For most New Yorkers, Times Square is a place to be avoided at all times—especially and unequivocally on New Year’s Eve. The Ball Drop looks fun and exciting when watched from the warmth and privacy of your couch but in real life, it looks like a million people packed between police barricades and squished up against each other in the cold for way too many hours, waiting for a 10-second countdown. And there are no public restrooms.
Have we convinced you to avoid it yet? Good. But fear not: The city still knows how to celebrate New Year’s Eve in a big way—you just need to know where to go. Here are some other fun and interesting (and, notably, bathroom-accessible) ways to spend New Year’s Eve in New York City.
When: December 31, 10:00 pm to 1:00 am (boarding time 9:00 pm) Where: Pier 61, Chelsea Piers Price: $620 for Silver Ticket, $720 for Gold Ticket, $840 for Platinum Ticket How to book: Tickets available online
The glittering city skyline and a spectacular fireworks display (weather permitting) will be your backdrop on this three-hour cruise along the East and Hudson Rivers. Settle into the Bateaux, a class-enclosed boat, to enjoy a three-course dinner, an open bar, and a live band—plus those aforementioned views. Upgrade to a Gold ticket to get Champagne service and a keepsake flute, or a Platinum ticket for Champagne and an enviable window table. Tickets can be booked on City Experiences’s website.
Salon de Ning, the rooftop bar at the Peninsula New York
When: December 31, 10:00 pm to 2:00 am Where: The Peninsula New York, 700 Fifth Avenue Price: $650 per guest; or $850 per guest with dinner How to book: Tickets available online
Welcome the new year from 23 stories above Fifth Avenue at this long-running, black-tie New Year’s Eve event. For the occasion, the five-star Peninsula New York hotel’s glamorous Salon de Ning will be transformed into a Winter Wonderland–inspired party with live music and lighted dance floors that spill out onto a heated rooftop terrace. For $650 per person (not including tax or 18 percent gratuity), you’ll have access to a raw bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, and an open bar serving specialty cocktails. If you’d like to splurge even more, grab a ticket that includes a five-course dinner in the hotel’s Clement restaurant for $850 per person. Book tickets for the rooftop party and dinner on the Peninsula’s website.
When: December 31, 11:59 pm Where: Central Park Price: $70 registration fee How to book: Register online
For those inclined to get a head start on their healthy resolutions, there’s a four-mile road race in Central Park that begins right at the stroke of midnight (fireworks included), right after a 2024 countdown starting at 11:59 p.m. The course will take you around the
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
New Year’s Eve can be an expensive affair if you plan on traveling—even, as it turns out, if you plan on doing a staycation stateside. In a recent study conducted by TravelMag.com, New Orleans was found to be the priciest city in the world to book a hotel room on New Year’s Eve.
Looking for some family-friendly fun for New Years? Then step into a world where New Year's celebrations are not just an occasion but a spectacular adventure for the whole family. From the dazzling fireworks and 3D LEGO magic at LEGOLAND California, to the enchanting vintage circus-themed party hosted by JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa, these properties offer festivities filled with unforgettable moments for kids of all ages.
While the annual Times Square ball drop draws hordes of tourists each year, locals will be the first to tell you that the event can be a little overwhelming. Massive queues, frigid temperatures and a lack of easily-accessible bathrooms are just a few factors that could take the night from magical to maddening—but fortunately, visitors are able immerse themselves in the splendor of Manhattan on New Year’s Eve without having to stand shivering in a crowd all night with a stay at one of the neighborhood’s most charming hotels.
Few traditions are as cherished and timeless as the annual performance of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker by the New York City Ballet, which will be performing through December 31, 2023. This beloved production has become an integral part of the holiday festivities, attracting over 100,000 spectators annually.
“That’s the restaurant I could never get into in Rome,” said the woman walking behind me on Soho’s MacDougal Street to her friend. “Now I can’t get into the one in New York either.” Roscioli, the restaurant in question, a mixed street level trattoria/salumeria and basement level tasting menu dining room has definitely been a tough table to get since its phased opening: the downstairs dining room in July and the A La Carte street level space in October. But for those who persevere (for walk in tables and a few reservations on Resy), lively, authentic, classic dishes will transport them instantly to Rome.
Christmas Eve is Sunday, December 24. And while Sundays aren’t typically the hardest nights to grab reservations, the holiday is changing things up, with plenty of top restaurants already fully booked. If you procrastinated, have a change of plans or just want to leave the cooking (and cleaning) to the pros, there are still plenty of great options to dine out in New York City this Christmas Eve. Here’s where to go:
What do you get when you cross two alums of the fine dining pantheon The Modern with the finest Italian seafood, creative cocktails and deep and esoteric wine list all in a gorgeously chic Soho setting? Say hello to Principe, which is fast becoming everyone's new favorite downtown destination.
Chinese tourists won’t be coming back to New York City at their pre-pandemic levels next year. Affordability and limited flights are two issues holding back the rebound, say travel executives.
Tourist, transplants and born-and-raised New Yorkers all have one thing in common: They love New York. The city is a trove of inspiration when it comes to gifting, especially with unique items that reflect the exceptionality of The Big Apple in all its glory. Here’s what to gift your favorite New Yorker, current, past or present.