Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, time starts to slow, tens of thousands of people are counting down in unison, millions more across the country and even the world are doing the same at home. 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!
New Year’s Eve in Times Square. This experience is on millions of people’s bucket lists because most Americans grow up watching “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.“
My generation remembers it with Ryan Seacrest as the host, and our parents watched it with Dick Clark. Many have watched the ball drop and popular artists perform on TV during this beloved event.
People have sat there watching the tons of confetti fall on the people celebrating, just dreaming about the opportunity to celebrate New Year’s in Times Square. Trust me when I say that it is so overrated.
Let me paint you a picture: In the days leading up to the big event, tourists from all over the world flock to the Big Apple. The streets are more full than ever, and the subway stations are packed with people who don’t know what train they are supposed to be getting on. Every corner is a new type of chaos.
Locals run as far away from the city as possible the week of New Year’s, leaving their cherished Manhattan to be overrun by tourists. I have lived in Manhattan for the past two years.
Dec. 30 I fought through the streets of Soho trying to go to my favorite stores. Dec. 31, in the middle of the afternoon, someone celebrating New Year’s Eve a few hours early dumped confetti on my head as I was coming out of the subway.
It was obnoxious and unnecessary. On the 1st of the new year, I dealt with several subway station closures due to the sheer number of people in the city.
I watched from my apartment building as police closed at least 15 blocks of 6th Avenue at 5 p.m., on New Year’s Eve. I watched people flock to midtown in the 30-degree, windy weather. It was truly chaotic.
Who wants to spend their entire New Year’s Eve freezing, packed together like sardines with strangers, a mile away from the performances?
I, like every other local who didn’t escape the city, spent my New Year’s in a much more low-key way. My friends and I got tickets to a speakeasy party far away from the busy streets surrounding Times Square where we could take off our coats in the heated air and relax for the evening.
We counted down to midnight with a couple dozen people rather than a million, and my friends and I didn’t have to fight our way through crowds to do anything we wanted. We sat at a table and chatted with strangers.
We were able to take cute pictures of our New Year’s outfits because we didn’t have to stay bundled up in our coats, hats and scarves all night long.
When my friends and I were hungry, we were able to order food at our table without worrying about losing our spot in the street. Halfway through the night, we switched venues and danced the night away at the historical Stonewall Inn in the Village.
By the time we were heading home, all the Times Square goers were already back in their hotels. I assume they were exhausted by their freezing cold, stressful evening that started early and ended just after midnight. I’m sure it was satisfying to cross this event off of a bucket list, but the cons outweigh the pros for me.
The Times Square goers were warming up and sound asleep while we rang in the new year for hours after the ball dropped. I was nowhere near as exhausted as those who had held a spot in Times Square since the morning of the 31st.
I know so many people think they want to spend one New Year’s Eve in Times Square, but let me save you the pain: If watching the ball drop is important to you, then stay home. Invite a few of your friends over, turn on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” with Ryan Seacrest on your TV, and have a good time.
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Contact Chloe Anna Austria via email: chloeanna.austria@pepperdine.edu or by Instagram: @chloeanna.04
