Monday, January 25, 2010

NEW YEAR's EVE @ Times Square NYC

Yes. Yes. This is a backdated post. Have been so tied-up with boys' schedules that I am a little disorganised.

Anyway, this should be a continuation from here.

We arrived in Newark at about 7 am on New Year's Eve...and it was snowing. I don't know why the vehicles were not prepared for the snow (afterall, snowing is a norm) as traffic was a mess..... Buses not able to go up ramps. A mercedes skidding funnily to get to the curbside, etc. It took us forever to get into NYC.

The door-to-door van took us direct to our hotel - The Paramount, which was located on West 46th Street, about half-a-block from Times Square...where the action is. Yes. Location is great....but what greeted us when we opened the door to our room was a tiny tiny shoebox! I have to say that it is the most expensive shoebox that I have encountered in my entire life. I don't even dare tell you how much we paid for this shoebox. Apparently, The Paramount is a hip, happening boutique hotel. It has been recently refurbished, and has a Dean&DeLuca on its premise. Yes. The lobby is quite stylo-mylo....but the shoebox that they call a room is really quite something.

Anyway, we checked-in, left our bags and went out and about. Can't remember where we went or what we did. But people were already "chuuping" spots at Times Square at 11 AM in the morning! Oh yeah. Just remembered....went to Bubba Gump for lunch and then donno where. We got back to the rooms to have a shower and rest....but at about 3 PM, H said that he wanted to go to the bank. I was too lazy and decided to stay in. But he came back pretty quick....and said that the cops were already barricading the packed Times Square area, and asked H "Are you in or out? You can't come out once you are in!" Of course H said OUT.

The moment he told me about this, I had to see the crowd of early birds.

This was at 3.30 PM
The police were setting up THREE barricades. The 1st is to keep the early bird crowds within the central area (Yup! To see the ball drop, you need to be in THERE latest by 4 PM!!!! Nope! We weren't one of those.). The 2nd barricade, which is about 15 feet from the 1st barricade, is to have emergency access. The 3rd barricade at 8th Avenue is to keep everyone out except hotel guests within the street. Our hotel was inside the 3rd barricade....which allowed us access up to the 2nd barricade. We had to show our hotel key cards to get through.
The 1st Barricade Closing...at 3.33 PM
(Photo taken from 2nd Barricade)

Of course I didn't go and wait inside the 1st barricade. GILA-lah. How to wait from 4 PM to 12 midnight? That's 8 hours of waiting! (Okay-lah. Entertainment starts at 6 PM. But still??)And some more, NO backpacks are allowed inside the 1st barricade. Thus, unless you can have bottles of water (no alcohol allowed) in your pockets...you can't have a drink. Besides, don't think should drink so much because there's no toilets. There's McDonald's nearby...but there are no guarantees that the cops will allow you back in once you come out of your "prime position"!!!
Now I know why H's friend said "You are abit old, don't you think? You should do it twenty years ago!". When you are young and foolish, only would do such thing as waiting 8 blardy freaking hours in the cold... Yes. It was snowing plus turning into rain kind. But then, twenty years ago, we couldn't afford to come all the way to NYC.....

Anyway, we went back to the hotel to have a rest...I actually slept from 4 PM to about 7 PM. Then went out for dinner. I tell you.... NYC was really really packed with New Year Revellers. Everywhere was so crowded that we ended up having dinner at the pizza joint next to the hotel. Not so packed because it was within the restricted area (3rd barricade). Mr. & Mrs. TV Addicts
then watched telly till about 11.30 PM, before going down to join the crowd.

Nivea was giving out these....
We were standing about 30 m (2nd Barricade) from the stage where J.Lo was prancing about. I could sorta see the stage. I could hear her singing the New York song (donno the title) but I couldn't see her. Anyway.....

Countdown Starting....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Look at the Maddening Crowds!


BTW, you should see the mess on the ground! Yucky to the max...mixed with the melted snow. But have to say the workers cleaned it up quite quickly. The next morning, the streets were fairly clean.

The next morning, we met a fellow hotel guest whom had waited inside the 1st barricade. She said she started waiting since 4 PM, and it was worth it. It was something she wanted to do before she die. So this is a TICK off her list. H said "Since we weren't inside inside. I guess this is a HALF TICK". My comments to that? "It will NEVER EVER be a FULL TICK because I will NEVER EVER be able or want to WAIT for 8 hours!" . PERIOD.

3 comments:

wen said...

wah! u hv been travelling a lot la!! so fun!!

Rose world said...

wow!! Counting down in Times Square NY. I like that!

NomadicMom said...

Wen - But think will scale back on the travelling this year!

Rose - Donno whether is it OLD liow....like no feeling like that leh.

Lilypie 6th to 18th Ticker
Lilypie 6th to 18th Ticker