If spending New Year's Eve with a million of your closest friends is your sort of thing, more power to you. New Year's in New York City's Times Square is an experience unto itself and a true bucket list item.
But if you prefer to watch the ball drop and ring in 2017 in a less expansive setting while in the city, here are a few ideas.
FIREWORKS IN BROOKLYN. There won't be a million people, but it will still be crowded. Nonetheless, this is a great family event at Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza, where they offer up free live music starting at 11 p.m. and a free cup of hot chocolate. At midnight, well, you know what happens next. The sky will light up with a fantastic display to ring in the new year.
BOOGIE NIGHTS. Also in Brooklyn, at the Videology Bar & Cinema in Williamsburg, it's a tribute to the 1970s and the hit film "Boogie Nights." Do you best throwback dance moves and pay homage to Dirk Diggler as the film plays in the background.
MIDNIGHT RIDE. Well, at least it ends at midnight. Bring your bicycle to Washington Square Park in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood, near New York University, at 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve. From there, you will join hundreds, if not thousands, of fellow cyclists for a free ride up to Central Park in time for the new year and a great outdoor after-party.
GO PHISHING. For the 10th consecutive year, the Vermont band Phish will perform a New Year's Eve gig at Madison Square Garden in front of their devoted, faithful fans.
PARTY TIME. How about a traditional New Year's Eve party, indoors, with dinner and dancing? These include black tie affairs with a live band, as well as spots at some of New York City's hottest nightclubs.
A LITTLE SWIM? The old saying is that to cure a hangover you need to have "the hair of the dog" the next day. That is, to drink what you drank the night before (in severely more limited quantities of course). Or, you could just shock yourself into sobriety on New Year's Day by plunging into the frigid waters of the Atlantic at the annual Coney Island Polar Bear Club New Year's Day Swim. A swim with the group is free although they ask for an optional donation to Camp Sunshine, a charity that supports children and their families who have life-threatening illnesses.
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