Home TravelType of tripCity trip New York City is fabulous – just don’t go with New Years Eve (plus tips if you do)

New York City is fabulous – just don’t go with New Years Eve (plus tips if you do)

by Elisa Flitter Fever
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New Years Eve (NYE) in New York City (NYC). It sounds so cool. And it was on top of my bucketlist for years. But I did it and I learned the hard way: NYE in NYC can be an expensive nightmare. In this article I would like to explain why I would recommend another time to visit this fantastic city. And if you already booked to visit NYC with NYE: tips to get the best possible experience.

NYE in NYC Times Square
NYE in NYC Times Square (Time Out)

Five times

That’s how often I have been to New York (so far). My first visit was 15 years ago. Never for business, always for pleasure. The city has an addictive effect. Cause New York is fun, right? Skyscrapers, statues, people watching, shop till you drop, sightseeing, so many restaurants that it is impossible to try them all once in a lifetime… The Big Apple has so much to offer, not many other metropolitans can compete up to the same level of excitement.

An estimated 66.6 million people visited New York City in 2019, a tenth-consecutive annual record.

I can’t help myself overhearing people talking to each other about wanting to spend New Year’s Eve (NYE) in New York one day. “That would be sooooo amazing!” I cannot blame them. I thought the same. Now, from experience, I can only tell you: don’t do it. Go another time of the year. Really.

Yes, I love New York. A lot. The city is mind blowing fantastic. Just not with NYE! I’ll try to explain why.

NYE in NYC fireworks
NYE in NYC fireworks (Time Out)

Expectations

The thing is, both New York and New Year’s Eve come with high expectations. They both have to be fun, right? I guess that’s why many people’s ultimate fantasy is to do both at once: NYC at NYE. There are even movies about it! Imagine yourself in New York – which is already pretty cool on itself, right? In NYC with NYE, now that’s like the cherry on the pie, right? That’s something else than the annual not-so-great-party-with-always-the-same-faces in your home town or watching the big ball drop on TV as a couch potato, right?!

Getting a spot

The thing is: millions of other people think exactly the same. And there comes the problem: hundreds of thousands of people actually do the same; go to New York to celebrate New Years’. New York is already a crowded city; around NYE it gets crazy. I do not believe this has so much to do with the more recent global tourism boom due to social media.

Although New York’s number of visiting tourists keeps breaking records every year and has doubled over the past 20 years; 79% of the tourists in NYC comes from the US, and New York City is simply – and I believe always will be – a top 10 player for most popular city worldwide among tourists (and everyone else).

NYE in NYC Brooklyn Bridge
NYE in NYC Brooklyn Bridge (Time Out)

Ball drop NYE

You want to witness the big time ball drop on Times Square at midnight? Well, then make sure you are there early morning and ‘keep your spot warm’ for the next 12-16 hours or so. In the ice cold! End of December is gets terribly cold in New York. Good luck! And put a diaper on because who wants to lose their spot over a toilet visit?

Each year, over one million people descend upon Times Square to party for NYE. So during one evening, there are as many visitors in one place as whole NYC normally receives in a week! Absolutely crazy. For coming NYE in NYC there is a way out of this, I will tell you more about this later.

Ball drop at Times Sq 2020

Long lines 

Want to come a few days earlier or stay a few days longer around NYE, so you can do some sightseeing in the city? Be prepared for nightmare-long waiting lines at all hotspots, everywhere crowded with people. 4 hours of waiting in line to go on the boat to the Statue of Liberty or into the Empire State Building is nothing.

Lines that do not solve before closure of the attraction. It seems so pointless.

I could not stand the terrible cold. Chills to the bone. Where is the fun in all of this?! Better come back another time, when conditions are much better.

Times Square on a May evening NYC New York City
Times Square on a May evening

Hospital

OK, it did not really help that I was just de-hospitalized after a terrible food poisoning from the airplane. Having to stand in line for hours in the cold is no fun anyway. But believe me, especially not when you feel weak, have a painful stomach after 24 hours of non-stop vomiting, plus a painful arm due to the dehydration and anti-nauseous infusion from the hospital. Cheers!

Nevertheless, the bottom line is: you spend a lot of money to get to NYC, coming from overseas at least around €1000 on flights and hotel for a long weekend or mid-week. Especially around NYE (demand thus) prices get ridiculously high (count on at least US$200 per night per room). So you want it to be fun. Be smart and take my advice; do not spend NYE in NYC, go another time. Lower prices + less crowded + shorter waiting lines = more fun.

Better times

So when to go then? Check out my other blog New York City first-timer? Recommendations from an experienced NYC lover here!

Central Park in May is so lovely NYC
Central Park in May
Spending time in NYC right before Christmas is so much fun
Fun in NYC right before Christmas
Ground Zero, New York
Ground Zero in autumn

NYE in NYC

Stubborn as you may be, you might decide to spend your NYE in NYC anyway, or have already booked it before you bumped into this blog post. In that case you better make the best out of it. Some tips:

  • Dress to impress yet bring warm clothes and booths because it will be freezing cold outside!
  • Many places require at least reservations, also an entrance ticket at NYE, so check that out in advance.
  • You cannot rely on public transport nor taxis that night (walking distance hotel vs. party location).
  • Do you have any friends in NYC? Congratulations, you have a much better chance of having a great time!
  • If you do end up in a crowd, watch your stuff. You don’t want to get robbed and without money at NYE in NYC.

You still got that idea of Times Square at NYE stuck in your mind? Consider to buy a spot on Times SquareThis is a relatively new option, which was not available at the time I was with NYE in NYC. And it’s definitely not cheap, but it does save you a long wait in the cold during the day. Like a VIP ring ticket at a big non-seated concert in Europe.

NYE in NYC 2022

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, New Years Eve was not open to the public in 2021 (meaning from 2020 to 2021). On Octobwer 31, 2021 no details have been revealed yet about New Year’s Eve in New York for 2021 to 2022. If it goes ahead at all, strict security measures are expected to be in place. From November 8, 2021, the US will in reopen for tourists from The Netherlands, other Schengen countries, etc.

Wollman Rink in Central Park
Wollman Rink in Central Park

Roof top bars

Roof top bars are always pretty cool, especially with Manhattan view, moreover at New Year’s Eve! It will come with a price though. And you will need to see which ones are actually open as many roof top bars and restaurants are closed during winter season and/or New Year’s Eve.

Roof top bars that are also open during in winter are for example The Crown and Gallow Green. Several roof top bars organize a party with NYE, which require an entrance ticket (US$75-450 p.p.). Examples are (at least last year, may be different this year) for example The RoofUpstairs at the Kimberly and the rooftop bar of Hotel Chantelle.

For more extensive information on roof top bars in New York City check out the article for New York City first-timers or the specific article on rooftop hotels in Manhattan.

I really cannot recommend going to a real club party at NYE in NYC, since I had a terrible experience there myself at Webster Hall.

The Roof at Public Hotel NYC
The Roof at Public Hotel
Upstairs at the Kimberley NYC
Upstairs at the Kimberley

Avoid the worst crowds

Wonder what to do if you would want to avoid the worst crowds at Times Square with NYE in NYC?

During the day (before NYE), take the free ferry to Staten Island instead of the official boat ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, whichare horrible around NYE. Both are great to visit, but would advise to avoid around NYE. Or book a fun helicopter ride like I did!

Manhattan Helicopter view NYC
Helicopter view towards the Financial District
Helicopter, Manhattan NYC
Take an helicopter ride above Manhattan

There are a few work-arounds to avoid the lines this year. It will require advance planning, booking and additional costs though (like anything else in NYC at NYE):

New Year’s Day

January 1, the New Year can begin! So what to do in NYC if you are still there on New Year’s Day?

Wollman Rink in Central Park in the evening
Wollman Rink in Central Park in the evening (took my thick coat off for photo haha)

Where to stay

Please check out my separate blog post Where to stay in New York City: my favorite NYC hotel collection.

More NYC info

For more information about:

  • Highlights of NYC
  • Free things to do/see in NYC
  • Shopping in NYC
  • Fun tours in NYC
  • Where to eat in NYC
  • Roof top bars in NYC
  • Out of Manhattan
  • When to go to NYC
  • How to get to & around in NYC

… please read further in my blog post New York City first-timer? Recommendations from an experienced NYC lover here!

Map New York City

This map includes places and spots mentioned in this article (and more). This one is ‘smartphone friendly’; you can easily use it via the Google Maps app. Click the icon at the top left to open the menu and see the categories. To adapt the map to your own preferences and interests, (de)select a category. Via Google Drive you can copy the map to your own My Google Maps account.

Have you ever been to New York City? Visited NYC at NYE? Or plans to do so. I hope you appreciate my honest opinion and that this article helps you to make the right decisions to get the best experience. Anyways, Happy New Year!!


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Last Updated on 10/28/2024 by Elisa Flitter Fever

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2 comments

Tim Short 11/15/2018 - 01:02

Hi
You said 79% of the tourists in NYC comes from the US. But , did you realise, that more than half the $150 million days per day pumped into NYC economy by tourists, comes from overseas visitors 🙂

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Flitter Fever 11/17/2018 - 13:41

Dear Tim, thanks for your info. Interesting! It does not surprise me though, international travelers are likely to stay a bit longer as they had to travel further/longer to get to NYC so they spend more. Does that sound like a logical explanation to you? Kind regards, Elisa of flitterfever.com

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