New York - New Year's eve - Should we take kids to Times Square or not? Any good idea to celebrate it in NY?

Question

My husband and I are planning to go to NY for new year's eve. We are staying with friends and family in New jersey. We are from FL and have 3 young kids - 7, 5,4 -- Ww would love to go to Times Square but not sure if it is not appropriate OR too much for kids. Any other ideas -- What else can we do so all of us are together and have a good time -- Other than sitting in the house and watching TV. Is it dangerous to be out that late? Will we be compromising safety? Does it snow there or just too cold but no snow in Dec.?

Answer 1

I've lived in Manhattan for 18 years and I've never been to Times Square on New Year's Eve!!! Why? It's packed, it's FREEZING, nowadays once you get into the area the police section it off and I don't believe you can get out until the festivities are over. It used to be filled with lots of drunk rowdy people, but truly the main reason I suppose is that it's got to be REALLY awesome for me to stand outside in the freezing cold for that long. If you're from FL, it's going to feel even colder for you. I would think your 4 year old especially might be really miserable.

In general, it's not dangerous on NY's Eve. It's the one night a year that I'll ride the subway at any hour (plus getting a cab is a real hassle.)

Truth be told, sorry to disappoint you, it's not the best day here. The restaurants charge several times more $ for that night than any other night, the city is packed with tourists, transportation is a pain, etc. We usually go to a friend's party or apartment instead of a restaurant.

Look into kids activities online. Maybe there's something going on at the Children's Museum, The Natural History Museum, etc. Or, if you feel comfortable at a bar, you might have fun at an Irish Pub ...

Good luck. Sorry I didn't give a better answer :-( You can also try posting a question to Urbanbaby.com in the NY section...

Answer 2

I would NOT take young kids to Times Square. It's not that it's inappropriate, it's just too crowded and they would not have a very good time. You would really need to hold them the whole time. You'd also need to go hours in advance to find a spot where you can see the ball drop. People start waiting in the afternoon. You would then have to stand there all night in the cold, waiting.

Once a certain area is packed with people, the cops block it off and start packing another area and so on. You cannot show up late and find a good place to stand. The year I went, I didn't see the ball once. We were in an area down the street and around a corner. We were packed like sardines. Strange drunk men were squished up against me. Someone may have been grabbing my butt. It was bitterly cold, not snowing but below 20 degrees. My entire face was numb and I was drunk. I can't imagine how a small child could deal with that type of cold.

I don't have any good ideas for where to take the kids on New Years. But, I feel it's completely safe out at night (within reason) in the city, especially on holidays.

Answer 3

I would urge you NOT to go to Times Square on New Years Eve, ESPECIALLY if you have your 4, 5 and 7 year olds with you.

It's not that it's dangerous at all (New York is very safe these days - your town probably has more crime than we do nowadays)

But, here's the deal with Times Square on New Years Eve:

The New York Police Department seals off the area at about 12 Noon, and they set up this maze of barricades.

People start filling up the 'pens' (as the cops call the barricaded off sections) right in front of the stage a few minutes after the cops seal off the area.

Once that area is sealed, if you leave, you CANNOT GO BACK.

Then the police go on, and seal off section after section after section - if you get there by 7PM, you won't get any further south than 47th St (that's about a quarter mile north of the stage) - get there at 11 PM and you'll be at 57th St, three quarters of a mile away, and you won't see or hear ANYTHING.

Worse yet, when I said you're sealed in, I MEAN IT.

You cannot leave for any reason (even to use the bathroom) or the cops will not let you back in.

If you're lucky, your pen will be near a restaurant, bar or pizzaria, and you can go in there in and use the restroom

If your pen does not have a bathroom near it, you have two choices - hold your bladder for 12 hours, or pee in the street (normally, you'd get a $ 100 fine for that - but on New Years Even the cops look the other way cause they know people have nowhere else to go - it gets so bad even girls pee in the street)

It's also pretty cold - usually about 35 to 40 degrees.

Sometimes it snows, or it isn't snowing that day but it snowed a few days earlier and there is "slush" on the ground ("slush" = nasty grey half melted half frozen snow - usually with dirt and garbage mixed in) - there might be ice too - watch out for the "black ice" that's the ice you can't see cause it's clear, rather than white - one false move and you will fall down on your butt

And it's really really boring - unless you got there at noon, you won't be able to see or hear ANYTHING - until midnight when you'll see some fireworks, the ball drops and - that's it.. then people start wandering off to try and find a restroom before they get on the subway...

I've lived here all my life, and I've NEVER gone to Times Square on New Year's Eve because, frankly, it's kinda wack

What you CAN do is book a room in the Marriott Marquis Hotel, which is right in Times Square, and watch the ball drop from in there - you will pay a LOT of money ($ 600 a night or more), and the rooms for this New Years Eve are probably all booked up

Answer 4

Times Square on New Year's is incredibly crowded, so I'm not sure you'll be happy going there with three children under the age of seven. It's not necessarily a safety issue (though you could get your pocket picked if you aren't a little cautious). It's just incredibly crowded, probably with lots of drunks.

New Year's Eve in the city can be rough. Just about any bar or restaurant will have a special event that night that will cost at least $100 per person to get into. No kidding! Also you should know that it is *impossible* to hail a cab in the city on New Year's Eve. It's probably not a good idea to plan on running around to a bunch of places during the night.

It won't snow, probably, but the weather could be bitterly cold and windy.

I think most people who live in NYC try to go to a New Year's party at a friend's house or apartment. It's cheaper, more social, and probably more fun. Maybe your friends will know of something? One year my friends and I rented a room in a karaoke place and had our own party there. It wasn't that expensive -- maybe $200 for a room that fit ten people.

Another thing I've never done but might be fun is to hop on the Staten Island Ferry. It's free, you'll have great views of fireworks and the Statue of Liberty, and they sell coffee, tea and hot chocolate in the indoor (wind-protected) part of the boat. (They also sell beer, if you can believe it.) Just take the 1 train to South Ferry, get on the boat, and then turn right around and get on a return boat to Manhattan after your ferry arrives at Staten Island.

Anyway, enjoy!

Answer 5

I did this some years in the past: New Years celebration starts at 7 PM, then my youngsters will must be in mattress like 9 PM. That way its the Adults turn to have some exciting. i'm no longer an Alcoholic, yet no longer having those style of beverages extraordinarily on New Years is kinda bland dont you think of? yet nonetheless its your residing house its your policies. For nutrition, stay with the youngsters common favorites: a million.) hen Nuggets - purchase them Frozen via the Bag at your community food market 2.) French Fries - enjoyed via infants and Adults alike. 3.) Mac and Cheese - easily a toddler well known. You seize my glide good? As with the Adults, basically bypass on your community Deli and ask what form of Platter have they have been given for the holiday trips. I have been given myself final 3 hundred and sixty 5 days an entire platter of Ham and Cheese Sandwhich this is all of us's satisfaction. And a Shrimp Cocktail Platter, and IF the climate isn't that undesirable, who is familiar with, come approximately your BBQ Grill for a BBQ celebration! desire this enables.

Answer 6

From a New Yorker -- You can count on it being cold. Snow is always a possibility. I personally would not take children that young. It's exciting, and reasonably safe (the police will be patrolling TS on horseback), but unbelievably crowded and noisy and stressful and small children, if they manage to stay awake that late, will not be able to see much over the crowd. It might be scary for young children. Many towns have New Year's gatherings of their own in parks, etc. Check with your NJ friends or have them start watching the local newspapers for alternative celebrations.