on your way. It is, as others note, just tourists who, I fear, are sadly disillusioned upon encountering what they thought would be a party but then have noplace else to go.

I walked through, like 20 minutes to midnight. Quiet as a church on a Tuesday morning.

In short, Times Square hasn't been fun for like two decades, I'd say it's perfectly safe to bring a kid to New Year's Eve, they'd just get so bored you'd all go insane, and with no bathroom breaks and standing up, fairly still in one spot for 8 or 12 hours, it's not going to be pretty.

Not quite that old ..I am only 37..LOL

 

[cornflake]

Not quite that old ..I am only 37..LOL

I consider 16 years kind of a while, it's closing in on 20 years, 2 decades, and it was during Giuliani's first term so yeah, he hadn't messed Times Square up yet. It's wholly different now.

 

[Ali]

There are seriously no bathrooms to use? no port-a -potties or McDonalds or Starbucks available? I would never survive or I would be squatting behind a car into a cup because my bladder lasts about 1.5 hours unless I'm cold then it is less.

I always wanted to go there but I don't think I would make it/

Good luck if you go. Seems like a once in a lifetime thing.

 

[dana1003]

im in jersey 10 min from times square and you wont catch me there either..i have done it once or twice so i guess for a newbie it seems exciting.. if u feel this is something you must do please do not take a child with you..you do have to be there very early..you will be standing for about 6 hrs with no where to sit or go to the bathroom..cuz you cant move you will be very cold..your 11 year old will not appreciate this until they are teenagers..take her to the marriot marquis instead, its a revolving restaurant that she would prob love..it has great views of the city..then get out before 10pm. good luck