If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

[Xelor]

If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Square for the "ball drop?"

• Yes, I'd go.
• No, I wouldn't go.

In the late '70s and '80s I went to Times Square four times. It was fun the first and third times I went, it was for a New Year's party hosted in a Time Sq. office building that had a view of the ball. My second trip to the Sq. was the first time I stood on the street with the crowd and hollered and partied in the cold. It was a blast, but it was "way back then" when street parties were fun and largely libertine affairs.

On my last trip to the Sq. for New Years, my pals and I again were outside on the street. It wasn't nearly as much fun as the first time; indeed it felt like a "been there, don't that, why the hell am I here again" thing...Frankly, I didn't want to go to Times Sq. in the first place, but my friend's date whined that she'd never been, so we agreed to be there at midnight so she could "put the feather in her cap." I was so "over it" that I was just glad that it was cold outside so that at least the champagne stayed chilled.


As I said above, that as "back in the day" when the event wasn't so security conscious as it now. To wit...no alcohol, no backpacks yet you have to take food, water and snacks, no restrooms, you stand in "fence pens" that you can't leave once you enter, etc., etc., etc. Given all the security for the event, rather than being a massive party in the street like it used to be, it's now basically going to Times Sq. and standing the cold for 12 hours without going to the restroom yet having had to carry in at least water, and all so you can yell at midnight and then leave, making a mad dash to the nearest john only to find that "a thousand" other people are in line there ahead of you. Other folks can do that, and more power to them if they do, but I'm not going to. If the Square party were the wild and crazy affair it used to be, sure I'd go one more time, "for old times sake," but it's not like that and likely never again will be, so no more Times Square for me.


Happy New Year to you all!

 

[Helix]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

nope. chances are very low that i'd stand there for eight hours pissing in a pepsi bottle and hoping that i wouldn't end up as a sex offender for doing that just so i could yell woo for one minute at midnight.

 

[beefheart]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Square for the "ball drop?"

• Yes, I'd go.
• No, I wouldn't go.

In the late '70s and '80s I went to Times Square four times. It was fun the first and third times I went, it was for a New Year's party hosted in a Time Sq. office building that had a view of the ball. My second trip to the Sq. was the first time I stood on the street with the crowd and hollered and partied in the cold. It was a blast, but it was "way back then" when street parties were fun and largely libertine affairs.

On my last trip to the Sq. for New Years, my pals and I again were outside on the street. It wasn't nearly as much fun as the first time; indeed it felt like a "been there, don't that, why the hell am I here again" thing...Frankly, I didn't want to go to Times Sq. in the first place, but my friend's date whined that she'd never been, so we agreed to be there at midnight so she could "put the feather in her cap." I was so "over it" that I was just glad that it was cold outside so that at least the champagne stayed chilled.


As I said above, that as "back in the day" when the event wasn't so security conscious as it now. To wit...no alcohol, no backpacks yet you have to take food, water and snacks, no restrooms, you stand in "fence pens" that you can't leave once you enter, etc., etc., etc. Given all the security for the event, rather than being a massive party in the street like it used to be, it's now basically going to Times Sq. and standing the cold for 12 hours without going to the restroom yet having had to carry in at least water, and all so you can yell at midnight and then leave, making a mad dash to the nearest john only to find that "a thousand" other people are in line there ahead of you. Other folks can do that, and more power to them if they do, but I'm not going to. If the Square party were the wild and crazy affair it used to be, sure I'd go one more time, "for old times sake," but it's not like that and likely never again will be, so no more Times Square for me.


Happy New Year to you all!

I was there for 2000, in Manhattan, no freaking way was I going to stand in a cordoned off area without restrooms for 8 hours. Went to the Village and rang in the new year that way, much more fun.

 

[Rexedgar]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

Never had a desire. Forecast is for precipitation and security dictates no bumbershoots. Good fun!

 

[SDET]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

I rang in 2006 that way. It takes careful planning and strategy to get near the stage near Bubba Gump's. The way you avoid indecency charges if you need to pee is by bringing rain panchos to cover yourself. Thankfully it was pouring down raining that day to even better conceal urination. My wife and I were the only ones with lawn chairs. People looked at us funny, so I just looked at them right in the eye and said, "If you bring lawn chairs to Times Square, you just might be a redneck". It got a good laugh.

It's already checked off my list. It's not worth the bother to do it again.

 

[Xelor]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

I was there for 2000, in Manhattan, no freaking way was I going to stand in a cordoned off area without restrooms for 8 hours. Went to the Village and rang in the new year that way, much more fun.

I'm sure it was. Did you go to a Saint at Large or some other circuit party for New Year's?

I have no idea if there was such a thing that year, but all my Village/Chelsea friends were circuit party types, especially for major holidays like New Year's. Frankly, having once gone to the Fillmore and once again in Montreal at the Black and Blue with them, I understand why they/one would do that for New Year's.

 

[NeverTrump]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Square for the "ball drop?"

• Yes, I'd go.
• No, I wouldn't go.

In the late '70s and '80s I went to Times Square four times. It was fun the first and third times I went, it was for a New Year's party hosted in a Time Sq. office building that had a view of the ball. My second trip to the Sq. was the first time I stood on the street with the crowd and hollered and partied in the cold. It was a blast, but it was "way back then" when street parties were fun and largely libertine affairs.

On my last trip to the Sq. for New Years, my pals and I again were outside on the street. It wasn't nearly as much fun as the first time; indeed it felt like a "been there, don't that, why the hell am I here again" thing...Frankly, I didn't want to go to Times Sq. in the first place, but my friend's date whined that she'd never been, so we agreed to be there at midnight so she could "put the feather in her cap." I was so "over it" that I was just glad that it was cold outside so that at least the champagne stayed chilled.


As I said above, that as "back in the day" when the event wasn't so security conscious as it now. To wit...no alcohol, no backpacks yet you have to take food, water and snacks, no restrooms, you stand in "fence pens" that you can't leave once you enter, etc., etc., etc. Given all the security for the event, rather than being a massive party in the street like it used to be, it's now basically going to Times Sq. and standing the cold for 12 hours without going to the restroom yet having had to carry in at least water, and all so you can yell at midnight and then leave, making a mad dash to the nearest john only to find that "a thousand" other people are in line there ahead of you. Other folks can do that, and more power to them if they do, but I'm not going to. If the Square party were the wild and crazy affair it used to be, sure I'd go one more time, "for old times sake," but it's not like that and likely never again will be, so no more Times Square for me.


Happy New Year to you all!

I'm two train stops away from there. Have never been to any of the big parades or the ball drop. Only a date with a cute girl and guaranteed sexytimes at the end would convince me to go to one of those things.

 

[haymarket]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

At age 69 and out in the cold where the bladder tends to shrink, I would imagine my entire visit there would be looking for a bathroom every forty-five minutes. And I understand they are simply NOT available. I am too young for Depends.

Besides, I can think of no more worthless and meaningless holiday than New Years. I normally do not stay up that late and its no big deal for me.

I do love New York City however.

 

[trixare4kids]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

At age 69 and out in the cold where the bladder tends to shrink, I would imagine my entire visit there would be looking for a bathroom every forty-five minutes. And I understand they are simply NOT available. I am too young for Depends.

Besides, I can think of no more worthless and meaningless holiday than New Years. I normally do not stay up that late and its no big deal for me.

I do love New York City however.

I feel the same way as you do.
Celebrating NY's eve by going to Times Square is for the physically young.

I, too love NY, but going to Times Square was no big deal even when it wasn't New Years eve.

 

[Skeptic Bob]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

I don’t do crowds if it can be helped.

 

[Common Sense 1]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

Visited New York city one time and did enjoy seeing the city sights.
No desire to visit the city again. Would never stand for 12 hours in a bathroom free zone.

 

[Cardinal]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

I already did my "standing in a crowded AF downtown area for New Years" thing, so I'm all good.

 

[Xelor]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

Never had a desire. Forecast is for precipitation and security dictates no bumbershoots. Good fun!

FWIW, I generally never use the things. I don't like holding them. I've found a Snowy River (the taupe color is fitting all year) or Mansfield (for my taste, it's a bit pale for the winter) fur felt hat and a water resistant mid-calf length coat is sufficient for all winter rain, snow and sleet events I've been in, even blizzards. (If it's really cold and snowy out, nothing beats Granddaddy's full length beaver coat. Black tie or blue jeans, when it's really nasty outside in the winter, with that thing on, but for my face being exposed, I wouldn't know it's cold outside.) Never tried it in a hurricane or tornado, though. LOL

I generally wear the Snowy River with casual clothing and when I go to the mountains -- my cabin or backpacking -- or in cities in the winter, whereas I wear the Mansfield in cities and in the spring and summer.

 

[<alt>doxygen]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

Be there, done that, just to say I could. It sucked. We actually headed out before the ball went down. It was sick cold, and yeah, we all had to pee.

 

[Xelor]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

Visited New York city one time and did enjoy seeing the city sights.
No desire to visit the city again. Would never stand for 12 hours in a bathroom free zone.

Red:
That(!), as others have indicated, is "the" big deterrent more so than the other PITAs about going there. I mean, really! Twelve "effing" hours! Twelve hours stuck in a pen with minimal food, minimal water, no booze, cops and cameras everywhere thus no weed, surrounded by young strangers my kids' age AND no john. Hell, no!

 

[Elora]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

I love NY...been there several times, but on NYE...uh uh...not for love or money would I wanna be in the middle of that crowd...

 

[Skeptic Bob]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

Visited New York city one time and did enjoy seeing the city sights.
No desire to visit the city again. Would never stand for 12 hours in a bathroom free zone.

Same here. I visited one time. It was a good trip and I did all the tourist things, like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. I definitely see the appeal of all the late night restaurants and all the entertainment. But I was getting claustrophobic within hours of being in the place. And driving there stresses me out WAY too much.

 

[haymarket]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

Now this sounds like my speed

https://www.balldrop.com/hyatt-times-square-new-years-eve

Its warm and you can sit down and they have bathrooms and drinks and food and all the amenities of civilization that one is used to in Manhattan.

 

[beefheart]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

I'm sure it was. Did you go to a Saint at Large or some other circuit party for New Year's?

I have no idea if there was such a thing that year, but all my Village/Chelsea friends were circuit party types, especially for major holidays like New Year's. Frankly, having once gone to the Fillmore and once again in Montreal at the Black and Blue with them, I understand why they/one would do that for New Year's.

No, just some bar that had a live band. I did NYE in NYC a few times, never any desire to do it in times square. Did NYE in Honolulu once, that was a blast, until the next day when I got bumped 4 times trying to fly home....nothing like airline employee stand-by...

 

[uptower]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

I don't do crowds. There'd probably be a chill party on at some club I'd prefer. Lounge-style.

 

[vesper]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

I've never been to NYC during NYE. Never had a desire to.

Why doesn't the city supply areas in the square with portable toilets for people to relieve themselves?


The weather in NYC can be quite cold on NYE but this year the temps are in the 40's and 80% chance of rain. Neither scenario having to stand in a crowd for hours and no place to pee, no place to sit screams a good time to me. Friends that have gone said the subways, buses, the places to grab a bite to eat are so overcrowded and long lines that hardly spells fun either. You have to get there by the middle of the afternoon to even get a view of the ball or near any entertainment.

I always like celebrating welcoming in the New Year but Time Square isn't my idea of a good time.

 

[Xelor]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

I've never been to NYC during NYE. Never had a desire to.

Why doesn't the city supply areas in the square with portable toilets for people to relieve themselves?


The weather in NYC can be quite cold on NYE but this year the temps are in the 40's and 80% chance of rain. Neither scenario having to stand in a crowd for hours and no place to pee, no place to sit screams a good time to me. Friends that have gone said the subways, buses, the places to grab a bite to eat are so overcrowded and long lines that hardly spells fun either. You have to get there by the middle of the afternoon to even get a view of the ball or near any entertainment.

I always like celebrating welcoming in the New Year but Time Square isn't my idea of a good time.

Red:
For the most part, providing portable toilets at large open-air events is something private organizations, not governments do; however, on occasion, the July 4th celebration on the National Mall is one, the gov't rents porta-potties from private suppliers of them.

That said, I don't know whether the New Year's Eve "ball drop" event in Times Square is sponsored not by New York City, but by the Times Square Alliance. Accordingly, if there were going to be portable toilets there, the Alliance and/or other organizations would have to provide them. For instance, there was a time when Charmin provided toilets; however, due to the way the NYPD manage security at the event, the toilets didn't open until after midnight. That's better than no-toilets, but it's of no use at all to revelers who got there early enough to get good positions (anywhere from 44th to about 47th) because the NYPD doesn't allow folks to enter and exit. (On New Year's Eve, hotels in and around Times Square don't admit non-guests to their loos.)

I presume the NYPD do so as a crowd control or other security measure, but it's of little matter for even when I went to Times Square, it was hard as hell to get back to the place one left, but if one did so early enough, one could get back there if one was diligent enough, though after about 10:30 p.m., one could forget about it. Accordingly, one was well advised, if one left one's good viewing spot, to go with the person with whom one most wanted to be when midnight arrived.


FWIW, if you ever want to go and see the ball drop, book at room at the Knickerbocker hotel. You can watch the ball from the roof there and you'll have access to all the amenities you might want, and you'll already be in Times Square (if you're of the mind to go into the crush on the street), thus obviating the need to worry about trying to get a good spot on the street.

 

[molten_dragon]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

No, absolutely nothing about the whole experience sounds like fun to me. I'd much rather watch it on TV in my nice warm house with a few close friends and a good drink in my hand.

 

[Oborosen]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Square for the "ball drop?"

• Yes, I'd go.
• No, I wouldn't go.

In the late '70s and '80s I went to Times Square four times. It was fun the first and third times I went, it was for a New Year's party hosted in a Time Sq. office building that had a view of the ball. My second trip to the Sq. was the first time I stood on the street with the crowd and hollered and partied in the cold. It was a blast, but it was "way back then" when street parties were fun and largely libertine affairs.

On my last trip to the Sq. for New Years, my pals and I again were outside on the street. It wasn't nearly as much fun as the first time; indeed it felt like a "been there, don't that, why the hell am I here again" thing...Frankly, I didn't want to go to Times Sq. in the first place, but my friend's date whined that she'd never been, so we agreed to be there at midnight so she could "put the feather in her cap." I was so "over it" that I was just glad that it was cold outside so that at least the champagne stayed chilled.


As I said above, that as "back in the day" when the event wasn't so security conscious as it now. To wit...no alcohol, no backpacks yet you have to take food, water and snacks, no restrooms, you stand in "fence pens" that you can't leave once you enter, etc., etc., etc. Given all the security for the event, rather than being a massive party in the street like it used to be, it's now basically going to Times Sq. and standing the cold for 12 hours without going to the restroom yet having had to carry in at least water, and all so you can yell at midnight and then leave, making a mad dash to the nearest john only to find that "a thousand" other people are in line there ahead of you. Other folks can do that, and more power to them if they do, but I'm not going to. If the Square party were the wild and crazy affair it used to be, sure I'd go one more time, "for old times sake," but it's not like that and likely never again will be, so no more Times Square for me.


Happy New Year to you all!

Yes, even though I've only managed to go twice and only because my work, or personal life had gotten me close.

I usually stay up in Atlanta for he the peach though.

 

[Lovebug]

Re: If you were in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, would you go to Times Sq. for the "ball drop?"

nope. chances are very low that i'd stand there for eight hours pissing in a pepsi bottle and hoping that i wouldn't end up as a sex offender for doing that just so i could yell woo for one minute at midnight.

Ok, so this has baffled me for a long time. Boys can use a bottle or can, what are girls supposed to do? Do they wear diapers during the event?


My answer to the question is HELL NO, no way would you find me in Times Square herded like cattle, or NYC.