New Year's Eve in "Big Apple"

As the new year approaches, New York City gets ready for its annual New Year's Eve in Times Square celebration. The famous ball drop atop One Times Square has been a tradition dating back to 1906. Each year, over one million people descend upon Times Square to party and experience this free and memorable event!

While NYE in Times Square may be the most famous New York event and celebration, the Big Apple plays host to hundreds of the best New Year's Eve parties each year. With many of the NYC bars and New York City nightclubs throwing their own New Year's party, NYC tourists in town for NYE have a huge selection of NYC events to choose from.

What to do on New Year's Eve in New York?

You would be surprise in how many ways you can celebrate New Year's Eve in one city, here are only 7 of them.

The Ball Drop at Times Square

So you went to the ball drop. We can’t really blame you—it’s New York's (and arguably the world’s) most iconic New Year’s Eve celebration. The ball drops from the top of One Times Square and is best seen from the north, up Broadway between 43rd and 50th, and on Seventh Avenue between 43rd and 59th. Arrive early (really, really early), dress warmly (do not be ashamed to wear multiple pairs of mittens), and bring plenty of snacks and water. Keep in mind that there’s no alcohol allowed in any New York City public space and—perhaps more importantly—there will no public, portable restrooms in Times Square either.

New York Harbor Fireworks

Fireworks are launched from multiple places once the clock strikes midnight—even at Times Square, but it’s so bright and loud there already you probably won't notice. The most picturesque of these presentations is certainly the show over New York Harbor, which are set off from Liberty Island. They can be viewed from downtown Manhattan’s Battery Park, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, or by boat in the harbor. Several companies offer cruise packages for the evening with food and drinks, though they can be pricey. If you’re on a budget, hop aboard the cheapest cruise in town: the free Staten Island ferry.

Grand Army Plaza Fireworks

Though Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza doesn’t have the water-bound drama of the Statue of Liberty, it’s pound for pound the most charming fireworks display in New York City. Set against the backdrop of the triumphal Beaux-Arts Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch, Prospect Park, and the bronze gateway of the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch, it’s also the celebration that’s the most neighborhood-oriented. Hosted by the Brooklyn borough president and the Prospect Park Alliance, the party starts up at 11pm with live music and free hot chocolate. Fireworks go off at midnight.

Central Park Fireworks

The Central Park fireworks display is visible from just about everywhere in the park, or from any location where a good portion of the park is visible. Though it’s not exactly picnic weather come December 31, there are plenty of well-lit, lively, and pretty places in the park to settle in for the show. Unlike Times Square, Central Park food and drink vendors will still be serving hot warm snacks and sips to visitors. The fireworks are set off from the Naumburg Bandshell around 70th Street, just south of the Bethesda Fountain.

Time’s Up New Year’s Eve Ride

The environmental organization Time’s Up organizes a free ride (bikes and skates welcome) from Washington Square Park to Central Park’s Belvedere Castle. Bikers and skaters leave from Washington Square at 10 PM. Alternate start points depart from the Brooklyn entrance of the Williamsburg Bridge at 9:45 PM and Madison Square Park at 10:20 PM. If wheels really aren't your thing, you can always just show up to the Belvedere Castle at a quarter to midnight. Participants and spectators are encouraged to dress appropriately, and to bring along food and drink. Expect a wild, albeit chilly, open air dance party at the end. You'll even get to enjoy those epic Central Park fireworks exploding overhead.

Phish at Madison Square Garden

Phish’s marathon New Year’s Eve concerts at Madison Square Garden are the stuff of legend. They’ve appeared at the iconic venue on December 31 at least nine times since 1995, and are likely to return most years—if not all. Regularly stretching their performances across several hours and, in 2015, three sets and an encore, you can count on having a full night. It's the perfect way to ring in the New Year if that’s your kind of an idea.

The Poetry Project’s Marathon Reading

Admittedly, this event takes place on January 1. But what better way to cure your hangover than with poetry? The Poetry Project’s New Year’s Day Poetry Marathon, first established in 1974 by poet Anne Waldman, has hosted luminaries like Eileen Myles, Patti Smith, Philip Class, Yoko Ono, Kathy Aker, Amiri Baraka, and Allen Ginsberg. Tickets are $25, but the program lasts all day—from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. Stay as long or as little as you like: either way, you’re bound to hear something of interest.
TASK:
Answear in 10-15 sentcences: What is your favourite way of spending New Year's Eve? What kind of an entertainment in NYC would you choose?