New Year’s Eve is tomorrow, which means approximately 1 million partygoers will be coming down to Midtown soon for the ball drop in Times Square. For tourists, it is a unique event in life that celebrates the new year; for New Yorkers, it’s a reason to avoid the area between Herald Square and Columbus Circle at any cost.
Not surprisingly, the security of the event is also enhanced. All bags will be searched and people who refuse will not be allowed to search. Also, large bags, backpacks or umbrellas are not allowed. Radiation detectors will be deployed, sewer covers will be closed and mailboxes located along 34th and 59th Streets on Seventh Avenue will be removed.
So here’s what you need to know if you want to move around Manhattan on New Year’s Eve:
No.
Just kidding. But really, most of Midtown will be an epic mess, so unless you’re seriously committed to navigating the New Year’s hordes, it might be best to stay home and watch it all from the comfort of your sofa. (Did we mention there are no bathrooms in Times Square during this time? Yes.)
When does the New Year’s ball fall in Times Square?
The huge ball of Times Square, covered in Waterford crystals, which reaches almost £ 12,000, begins its descent up a Times Square at 11:59 pm on New Year’s Eve. It is put in place at 6pm on the same day. This year, the sphere features 192 new Waterford crystals in a design called “Gifts of Harmony,” reports ABC7. The new design “uses small rosette cuts that flow into each other in harmony.”
When do you start meeting in Times Square?
Soon. Although the Times Square Alliance says people are starting to show up in the afternoon, it’s likely to meet sooner. Keep in mind, though: that there are no Port-a-Potties in the area designated for ball drop observers, so this is something to keep in mind.
Which streets will be closed due to the fall of the New Year’s ball?
Expect all of Times Square to be blocked, including South (up 38th Street) and North (59th Street). The NYPD’s list of street closures is extensive and the Times Square Alliance summarizes it as follows:
On Dec. 31, the New York Police Department will begin closing access to Times Square from 38th Street and Broadway, and will move north when the festivities arrive. Display areas will begin at 43rd Street and move north. The exact times when these blocks approach pedestrian and vehicle traffic will depend on when the festivities begin to arrive. There is likely to be no vehicular traffic on either Broadway or Seventh Avenue as of approximately 3 p.m. Vehicles will likely have difficulty crossing the city after 3 p.m. or earlier above 42nd Street and as far north as 59th Street. If you plan to come to Times Square and participate in the festivities, you are advised to enter from Sixth or Eighth Avenue. Your chances of getting a point of view near the ball increase before you arrive. The blocks will close as they fill to the north, street by street, as police deem necessary.
The access points are as follows:
South of 41st Street
37th & 7th Ave.
37a and Broadway
38th & 8th Ave.
38th & 6th Ave.
North of 43rd Street
46th of 8th and 6th avenues (access to press)
Emergency vehicle route (48th, 5th-9th avenues)
49th of 8th and 6th avenues
52nd of 8th and 6th avenues
54th of 6th Avenue
55th of 8th Avenue
57th 7th Avenue
57th Broadway
58th of 8th and 6th avenues
59th of 8th and 6th avenues
Pedestrian / metro routes:
39th Broadway at 6th Avenue
41st from 7th Avenue heading west to 8th Avenue
49th from 7th Avenue heading east to 6th Avenue
50th Broadway headed west to 8th Avenue
53rd Broadway headed west to 8th Avenue
55th from 7th Avenue heading east to 6th Avenue
What’s the best way to get to Times Square on New Year’s Eve?
Given the closure of streets and the masses of people wearing souvenir hats, the streets will be virtually impassable on New Year’s Eve, so the subway — not the bus and definitely not an Uber — is the way to go. .
But there’s a small wrinkle: the MTA recommends that those who come to the event avoid the Times Square-42nd Street subway station, as many of its entrances and exits will be closed. Instead, according to the MTA, “users are asked to leave the 50 St or 57 St stations and walk to Times Square.”
According to the NYPD, these changes to the subway station will be in effect:
The N / R / W lines heading south and north will pass the 49th Street Station from noon on Monday, December 31st until approximately 12:15 pm on Tuesday, January 1st.
The IRT train “# 1” to the north will avoid the station on 50th Street from noon on Monday, December 31 until approximately 12:15 on Tuesday, January 1.
And from that is at the MTA we’re talking about, there are likely to be outages on some of these lines, so you should check the agency’s New Year’s Eve service change list for more details.
Is there anything else you need to know?
If you’re suddenly hesitant about sounding the new year in Times Square, there are options in other parts of the city that we recommend you check out here.