When Kristen and I decided that we were going to battle the NYC crowds and see the ball drop live, we searched and searched the internet for tips on how to make it as fun and stress-less as possible. We didn't really find a good site that gave good advice (where to stand, how early to arrive, how it would all go down, etc...). We were able to piece together various sites and got a little lucky in our adventure and ended up having an amazing time. I wanted to blog about our experience for 1) memories and 2) in case anyone wants to take on the challenge. I am going to write this as a story and try to insert advice/lessons learned.
Everyone knows how busy Times Square is. There is Carson Daly and all sorts of other celebrities with about a million people in a very small area. For anyone who has experienced crowds in NYC, you know that these events can create cattle herd like environments. However, with adequate planning and direction, it is very manageable. Here is a run down on our time.
We took the subway to Times Square about 1:00. We were told that the cops start sectioning off the streets about 3ish. This was true. They sectioned off the streets starting at the ball working north. We decided to camp out right next to Carson Daly's stage. This put it right by the action.
Advice: 1) get to Times square about 2:30ish to pick out your spot. Even if the cops do not get to your section until 4, it is nice to be ready for when they come. 2) Buy a folding "seat" when you arrive (see below). This will give you something to sit on while you wait for the next 10 hours.
When you get put into your section or what I will call pen, make sure to position yourself to be at the front of the pen. This way you will be able to see the celebrities as they walk by. If you are claustrophobic, then stand in the back of the pen as there will be a lot more space. I am not a big celebrity watcher, etc... but you get into it here, because it gives you something to do as you wait.
Now that we were positioned in our pen, right in front of Carson and in the front of the pen, we were set. We to TS 11 hours early and probably got into our pen about 9 hours before midnight.
Once we got into our pen we hung out. They counted down each hour to honor a new year in a foreign country. It was also nice, because Carson was on stage fairly early in the afternoon to entertain us as well. Probably the best advice I can give is to do this with someone that you like and that passes the time by fast. 11 hours of standing is crazy and can be brutal. Luckily, Kristen and I had a good time hanging out, so the time went by fast. Speaking of 11 hours early, how in the world do you prepare for such? Remember folks, no bathrooms in the pens. Do not drink all day long. I had one glass of milk for bfast at 9am. We went to the bathroom right about 2:30 before the cops came to section us off. This was vital to our success. Additionally, dress warm and bring an umbrella. It snowed in Manhattan on New Years, but rained in TS due to the heat of the lights and people. Crazy to think about. Rewatch Rhianna at the Rockefeller, it was snowing pretty hard. Watch Carson's show, all rain. Furthermore, bring snacks in your jacket. We had plenty of protein bars, etc... Do not even contemplate alcohol or any liquids. The last thing you want is to have to go to the bathroom before the ball drops. Once you are in the pen, you are not guaranteed to get back in if you leave for the restroom.
It was important that we got the front row, because about 8 oclock, they handed out tall hats and balloons that made it hard to see.
From 6-12, there was entertainment over the mic, on the big screen TVs, celebrity watching, and listening to the performances. It was hard to watch the big stage performances, because it faced another stage with cameras on it. There wasn't a great place to watch it. Our location in front of the Marriott Marquis was amazing. Every celebrity walked by and we were at the bottom of the stairs where Carson's guest entered. However, if we would have bee across the street, we would have been on TV multiple times when they brought Carson back on. Toss up on my recommendation. Better celeb watching on Marquis side, but TV on the other.
(Mayor Bloomberg)
The energy and excitement from being in TS was awesome. We were on soo many different videos. We did see ourselves on the Budweiser video screen. Kind of exciting. After hours of enjoying the energy (and some moments of boredom). The ball dropped. It was amazing and worth the long wait.
Well, I think that about covers my story...
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