Posts Tagged ‘new years eve’

13 Places to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in New York City and Environs

New Year’s celebrations in New York City can be over-the-top or serene if you’d prefer. There are so many choices that it might be hard to choose. Here are 11 of the most interesting ones still available for booking plus two outside of the city.

Restaurants and Clubs

Courtesy La Mercerie

La Mercerie

Join La Mercerie in Soho for an exuberant and elegant New Year’s Eve celebration complete with live music and dancing, a cocktail party at Guild Bar and exquisite Champagne—all inspired by the raucous splendor of a 1950s French-Caribbean resort. Included on the New York Times “Best Restaurants of 2023” list, La Mercerie is offering a special prix fixe menu from Chef Marie-Aude Rose with dishes like papillote of red snapper, beef filet with green pepper sauce, and spicy chocolate truffles. Two seatings are available. Reservations via Resy.

Courtesy Loreley Beer Garden

Loreley Beer Garden

The New Year’s Eve Masquerade celebration at Loreley Beer Garden on the Lower East Side starts with a happy hour from 5pm – 10pm and continues with a Champagne toast at midnight for the ball drop. Masquerade masks will be provided but it’s fine to bring your own in exchange for a free drink. Instead of a prix fixe menu, the beer garden’s full menu will be offered à la carte. Guests can enjoy festive holiday drinks like Boozy Bourbon Black & White Hot Chocolate with toasted marshmallows, Spiked Eggnog with whipped cream and caramel, Hot Bourbon Apple Cider, Peppermint Nitro Martini with a candy cane, hot Gluhwein, winter sangria, seasonal craft beers, and hot toddies in their Winter Wonderland decked out with over-the-top holiday lights and décor both indoors and outdoors – don’t worry both are heated! Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are accepted.

Cocktail Trolley Experience - Courtesy 9 Jones

9 Jones

Sophistication reigns supreme for New Year’s Eve at  West Village’s 9 Jones, a British-inspired semi-private club that blends New York City edge with refined elegance. The restaurant transforms for the evening  into a Champagne and caviar lounge featuring an interactive bespoke cocktail cart in a sexy atmosphere enhanced by silent black and white movies projected onto the ceiling and the celebratory ball drop at midnight. The evening’s party and caviar-centric prix fixe menu paired with bubbly cocktails and Champagne can be reserved on Resy .

Courtesy Alligator Pear

Alligator Pear

Steps from Madison Square Garden, Alligator Pear celebrates its first New  Year’s bash with a premium open bar showcasing its creative, curated selection of cocktails (alcoholic/non-alcoholic), wines, fine beers and spirits. Guests are invited to attend in their finest attire for an evening of live DJ performances, libations and a glittering Champagne toast at the stroke of midnight. Chef Dominick Lee’s Louisiana-inspired menu will be available. Reservations/tickets through Eventbrite.

Courtesy Caviar Russe

Caviar Russe

Recently awarded its 10th Michelin star in a row, the Midtown eatery is offering a decadent New Year’s Eve celebration, with various tiers depending on how you’re seeking to indulge. For an early seating in its dining room, Executive Chef Edgar Panchernikov will prepare a special prix fixe caviar-centric menu of seared foie gras, its signature Golden Egg with caviar and parmesan foam, Dover Sole in a caviar beurre blanc sauce and a canelle with caviar. Also included are 25g of its signature Gold Osetra caviar and a glass of Dom Perignon. The second seating adds white truffle tagliatelle to ring in the New Year with special booth seating pricing available. For those seeking a more festive, lively atmosphere guests may reserve spots in its ground floor bar and lounge area where live modern jazz plays throughout the evening by Richie Nuzz and his band. A select menu with caviar and other options is available. Reservations through Resy .

Courtesy Agency of Record

Agency of Record

Located in the heart of Midtown, the swanky Midtown cocktail bar and restaurant invites you to celebrate New Year’s Eve old-style – think 1960s —  with a DJ booth spinning records on vinyl, Mad Men-inspired decor, inventive drinks (try the A+B test, made with blanco tequila, aged cachaca, sotol, Thai chili, lychee and lime) and celebratory bites from Ed Carew (standouts are the lobster cocktail and duck fat fries. Reservations through Resy.

Rotunda Courtesy The Pierre

The Pierre

The Pierre offers multiple options for a festive New Year’s Eve. Enjoy Big Band-style music by Antonio Ciacca and his trio in The Pierre’s iconic Rotunda with a midnight Champagne toast.  Early seating starting at 5pm features a three-course menu. The second seating at 8:30 pm offers 5-course menu with a live performance in Perrine restaurant  followed by dancing in the Rotunda and a midnight toast.  A third option, KT Sullivan and the Sutton Place Trio entertain with American Songbook standards in the TwoE lounge. After a festive lite menu and a Taittinger toast along with a “live” large-screen ball-drop broadcast from Times Square, dancing continues into the wee hourss. Masks, hats, party favors, cow bells and noise makers will be given out as the clock strikes midnight.

Boqueria © Liz Clayman

Boqueria

Boqueria’s multiple Spanish tapas emporiums will ring in 2024 with a generous prix fixe tapas feast and unlimited drinks at its Soho, Flatiron, Upper East Side and West 40th Street locations. The tapas menu includes albóndigas (meatballs), gambas al ajillo (shrimp in garlic), patatas bravas, pan con tamate y jamón serrano (tomato bread with jamón serrano), short rib stuffed piquillo peppers, bacon-wrapped stuffed dates, churros with chocolate and more. During each of the three evening seatings, Boqueria will observe  the traditional Spanish ritual of las doce uvas de la suerte (the twelve grapes of luck). The tradition dates back to 1895 and is meant to bring good luck and prosperity in the year to come. As the clock chimes 12 times, guests will eat one grape each time the bell tolls, making a wish for each grape. The 12 grapes and bell tolls represent the 12 months of the year. Reservations through Resy.

Manhattan Hotels to Overnight

Courtesy Tempo by Hilton Times Square

Tempo by Hilton Times Square

Tempo by Hilton Times Square brings you up close and personal with the Times Square Ball Drop without needing to join the crowds outdoors. The hotel’s ritzy cocktail lounge and restaurant Highball is hosting a festive New Year’s Eve. Celebration. Skip the trip home and book the hotel’s “NYE Ticket and Room” package — the Ball Drop Rooms offer coveted birds-eye views of the Times Square Ball and the crowds just beneath. Tickets for the party as well as the hotel stay are available here.

Courtesy The Knickerbocker Hotel

The Knickerbocker

In the heart of Times Square, only 150 feet from the Ball Drop,  The Knickerbocker, is a perfect stage for viewing the New Year’s event below. Select the rooftop party package or an overnight stay following the party (included). A variety of packages are available. You can also add a Champagne welcome and midnight Dom Perigon toast, a buffet dinner at Charlie Palmer at The Knick, and open bar at the rooftop St. Cloud for entertainment, live DJ music and amazing views.

Courtesy Arlo NoMad

Arlo NoMad

Opulence is the watchword for New Year’s at trendsetter Arlo NoMad hotel. Indulge in a night of luxury with a four-hour open bar and two dance floors covering a variety of genres of music from top 40 hits to, Afrobeats, hip hop, house music or classics. Book a table for the hotel’s exquisite dinner experience from Lamalo and then head up to ART NoMad on the rooftop for a Champagne toast while experiencing the light show on the Empire State Building at midnight. Tickets are available through Eventbrite. For table reservations, contact info@trulyyoursnyc.com.

Hotels Close to New York City

Looking for an escape from the city? Here are two getaways within several hours of NYC.

Canoe Place © Meryl Pearlstein

Canoe Place – Hampton Bays, New York

Celebrate at gorgeous Canoe Place for their first New Year’s Eve bash. At the Hampton’s newest resort, the Celebration Escape package includes luxurious accommodations, a five-course prix fixe dinner for two, endless Champagne, live music featuring the Ken Fowser Trio, and an exclusive invitation to welcome 2024 in The Study with dancing and a celebratory countdown. After, enjoy your luxe room or sit by the fireplace and soak in the history of this amazing building that dates from the 1920s. Reservations here.

Courtesy Urban Cowboy Lodge

Urban Cowboy Lodge – Catskills, New York

Ring in 2024 at the mountain lodge in the Big Indian Wilderness. Set on 68 acres in the heart of the Catskills, the 26-room boutique hotel is a world away from NYC. Enjoy a forest bath in the soaking tubs, eat and drink at the award-winning Public House restaurant, warm up in the Estonian sauna, or just relax by the roaring fire and star watch. On New Year’s Eve, the fires will be glowing, drinks will be flowing, and music will be playing. And that’s only the beginning. The evening includes a spectacular fireworks display, a tasting menu offered at multiple seatings, a Champagne toast, and a DJ for late-night dancing. Timed for both early and late risers, there’s also brunch on New Year’s Day.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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New Year’s Eve in New York City: 2023

We’ve all had enough of 2022, right? And the awful freezing weather isn’t helping much. If you’ve already gotten rid of those bad memories at Good Riddance Day in Times Square, made your wish on the Wishing Wall for next year and you’re prepared to put your New Year’s resolutions into play, it’s time to party like it’s 1999 (apologies to Prince). Let’s say goodbye to the past and move forward with wonderful and festive memories.

Watch the Ball Drop at Home or with a Personal Escort (No, It’s Not What You think)

An online event for those who aren’t willing to join the hordes in chilly Times Square on New Year’s Eve, the New Year’s Eve celebration will be livestreamed along with non-stop merriment and music. Click here to get notified about details for the webcast.

Courtesy Brooklyn Delicatessen Times Square

The new Brooklyn Deli Times Square will offer live entertainment, a five-course prix-fixe menu featuring an elaborate buffet and an “escort” to view the ball drop in Times Square. Brian “Mr. Taptastic” Davis and his group of NYC Musicians will be joined by Broadway’s Haley Lampart (Kinky Boots) for all-night eats and entertainment.  Just before midnight, you’ll be escorted to watch the Times Square festivities from a less crowded location. To reserve, email newyearseve@thefiremangroup.com.

New Year’s Eve Midnight Run and Fireworks in Central Park

The Annual Emerald Nuts Midnight Run is ready to kick off again this year at midnight on New Year’s Eve.  Starting at 10pm, Central Park will be alive with DJ Music and Dancing, a Costume Parade and a spectacular Fireworks and Laser Show. Then, at midnight, the 4M Race winds its way through the park, finishing near the entrance to Cherry Hill. Dress warmly  and enjoy the festivities .Dancing and the costume contest will be held at the Central Park Bandshell, just south of the 72nd Street Transverse in Central Park.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry – International Style

New Year’s Eve in New York City is back and many restaurants have sent out invitations to come and enjoy in person. Here are some of the international options for you to consider.

Courtesy GG Tokyo

I miss Tokyo a lot, and the Golden Gai district is certainly one of the liveliest parts of the city. New York’s version, GG Tokyo in the Park South Hotel, invites you to celebrate the New Year with a party to remember. With its Japanese-inspired cuisine and cocktails, GG Tokyo will offer an open bar from 9pm to 12am with an extensive Champagne and spirit list, a Tarlant Champagne toast, hors d’oeuvres for the first hour, and a DJ to keep the spirits high. Tickets are available on Tock. The party will run from 9pm until 1am.

Courtesy Sushi by Boū

I can’t get enough of Japan and here’s an option to keep you feeling “bougie” à la japonais on New Year’s Eve. Modern speakeasy-inspired /omakase concept Sushi by Boū is offering a Bou-gie 17-course seating with a New Year’s Eve party package. At New York City locations in Nomad, Chelsea and Flatiron at 11pm, guests can enjoy an omakase experience that includes 2023 glasses, party hats, noisemakers, beads, and a Champagne toast at midnight.

Courtesy Sushi by Boū

For the ultimate experience, you can choose to ‘check in’ at Sushi Suite 1001 for a 17-course omakase at their 11:15pm seating that comes with a sake flight as well.

Balvanera - Photo Credit Mark Zhelezoglo

Argentina is known for its lively music and dance and Balnvanera does it up Punta Alta-style to celebrate New Year’s Eve.  Authentic dishes, special for the evening and created by Chef Fernando Navas, include New Year’s Eve langosta with Maine lobster, black trumpet butter, frisée salad; panqueques with dulce de leche; and other specials. There will be two seatings at the Lower East side restaurant: an early dinner starting at 7pm, and a second one at 8:30pm that takes you through the New Year’s Eve countdown with party hats and noisemakers.

Courtesy IXTA

For a Mexican fiesta, IXTA on the Bowery is holding a noche filled with Champagne, cocina mexicana and mezcal.  The trendy Tulum-themed restaurant and mezcal bar will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a DJ, live entertainment, three-hour premium open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, a Champagne toast at midnight and live viewing of the Times Square festivities. Tickets can be purchased at Posh.

More Dining and Parties

Courtesy Blackbarn

At Nomad’s farm-to-Table, American restaurant Blackbarn, Chef John Doherty is once again teaming up with Executive Chef Brian Fowler to create a special New Year’s Eve menu featuring a la carte choices as well as a prix fixe menu with or without wine pairing. Menu highlights include foie gras terrine, Black Barn tomahawk steak for two presented tableside, Dover sole, and rum butterscotch pudding. The party continues until 1am.

Courtesy The Fulton by Jean-Georges

To ring in 2023, The Fulton by Jean-Georges at Pier 17 will be offering two seatings for their five-course prix fixe menu. Upscale choices include caviar service, white truffle tagliatelle and seared wagyu tenderloin. The waterside restaurant sits on the East River with beautiful skyline views of both Manhattan and Brooklyn.

9 Jones - Photo Credit Andy Stark

New York’s newest supper club, 9 Jones, will be ringing in the New Year with Champagne and caviar and an elegant prix fixe dinner with two seatings. Guests enjoying the six-course dinner will have with the option for Caviar Bump and a glass of Champagne or a bottle of Champagne and a two-ounce caviar tin served with accoutrements. The Cocktail Trolley will be available for bottle service with top shelf Champagne options served tableside. 9 Jones’s modern Greek menu includes options such as spice feta with warm pita, lobster bisque, grilled octopus, truffle butter pasta, and butter-poached lobster tail. Dress attire is elegant like the menu, and televisions at the West Village club will be live streaming the festivities all night with the ball drop.

Courtesy Arlo SoHo

Arlo SoHo is transforming their entire hotel into a New Year’s Eve multi-floor extravaganza with a variety of experiences throughout with multiple DJs, dancers, acrobatic performers and robots as well as a four-hour open bar, endless bites and more. The evening also includes access to speakeasy Foxtail hosting a midnight balloon drop and rooftop lounge Art SoHo. Tickets are available via Eventbrite . The hotel’s lovely restaurant Lindens is available for a dining with a prix fixe menu including signature Parker House rolls, honeynut squash ravioli and roast chicken, offered with optional wine or cocktail pairings.

Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge - Courtesy TAO Group Hospitality

Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge at Moxy Times Square’s seasonal holiday pop-up, the Pink Winter Edition: Frosted Edition, offers a spectacular view of New York City and the Empire State Building along with white frosted details, a carousel glistening with more than 25,000 rhinestones, and a sparkling white gondola.

Courtesy The Cauldron NYC

The Cauldron NYC downtown has a crazy party night in store with a four-hour open bar from 10pm – 2am, two hours of passed hors d’oeuvres and witch hats. There will be a livestream of the ball drop, a live DJ, a drag show and plenty of additional tricks. The party doesn’t have to end when you leave, as you’ll be given a special potion and grilled cheese to take home or to your next destination. Standing tickets and table reservations are available. For table reservations, email nycbar@thecauldron.io.  For standing tickets, buy them online through Eventbrite.

Courtesy CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE

CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE will present a special immersive New Year’s Eve Celebration “The Romp on 26.” From 9pm until 1am. The soiree will feature The CT+S Follies, fresh from Burlesque Nights at the dining and music hot spot, with performances by Seedy Edie and more. Patrons  will enjoy an open bar, passed delights, and a midnight toast. General admission tickets include Burlesque performers, dancing to the music of DJ A Ball, a limited menu, passed hors d’oeuvres, and a bubbles toast at midnight with a balloon drop. Various packages are available with bottle service and tables offered.  Black tie suggested. 21 and over only . Tickets are available through Eventbrite.

Courtesy The Sandbar Rooftop

The Sandbar Rooftop will offer its second annual “Beach White Party” from 9pm until 1am. Come dressed in your best beach chic whites and ring in the New Year. Guests will experience views of Manhattan’s cityscape while relaxing in the Fashion District’s “beach” on the 23rd floor of the Hilton. Open bar, DJ and dancing,  a bubbles toast at midnight, and light bites are offered. 21 and over only. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.

Courtesy Paris Cafe

The newly revamped 150-year old Paris Cafe in the Seaport welcomes you to join their list of notable guests past and present including such luminaries as Thomas Edison, Teddy Roosevelt , Jimmy Hoffa and Lauren Bacall. For New Year’s Eve, the restaurant will host a “ Midnight in Paris” dinner party followed by open bar, bottle service and live entertainment along with a DJ, saxophonist, magicians, dancers and Champagne.

Courtesy Wiggle Room

For the late night party, Wiggle Room bar in the East Village will keep the vibes happening until 3am with sets by DJs Babybro and Ben Baker and an open bar for all-night dancing. Tickets are available through Eventbrite. Cocktail highlights the spicily named Hot Lava, made with Milagro tequila, Ayuk pasilla, pineapple, toasted sesame, lime and hot honey; and the Wiggle ‘Tini, a potent combination of Nordes gin, Ketel One vodka, cherry blossom vermouth and Champagne vinegar.

And for New Year’s Day

Courtesy The Poetry Project

The Poetry Project’s 49th annual New Year’s Day Marathon is live again this year, starting at 2pm on January 1 and continuing until 1am at St. Marks Church with non-stop readings and performances from more than 153 poets, writers, artists, musicians, actors and dancers around the world. Don’t tune out if you don’t like poetry — the event is filled with music sets, cooking segments, films and other theatrical bits to keep you entertained into the next day. The Marathon will take place over two five-hour periods with an hour break in between. The sections of the marathon will be ticketed separately with a limit of 300 tickets per section. Tickets are $25 per section in advance, $30 at the door.

To help with your hangover, these three  brunch specials at Mercado Little Spain will bring much-needed (and delicious) relief.

Lena Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

At Leña, a restaurant dedicated to paellas and grilled meats over live fire, enjoy scrambled eggs with roasted seasonal mushrooms and morcilla sausage and tortilla de patatas con caviar, a  Spanish potato and onions omelet served with caviar, perfect for soaking up whatever you might have imbibed the evening before.

Spanish Diner Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

Inside the all-day Spanish Diner, you can munch on Ibérico Benedict eggs, made with Ibérico hollandaise sauce and jamón Ibérico or mollete de tortilla de patatas, a Spanish potato and onions omelet sandwich served on a crispy bun with piquillo peppers and aioli.

La Barra Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

Tapas specialist La Barra serves up tortilla vaga con caviar, an open-face tortilla with potato chips and caviar and bikini de queso y trufa, a truffled Spanish cheese sandwich.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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How New York City Is Celebrating NYE during a Pandemic

We’ve all had enough of 2020, right? If you’ve managed to get rid of those bad memories at Good Riddance Day in Times Square and you’re prepared to put your New Year’s resolutions into play, it’s time to party like it’s 2021. It’s time to say goodbye to the past and move forward with wonderful and definitely unusual memories.

Good Riddance Day

Here are some of the ways we went about it.

We All Need Some Laughs This Year

We started early with a 6:30pm virtual viewing of comedian Mike Birbiglia’s “Working It Out Worldwide” New Year’s Eve show.  Entitled “All Jokes Considered,” this is a mix of standup comedy and an interactive talk. If you’ve ever been to one of Mike’s shows, you’ll want to grab a ticket right away. The NYE one-time event is different from any show Mike has done before or will likely do again. You’ll also be part of the evening so brace yourself for some serious fun. Champagne is optional at this early hour.

Wax Poetic about the End of 2020

The Poetry Project’s annual New Year’s Day Marathon turns virtual this year, starting at 11pm on December 31 and continuing for 24 hours with non-stop readings and performances from poets, writers, artists, musicians, actors and dancers around the world. The event is more than poetry, though. It’s filled with music sets, cooking segments, films and other theatrical bits to keep you entertained into the next day.

Watch the Ball Drop at Home

Since you won’t be allowed into Times Square for the official New Year’s Eve Ball Drop this year, you should plan to watch the festivities virtually and via livestream from the warmth of your home. The importance of this evening can’t be downplayed — we’ve had enough of 2020 and it’s time to have some crazy fun!

An online event for this unusual year, Virtual New Year’s Eve is a non-stop party that will appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike. Download the app to watch live feeds showing Times Square from multiple cameras along with livestreams of celebrations around the world.  You start by creating a personal avatar to put yourself in the center of this gamified augmented reality version of New Year’s Eve in Times Square. After that, the experience is yours to uncover. There’s so much going on here that you won’t miss not being outside in the chilly weather.

For the more conventional among you, the Times Square Ball Drop will also be streamed commercial-free on TimesSquareNYC.org, TimesSquareBall.net and livestream.com/2021 with live performances by Gloria Gaynor, Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, Billy Porter and Cyndi Lauper among others. This year’s theme is “Heroes of 2020,” celebrating the frontline and essential workers who have shown true heroism over the past nine months.

Celebrate Early with an Over-the-Top Outdoor Mini-Party

Dining restrictions mean that you’ll need to start your outdoor celebration early – you have to be finished by 10pm. This gives you an unusual opportunity to celebrate twice, in effect, once outside with your friends and family, and a second time, indoors, with your television, computer and at-home dance party.

Some of the city’s elaborate outdoor celebrations include:

Parklife

Parklife’s NYE Around the World will be celebrating four cities every two hours from their two heated solariums and outdoor tables. Patrons at the Gowanus bar and restaurant select which time and city they want to “attend” so they can actually celebrate “midnight” somewhere in the world while being outdoors in NYC, despite the 10pm closing time.  You can choose to celebrate with Dubai from 2-4pm, Cape Town from 4-6pm, Lisbon from 6-8pm or Grytviken, Antarctica from 8-10pm.  And you’ll have enough time to make it home to see the NYC Ball Drop in Times Square!  Book your preferred time here.

Savanna Rooftop - Photo Courtesy Of: Savanna Rooftop

For a view of the lights of Manhattan, book a private heated sky suite at Savanna Rooftop in Long Island City. Two seatings are available for an over-the-top New Year’s Eve celebration complete with open bar, Champagne, a Chef’s hors d’oeuvres tasting menu and a celebratory cocktail. Hats and noisemakers are included. Tickets can be purchased here.

The Greens Photo By: Meryl Pearlstein

On the other side of the river, The Greens at The Rooftop at Pier 17 takes to the sky with an over-the-water celebration in their socially distant cabins. The party includes a soundtrack provided by a live DJ and a variety of food and beverage packages, all within sight of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and the lights of the city. For information on all booking options, click here.

Watermark Winter Wonderland

A short walk away, Watermark Winter Wonderland at Pier 15 celebrates the evening inside individual “Glasshouses” that afford obstructed views of Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan. Reserve either of two seatings here.

Ride Our Bikes on the Annual New Year’s Eve Ride

The environmental group Time’s Up goes wheels up with its annual bike ride from two locations in Brooklyn and two in Manhattan. You and your socially distanced biking and skating colleagues will head uptown to come together at Belvedere Castle in the middle of Central Park. Make sure your cycling shoes can dance. Starting at 11:45, The Dance Party at the Castle is heralded by a midnight fireworks display. Jonathan Frey, CMO of Urban Bikes Direct, says this is a don’t-miss event, especially during a pandemic when everyone can wear masks and stay apart.

Happy New York City New Year!

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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9 New Year’s Eves That Make New York City’s Look Kind of Quaint

In New York City we watch the Ball Drop in Times Square, sing Auld Lang Syne and party until the wee hours on New Year’s Eve to signal that the year is over. In normal years, we also have a chance to watch the fireworks, cheer on the Midnight Run and enjoy live music in Central Park.

New York City - Photo Credit: Colin Miller

Other countries think differently with a variety of traditions to say goodbye to the past and ensure a good year ahead.

Japan

Yahiko Shrine, Niigata, Japan, credit: Meryl Pearlstein

Japan is very serious about celebrating with religion and food.Rather than heading to Shibuya Crossing for a Times Square-like experience on New Year’s Eve, many Japanese observe a tradition of Hatsumōde, the first Shinto shrine visit of the New Year. At the shrine, a talisman with the previous year’s zodiac sign is burned in a ritual called Otakiage and replaced with the zodiac animal of good fortune for the year ahead.

108 rings of the great bell at a Buddhist temple

Listening to Joya-no-Kane, 108 rings of the great bell at a Buddhist temple, is another New Year’s tradition with each peal “ringing away” an evil passion or desire for a clean start to the year. The celebration continues with slurping bowls of toshikoshi soba or “the end-of-the-year-and-into-the-next” soba noodles, symbolizing the bridge between the “old year” and “new year.” In New York City, you can experience the ringing of the bells at the New York Buddhist Church on the Upper West Side.

Osechi

The New Year in Japan is also celebrated with foods associated with good luck, good harvest and other positive outcomes. A traditional Osechi Ryori meal is served in a special jubako box. Consisting of multiple colorful dishes, the meal is eaten with special chopsticks rounded on both ends, one end for human use and the other for the gods. Each dish represents a symbol or wish for the coming year. Dishes include kazunoko, pacific herring roe marinated in salt (abundant harvest and fertility); kuromame, sweet black soybeans (hard work and good health); tazukuri, dried young anchovies (a strong and abundant crop) and kuri-kinton, candied chestnut with sweet potatoes (economic fortune and wealth). Manhattan’s MIFUNE turns Japanese for New Year’s with a 21-course Osechi Box Set. The beautifully composed takeout meal includes like the likes of Miyzazki Wagyu A5 Rank , lobster and uni.

Osaki Hachiman Shrine in Sendai City

In the Miyagi prefecture in the Tohoku region, the largest Dontosai Festival is held at the Osaki Hachiman Shrine in Sendai City where people come to burn their previous year’s New Year’s decorations in a massive bonfire. Seen as a purification ritual to get rid of bad luck as well as a way to pray for health and good fortune, the bonfire is accompanied by hadaka-mairi, a pilgrimage of men dressed only in white boxers, loincloths, a straw belt and straw shoes who ring a hand bell to herald the coming year while cleansing themselves of the previous year.

South American and European countries seem to have the most fun (or insanity) on New Year’s Eve.

Peru

Peru

To ensure good luck and positive energy, Peruvians don yellow clothing, wearing the color of Peruvian positivity. For double assurance, many put on yellow underwear and even start their New Year’s Eve celebration wearing their underwear inside out. After the clock strikes midnight, they turn it back to the right side, symbolizing changes to be made in the coming year.

Colombia

Colombia

Then there are the Colombians who take an empty suitcase on New Year’s Eve and run around the block as quickly as possible to ensure a year full of travel, an admirable aspiration especially this year.

Mexico

Mexico

The way to say goodbye to the old year in Mexico differs by area. In some regions, a doll made of old rags is set on fire to symbolize the burning of the previous year’s bad memories or deeds. In Veracruz, popular music floods the streets and children celebrate El Viejo, disguising themselves as elders as a representation of the end of the previous year. In Oaxaca, breaking crockery as a symbol of getting rid of the old is a New Year’s Eve tradition. In the heart of Jalisco, the town of Tequila fêtes the end of the year by eating 12 “lucky” grapes, one for each chime of the clock, as they do in Spain. With an appropriate Mexican twist, the town welcomes the New Year with a secret wish and a toast of tequila rather than Spanish cava. For extra good luck, locals drop a gold jewel inside their tequila glass as a harbinger of luck and abundance. Toast as they do in Spain and Mexico with festive dinner parties to go from New York City restaurants Boqueria, Socarrat and Mole.

Iceland

Iceland

Community bonfires are a New Year’s Eve event throughout Iceland. These massive fires attract friends and family to reflect on the year past and spread well wishes for the one ahead. Locals sing traditional songs about elves, the secret creatures of Icelandic lore, before scurrying indoors at 10:30pm to watch Skaupið, a satirical TV show shown only on NYE. No one in Iceland would dream of missing it!

Denmark

Denmark

In Denmark people smash plates against their friends’ and relatives’ front doors on New Year’s Eve.  They believe that the person with the largest pile of broken plates will have the most luck.

Greece

Greece

Ironically, the Greeks don’t smash plates on New Year’s as they often do in the Plaka in Athens. Rather, homemakers hang pomegranates outside their front door and smash them. The number of seeds that fall determines your fate for the New Year. The bigger the pile, the better your luck will be.

Russia

Russia - Herring under the Fur Coat” salad

The Japanese definitely don’t have a lock on celebrating NYE with a major food feast. On December 31, Russians party at home with an elaborate food spread with mandarins, Russian salad (Olivier salad) and the wonderfully named “Herring under the Fur Coat” salad (shuba). And, because there are nine time zones in Russia, New Year is celebrated nine times starting from Vladivostok from East to West. For a local taste of the Olivier and Shuba salads, Russian Samovar in Manhattan’s Theater District offers a “Bourgeois Holiday Banquet” to go.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Still Haven’t Found a Place for NYE in NYC? The Big Apple Has Lots of Choices

The Big Apple is a place to celebrate diversity of people, diversity of cultures and diversity of experiences.  Keeping that in mind, New York City offers a panoply of evening experiences so you can choose the type of New Year’s Eve to call your own: staying at home in your apartment or hotel room, attending an elaborate party, enjoying a luxe dinner, or finding a venue that puts you in the center of NYC’s proprietary grand fête, the Ball Drop in Times Square. If you’ve found yourself without a place to go, it’s not too late to book these wonderful options that will get you out and about as you start the new decade. Remember, New Year’s Eve lore says that where you are and who you meet first on New Year’s Eve set the stage for the year ahead. So, if you’ve already gotten rid of those bad memories at Good Riddance Day in Times Square and you’re prepared to put your New Year’s resolutions into play, kick off the future with a special night to say goodbye to the past and move forward with wonderful memories.

Good Riddance Day

New York City is Never Lacking When it Comes to Parties

Plado Tasting Bar

Lively Plado Tasting Bar in the East Village is perfect for a friends-and-family gathering with its shared plates menu. The new Mediterranean-focused tapas restaurant invites you to a Festo de Tapas, brought to you by charming Chef German Rizzo. Come hungry as you’ll enjoy a set menu of 10 selections including wagyu carpaccio with truffles and pecorino,  taro gnocchi and lobster ravioli. The two three-hour seatings also include unlimited beer, wine and sangria. If you’re there when the clock strikes twelve, there’s a midnight toast and party favors.  https://www.pladonyc.com/

Zuma

If a Midtown location is easier for a meet-up with your friends, Zuma has a New Year’s Eve soirée that will keep everyone dancing.  . Set in the restaurant’s swanky second-floor lounge, adorned for NYE with a flashy red carpet and balloon-covered ceiling, the party kicks off with a welcome glass of Champagne and geisha dancers to get you moving. Then the creativity is up to you as you pose for pictures in the NYE-themed photobooth and dance the night away to Zuma’s resident DJ. Handcrafted seasonal cocktails, a midnight Champagne toast and viewing of the ball drop are part of the festivities. You can choose to have dinner, too, with omakase menu choices in the main dining room before the party. Contemporary Japanese dishes like lobster tempura with spicy ponzu and wasabi; thinly sliced sea bass sashimi with yuzu, truffle and salmon roe; and wagyu tataki with ponzu and fresh white truffles are special choices for the evening. https://zumarestaurant.com/locations/new-york/

Cote - Credit: Gary He

For New Year’s Eve, Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse Cote has a prix fixe dinner starting with caviar-adorned “steak and eggs,” followed by seven different cuts of steak, noodles with A5 Japanese wagyu and other festive dishes prepared by Chef David Shim. The meal includes a Champagne toast as well as a giant Champagne tower pour at midnight.  The party continues downstairs at Cote’s cocktail lounge Undercote. There, it’s a throwback to the 80s with a Miami’s Vice-themed event. The evening includes a premium open bar with themed cocktails by Sondre Kasin, an array of special snacks, a Champagne toast at midnight and a DJ set. Dress your Miami Vice best with pastels, structured shoulders, sequins, cutout dresses, white suits and belted waistlines and get ready to dance to DJ music.  https://www.cotenyc.com/

NIGHT MUSIC

Vegans aren’t left out on New Year’s Eve at NIGHT MUSIC in the East Village with all-vegan Indian-inspired cuisine by Ravi DeRossi. From 6pm-10pm guests can enjoy a four-course dinner with a Champagne toast. After that, the restaurant transforms into a cocktail party with an open bar.  www.nightmusicny.com/

HUSO - Marky’s Caviar

For a luxe celebration where caviar is synonymous with New Year’s Eve rather than with party hats and noisemakers, you’ll want to reserve a seat at HUSO, the caviar bar hidden behind a velvet curtain at Marky’s Caviar retail store on Madison Avenue. New Year’s Eve diners will be treated to caviar service of Beluga di Venezia, Russian Royal Osetra and private stock Sevruga; canapés; a demi bottle of Champagne; and an eight-course caviar-filled tasting menu from Eleven Madison Park alumnus Chef Buddha Lo. https://www.markyscaviar.com/

I Want to Be Somewhere Where I Can See the Ball Drop, or Maybe the Fireworks

If the thought of joining the millions of people who fill the outdoor corrals around Times Square  makes you recoil in horror, there are ways to see the ball drop in comfort, albeit for a price.

W New York-Times Square

W New York-Times Square has a NYE-dedicated space to keep you warm and comfy. In the hotel’s neon-lit Living Room Bar you can cuddle up in a private indoor cabana with bottle service, an open bar, midnight Champagne toast, live screening of the ball drop and live DJ music. The festivities start at 6pm continuing well into the new decade. You can still step outside to watch the ball drop in the cold air, or just stay inside and enjoy the privileged setting. The price is $2,250 to reserve a cabana for up to six guests. General admission tickets are available for less and include the four-hour open bar, party favors and a Champagne toast at midnight. Stay inside – you’ll be able to pick up leftover confetti on the streets when you leave.  https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycwh-w-new-york-times-square/

701 West - Credit Liz Clayman

For superlative views of the ball drop this New Year’s Eve, check out the extravagant celebration at 701 West, Michelin-starred Chef John Fraser’s fine dining jewel at The Times Square EDITION Hotel. The restaurant on the hotel’s eleventh floor is hosting a glamorous, black-tie bash unlike any other in town. Most of the details are a mystery so prepare for anything! Welcome cocktails and canapés in the Salon cocktail lounge set the tone before a six-course dinner, with selections such as eel with upland cress and foie pressé with kumquat mostarda and brioche. A wine pairing by Advanced Sommelier Amy Racine accompanies each course. There’s also a five-hour open bar with a curated wine and cocktail list. But, here’s the best part: you’ll get an exclusive view of the Ball Drop from the heart of the action – the location and specific details will only be revealed to guests that evening.  And, of course, there’s a Champagne toast. Throughout the evening, you can look upon Duffy Square, the northern part of Times Square, from your lofty perch on the outdoor terrace.  Your ticket also includes entry to the hotel’s Paradise Club dance party starting at 8pm. Tickets are $1200 per guest.  https://www.701westnyc.com

For something more casual but still with views of the city’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, check out the celebrations at these two Times Square restaurants and one within sight of the city’s fireworks.

Dos Caminos Times Square

Ring in 2020 in the heart of Times Square with a special fiesta at Dos Caminos Times Square with an open bar, live DJ, party favors and a Mexican dinner menu. The margarita-filled party goes from 7pm to 1am with delicious desserts to add a sweet touch before New Year’s including mini churro ice cream sandwiches, Mexican hot chocolate shooters, mini tres leches cake and mini coconut key lime pie. Yum! https://www.doscaminos.com/nye-timessquare/

Blue Fin

Seafood lovers should head to Blue Fin in Times Square where the restaurant’s New Year’s Eve bash includes an open bar, a menu of Blue Fin favorites, raw bar and sushi, live entertainment and party favors. Arrive starting at 7pm and stay until 2am. To celebrate 2020 in style, VIP tickets are also available which include bottle service, private servers and more.  Tickets:  https://www.bluefinnyc.com

Estuary

If you’d rather be in Brooklyn, Estuary in Brooklyn Bridge Park brings you a fireworks-filled celebration with live music. Michelin-starred chef Danny Brown will offer the likes of chestnut ravioli, foie gras terrine, duck breast à l’orange and tournedos Rossini as part of the dreamy New Year’s Eve menu. As midnight approaches, resident pastry chef Christophe Toury will serve his version of a ball drop, a chocolate dome accompanied by a Grand Finale surprise. From the waterfront eatery, you’ll have a view of the New York Harbor fireworks while you listen to live music.  https://www.estuarybrooklyn.com/

The 2020 Year Celebration Means a Look Back to the Parties of the Roaring 20s

Brooklyn Cider House - Taproom

Get your flapper dresses and newsboy hats ready for the last night of 2019 at Brooklyn Cider House where the Taproom transforms into a 1920s speakeasy. While it coincides with the 100th anniversary of Prohibition (which started in January of 1920), this Roaring 20s celebration will NOT be dry. From 10pm to 2am, guests will enjoy an open bar with the Cider House’s signature ciders, beers on tap, well drinks and specialty cocktails. There will also be open barrels for unlimited cider catching, three DJs, screening of the ball drop, and a Champagne tower toast. You can nibble your way through the evening with party bites or book a dinner-and-party combination. https://www.brooklynciderhouse.com

Valerie

Midtown West’s Gatsby-Golden Era restaurant Valerie will go all out with their Prohibition-themed Roaring Twenties Centennial party with dining, four hours of bottomless cocktails and a midnight Champagne toast. Entertainment by magician Devonte Rosero and a live six-piece jazz band will keep you in the mood from 9:30pm-1:30am and set the stage for posing  in front of a vintage car with a cocktail from the restaurant’s signature Gin & Tonic cart. All guests will leave the party with a bag of favors to ring in the 2020 new year!  https://www.valerienewyorkcity.com/

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Where to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in New York City

Everyone needs some laughs this year and starting off the New Year with a smile sounds like a very good thing.

The place to be in NYC is Caroline’s, where headliners routinely let their comic superpower loose, and on New Year’s Eve, it’s one big laughfest. The late show at 10pm carries into the wee hours after you watch the Ball Drop live on their TVs and 10-foot screen.  It’s close enough to Times Square to let you sense the excitement without being in the middle of the crowds, a nice benefit. 1626 Broadway. http://bit.ly/2pOlMNu

Near enough to view the light show and the Ball Drop if you choose to head outside, two restaurants offer special evening meals.

A favorite of the Broadway community, Bond 45 New York Italian Kitchen and Bar — in its new 46th Street location — invites guests to ring in 2018 with a seven-course prix fixe menu, live music, Champagne toast and party favors. Or celebrate like a Tony Award winner with a seven-course dinner, a bottle of Champagne and a private escort to view the LIVE Ball Drop from the heart of Times Square.  221 West 46th Street. https://www.bond45ny.com/

In the mood for a Chinese feast instead? Hakkasan New York also sits to the west of Times Square and is offering  a six-course festive meal with luxurious twists on Cantonese favorites such as scallop shumai, roasted duck with truffle dumpling, braised abalone salad and stir-fry Boston lobster with black pepper and honey. 311 West 43rd Street. http://hakkasan.com/locations/hakkasan-new-york/

Tradition and nostalgia rule on New Year’s Eve at several beloved locations.

The Palm Court’s Black Tie affair is an annual glamour-fest in the iconic restaurant at The Plaza with dancing, raw bar, dinner buffet and craft cocktails recalling days of Trader Vic’s. Black tie required. Fifth Avenue at Central Park South. http://www.theplazany.com/dining/the-palm-court/.

Perrine at the Taj Pierre is equally glamorous with a balloon drop and a Champagne aerialist highlighting the New Year’s celebration. The restaurant will serve a five-course menu, with a musical trio accompaniment. Dancing follows in The Rotunda into the New Year with the Antonio Ciacca Orchestra playing Big Band standards as well as contemporary favorites. 2 East 61st Street.  http://www.perrinenyc.com/

Located in the middle of Times Square, The Edison Ballroom revisits the days of the Fitzgerald’s, flappers and the heyday of jazz with a gala night of dinner and dancing. Show off your jitterbug and foxtrot moves surrounded by New York opulence and musical stylings provided by Joe Battaglia and the New York Big Band. 240 West 47th Street.  http://edisonballroom.com/new-years-2018/

New York City also offers a choice of parties so you can bring out your inner actor and enjoy some crazy entertainment at a range of prices.

Dinner runs into the party at Bedford & Co in the Renwick Hotel with a special prix fixe menu and a Masquerade Ball. Late night festivities also include passed canapes, specialty cocktails and dancing to DJ tunes. Various packages and prices are available. 118 East 40th Street. www.bedfordandco.com. Masquerade Ball tickets at http://bit.ly/2zZtdVN

Modern Mediterranean restaurant Green Fig will ring in the New Year with The Brothel Carnivale, a lavish party with a five-course dinner, hors d’oeuvres, dancing and open bar. Entertainment is non-stop with Burlesque performers, sword swallowers and giant boa constrictors. 570 10th Avenue. http://www.onfournyc.com/new-years-eve.html

Befitting the melting pot that is New York City, several restaurants show off New Year’s Eve traditions from around the world.

Socarrat is offering a special tasting menu for the evening, featuring their acclaimed paella and tapas, with sangria, beer and an open bar. Guests will celebrate New Year’s in the Spanish tradition with a Cava toast and the eating of 12 Lucky Grapes. At midnight, each guest will receive 12 grapes, one for every month. At each clock stroke, celebrants eat the grapes which are said to bring good fortune throughout the new year. 259 West 19th Street, 284 Mulberry Street, 953 Second Avenue. https://www.socarratnyc.com/

Greek steakhouse Merakia rings in the New Year with a prix fixe dinner and a Greek ceremony of the cutting of the cake at midnight. On New Year’s Eve, families cut the Vasilopita (bread or cake), hoping to find the hidden coin inside to bless the house and bring good luck. If you’re the lucky person who orders the chocolate lava cake and finds the lucky coin, your meal is free. 5 West 21st Street. https://merakia.com

At recently opened Shuka, it’s a Night in Marrakech with a Feast Menu of mezze plates, dips and kebabs. To welcome the New Year, entertainment will be provided a la Mediterranean  including Glenda’s Gypsy Palm Readings (from Employees Only) and Salit the Belly Dancer.  38 MacDougal Street.  https://www.shukanewyork.com/

And what would New Year’s Eve in a city of skyscrapers be if it didn’t offer the chance to view the celebration from high above.

Rooftop lounge Bar 54 hosts a New Year’s Eve celebration with an exclusive live viewing of the world famous Ball Drop. Located on the 54th floor of Hyatt Centric Times Square, Bar 54 kicks off the evening with an indoor party with open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, with guests moving outdoors to view the Ball Drop on the bar’s terrace with a Champagne toast in hand. 135 West 45th Street. https://timessquare.centric.hyatt.com/en/hotel/dining/bar-54.html Tickets at http://bit.ly/2gkhvdT .

Right in the heart of Times Square, the New York Marriott Marquis lets guests take advantage of its premier location with a five-course dinner, unlimited premium open bar and entertainment at The View Restaurant & Lounge on the 47th and 48th floors, with 360-degree views revolving completely every hour and overlooking Times Square.  1535 Broadway. https://www.theviewnyc.com/new-years-eve/

How about a view of the Statue of Liberty and the fireworks downtown instead of the Ball Drop at Times Square?

Conrad New York invites you to a downtown celebration with a view. Begin the celebration with open bar and canapes at ATRIO Wine Bar and Restaurant, followed by a four-course prix fixe dinner accompanied by tunes by a live DJ. Just before the end of 2017, guests will head to Loopy Doopy, the 16th-story rooftop bar, for a Champagne toast with views of the Statue of Liberty and fireworks along the Hudson River. 102 North End Avenue. http://www.conradnewyork.com/

Cruise into the New Year on board Hudson’s at Pier 81 for a music-filled, open-bar celebration in the middle of the Manhattan Harbor under the fireworks in the presence of the Statue of Liberty. Pier 81, 12th Avenue and West 41st Street.  https://hudsonsnyc.com/offers-events/new-years-eve/

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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