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Times Square - New Years Eve

New York, New York, United States

The New Years Eve ball in Times Square

On New Years Eve, Times Square hosts what is probably the world's largest and most well known New Years Eve party. Millions of people gather in Times Square to count down to the new year and watch the ball drop.

We visited Times Square for the 2009 New Years Eve celebration. We arrived around 7:45pm via the 57th street subway station (on 7th ave). We were able to walk down 7th ave to 54th street. Each hour, the police officers managing the crowd let us a little bit closer to the ball. By 10:30p, we had made it up to between 51st and 52nd streets (where we stayed until midnight).

The evening involved a lot of waiting. We waited for just over four hours. We brought some audio lectures to listen to (to keep us entertained). We also met some very nice people that we chatted with to pass the time. Probably the most memorable thing about the evening was the "penguin huddle". It was very cold out, but we spent most of our time in the middle of a huge crowd of people. The people on the edges of the group blocked most of the wind, making it significantly warmer on the inside of the "penguin huddle". We had to spend a couple minutes on the outside, and it was freezing! If we had spent more time on the outside, I probably would have frozen.

Dress

Times Square and surrounding streets full of people ready to bring in the new year

Dress appropriate for the weather. Keep in mind that you'll be standing outside until midnight, and it might be very cold out. When we visited, I wore two pairs of pants, three pairs of socks, three shirts, and two coats. If I had been standing on the edge of the crowd, I would have needed more clothing. I felt very hot initially (especially while on the subway), but once we got outside, I began to feel far more comfortable and was grateful for all the clothes. I should have brought a scarf or two, but otherwise, I felt I was dressed appropriately. Other years may be warmer or colder. Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather.

Viewing the ball

Lots of people using cameras to videotape the new year

The New Years Eve Ball is located at the south end of Times Square, on the building between 42nd and 43rd streets. The ball is viewable on Broadway up to 50th street. North of that, there are TVs set up. The ball is viewable on 7th Ave. up to 59th street. The earlier you arrive, the better view you will have.

Police did a very good job of crowd control. People were locked in "people pens". Each block had its own pen (filled with people). The pen had large empty corridors on either side to allow emergency vehicles to drive through. The pens also kept people out of the cross streets. If there was enough room in the pen ahead, officers would open the pen to allow some people to empty out of one pen into the pen closer to the ball.

Getting There

The ball, at #4 on the New Years Eve countdown

The earlier you arrive, the better view you will have. Keep in mind that there are no bathrooms available while you're waiting, so you don't want to get there too early! The people with the best views of the New Years Ball arrive between 3-4pm. They get "front row seats" in Times Square. After that, everyone else piles up on Broadway and 7th Ave.

When we arrived at 7:45pm, we made it into the "people pen" at 54th street. By midnight, we had made it a couple streets closer to between 51st and 52nd streets.

To get there, avoid the Times Square subway stop at all costs. Your best bet is to arrive north of Times Square, and then approach it on foot. We took the yellow line to the 57th and 7th avenue stop, and then walked from there.