First timers want to see the ball drop

My group would like to be apart of the New Years Eve celebration in Times Square. Is it just maddening - or is there someway we can go, do dinner close by and actually see %26amp; enjoy the festivites? What time should we be heading in that direction? Any advice or tips would be super!

First timers want to see the ball drop

I%26#39;ve never been, but I recommend you do a search on these boards for ';NYE'; or ';New Year%26#39;s';. There have been many threads on this topic.

The gist is that you have to get there early to get a spot, and once in you are penned in and cannot leave. There are no restroom facilities. Some restaurants/hotels have arrangements where you can go out and see the ball drop at the last minute, but they are extremely expensive.

First timers want to see the ball drop

anything around that area is extremely expensive during new years eve.

Well, have fun with 750,000 of your closest friends, while you satnd for 6 hours without a restroom in sight.

I agree: please search this forum for ';eve'; or ';ball drop'; or ';cattle'; or ';no restrooms'; and you%26#39;ll find posts like this:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k341651-鈥?/a>

thanks everybody - personally, Id be just as happy watching it on TV! What would be some other fun things we could do and maybe still see it somehow - TV, on a balcony somewhere, etc. I%26#39;d just like some options for my group.

Looks like I%26#39;ll be one of your 750,000 friends! well thats what our group is planning anyway. Would probably want to snuggle up somewhere warm myself.

Check out New Yorkled for other things to do on NYE.

www.newyorkled.com

Also, search this forum of words like ';alternative'; to see other things to do on NYE. Both Central Park and Prospect Park have fireworks shows, and are less crowded.

It%26#39;s an experience for sure. Not that bad - you certainly can leave, just weave through the crowd. The crowd will keep you warm. Might be hard to keep a big group together so you should select a meeting place for afterwards.

Its very hard work! It was my first time there last year. We set off from E27th about 7pm thinking we were early.........aparantly we should have headed there a good 12hours earlier. Streets start to get blocked off, no alcohol allowed, once you%26#39;re in thats it and I hope you have good bladder control. I may sound bitter, thats because I am - the best band in the world wre on stage (Flaming Lips) but the girlfriend pursueded me to go and stand in one spot for 5hours - apart from that, its great!

I jsut posted this earlier today:

Here is an article from this week%26#39;s Time Out New York magazine that lists 39 alternative and off-beat things to do this Dec. 31.

http://tinyurl.com/ceb5j

Including:

* opera (Die Fleidermaus)

* Bach concert on Brooklyn%26#39;s Fulton Ferry Landing

* The Concert for Peace at St. John the Divine

*live concerts by James Brown, the Black Crows and Cassandra Wilson;

* Gala events at Rainbow Room and Lincoln Center

* Drag-king extraordinaire Murray Hill (I%26#39;ve seen him many times. Hliarious!)

* Variety show at Mr. Choad%26#39;s

* Meditation and chanting

* 3-D Hitchcock movies

*...and my favorite: a Desi-Bangra-Mardi-Gras

themed dance party!

If the link does not work, go to the magazine home page and scroll down to the article called ';Out with the Old...';

http://www.timeoutny.com/newyork/

Note: All of these events have bathroom access! Have fun!

Did I mention the fetish S%26amp;M ';Arabian Slae Auction'; and the Paddles Club?

black lipstick