New Year’s Eve fireworks
New Years Eve in New York City
Have you ever celebrated New Year’s Eve in a famous city or otherwise extra-special location in the world?
If so, where was it? How did you celebrate?
What made it such an amazing place for New Year’s Eve?
In my case, since I’ve been living and traveling overseas from 1991, I have to admit that I’ve celebrated New Year’s Eve in many famous and spectacular places.
steps leading to Chion In Temple in Kyoto – Japan
New Year’s Eve in Kyoto, Japan
Easily the most exotic and unusual New Year’s Eve celebrations I’ve participated in were in Kyoto, Japan while living there for six years. On Dec 31st, while most of the world is indulging in rip-roaring parties with lots of alcohol, shouting and revelry, our counterparts in Japan instead ring in the new year on a very calm, serene and reflective note.
Here I am celebrating New Year’s Eve in Kyoto – Japan
On the evening of Dec 31st each year, hundreds of thousands of Japanese citizens don traditional kimono and head to nearby temples and shrines, particularly famous temples and shrines. In Kyoto, the most famous spot is Yasaka Shrine and neighboring Chion In Temple, located at the eastern end of Kyoto’s biggest shopping street, Shijo Dori.
On New Year’s Eve, Shijo Dori and the roads nearby are blocked off to traffic. The streets gradually become densely packed with festively-attired pedestrians, slowly inching their way along the human mob towards Yasaka Shrine.
Once there, they light incense, make offerings, pray, eat winter snacks and drink sake. As the evening wears on the crowds become thicker and thicker until the entire Yasaka Shrine – Maruyama Park – Chion In complex is a dense sea of human bodies swaying towards each point of interest within the shrine and temple.
Closer to midnight the human sea makes its way towards Chion In Temple to witness the famous bell ringing ceremony. Beginning at the stroke of midnight, Chion In’s massive bell is struck 101 times by the temple monks.
Chion In Temple bell – Kyoto
After literally ringing in the new year, the Japanese traditionally stay up all night to witness the first sunrise of the year, preferably from a hill or mountain top. During the long hours leading up to dawn, they entertain themselves with hot drinks and food while chatting with family and friends.
More New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world
Since leaving Kyoto and beginning my world travels in 1998, I’ve celebrated New Year’s Eve at tropical beaches, islands and in various big cities. I rang in the millennium on the beaches of Phuket, Thailand then danced the night away at several live band bars and dance clubs.
Since the, I’ve rung in the new year at Bali, Indonesia; Boracay Island, Philippines; Bangkok, Thailand; Sydney, Australia; and a few all-night trance dance festivals. I’ve also spent a few New Year’s back home in the US with family.
Even with all those adventurous, exotic and unusual New Year’s Eve celebrations under my belt, my absolutely most thrilling New Year’s ever was New Year’s Eve in New York City. And I joined that celebration in my early-20s, long before I ever became an international traveler.
“my absolutely most thrilling New Year’s ever was New Year’s Eve in New York City”
New Years Eve crowd at Times Square – NYC
Why is New York City so exciting and special on New Year’s Eve ?
For one thing, New York is THE PLACE where the world- renowned ‘New Year’s Ball’ is dropped at Times Square every year at the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31st . That event is shown live on TV all over the USA and the world. It’s estimated that several million US citizens and over one billion people worldwide watch New York’s famous ball drop on TV. I’d grown up watching it on TV over the years.
New Years Eve Ball for the Centennial celebration – Times Square – NYC
So I found it incredibly exciting and other-worldly to be standing right there in NYC at Times Square, in person, watching THE ball drop! THE ball that’s on TV! I was there watching it live, while over a billion humans around the globe were watching along on TV.
Secondly, the massive crowds and the almost frantic, excited energy racing through the streets was absolutely thrilling. That atmosphere simply can’t be described in words alone. It almost made me wonder if it wasn’t dangerous being there at night in the streets of Manhattan with so many drunk, drugged, overly-excited humans dashing all over the place.
And that’s when the most amazing part of the evening kicked in. Instead of being hostile or dangerous, the massive crowd was instead exceedingly friendly, open, warm, and inviting.
Complete strangers were shouting out, “Happy New Year!” to anyone and everyone they passed. People were sharing their drinks and snacks. People were blasting horns, spinning noise-makers, laughing, smiling and cheering.
party in the streets of Manhattan on New Years Eve
Everyone was utterly happy. All of Manhattan was oozing with friendly, happy, let’s-make-the-world-a-better-place energy that night. That’s what touched me the most about New Year’s Eve in New York City.
If you ever have the opportunity to experience New Year’s Eve in Manhattan, I highly recommend it!
Of course there are a few logistics to work out if you do want to experience New Year’s Eve in Manhattan. Most tricky is accommodation.
People enjoying New Years Eve in Manhattan – NYC
Finding accommodation in New York for New Year’s Eve:
If you don’t live in New York and don’t have friends there to stay with, you’ll obviously have to book accommodation. And you’ll probably have to do that way way way ahead of time! And hotel rooms in New York City are not cheap, especially during special events like New Year’s Eve.
Hotel rooms in Manhattan at New Year’s typically cost well over $200, ranging mostly $300+ – $600+ per night. That’s the low end. Rooms at famous hotels like the Waldorf Astoria cost $2500 or more.
New Years Eve ball on Dec 31 afternoon – Times Square – NYC
Alternatives to standard hotels:
If you can afford a mid-range to luxury hotel in New York, then you have two other great alternatives: small boutique hotels and apartments. For the price you’d pay for a standard hotel room, you could enjoy personalized service and unique décor at a variety of interesting boutique hotels or else indulge in an entire apartment, complete with kitchen, living room and bedrooms.
1. Boutique hotels in new York currently cost about $150 – 300 US per night. Overall, that’s less expensive than most standard hotels, but with more charm and personalized service.
2. Apartments in New York range from as little as $150 up to $600 or more per night. From my perspective, if you’re going to spend that much to sleep somewhere, you may as well have an entire apartment rather than a simple hotel room.
Budget travelers can try several options:
Free
1. Couch surfing and Tripping are online organizations with hosts who welcome travelers into their homes to sleep for free. You do have to join and then contact potential hosts well in advance, perhaps one month or earlier, especially for special nights like New Year’s Eve.
2. You could simply do without a bed that night and instead stay up all night til morning, much like the Japanese do. The streets of New York will be lively and full of people all night long. Dozens of special parties are in full swing all over the city. Many bars, dance clubs, and restaurants will also be open and full of revelers.
42nd St – New York City – New Years Eve
Budget
1. Hostels are really the only way to stay in New York, at least in Manhattan, inexpensively. Dozens of hostels are scattered all over Manhattan and New York’s other boroughs, including Queens and Bronx. Beds in hostel dorm rooms cost $25-65 US. Many New York hostels also offer private rooms, which cost a bit more.
2. Many hotels in Queens and Bronx cost just a fraction of the price as those in Manhattan. You can find rooms for as little as $30 – 50 US in Queens. From New York’s boroughs you can easily get into Manhattan by bus, subway or taxi.
3. YMCA – New York has six YMCAs that offer accommodation, both dormitory style and private rooms. They’re a bit more expensive than hostels, with dorm beds and rooms at $80 – $200+ per night.
4. You could stay outside of New York, within a 1-2 hour train ride radius, and take the train into the city for the night. Several towns and cities are within that radius: Newark, New Jersey is just across the river from Manhattan. Newark and Princeton, New Jersey are just one hour away by train. Philadelphia, Pa is just two hours by train.
However you manage to stay in New York for New Year’s Eve, it’s definitely worth celebrating New Year’s Eve at Times Square at least once in your life. Put it on your bucket list!
All the information you need about this year’s upcoming new Year’s Eve celebrations can be found at the event’s official website: TimesSquareNYC.
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You might also like my post: Budget Travel Guide to Adding Luxury to Your Travels
(* photo credits from Flickr CC: amelungc / lordcolus / jvl / dougletterman / joka2000 / evertjan / jim the photographer *)
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Hi! I'm Lash, an American nomadic world traveler who's been traveling solo since 1998. I’m passionate about traveling the world nomadically and then sharing it all with you. I hope to inspire you to travel the world, to entertain you with tales from the road, and to help you reach your travel dreams. Welcome! 
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