Home | Getting Around | Places of Interest | Museums | Entertainment | Sports Shopping | Fun for Kids | Guided Tours | Your Own Itinerary | FAQ | Contact Us

Unforgettable Holiday Events Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Times Square Every year as the clock nears midnight on December 31st, the eyes of the world turn once more to the dazzling lights and bustling energy of Times Square. Anticipation runs high. New Year's Eve at the symbolic center of New York City has become more than just a celebration - it's a global tradition. The world holds its breath...and cheers as the clocks strike twelve. As the famous New Year's Eve Ball descends from the flagpole atop One Times Square, an estimated one million people in Times Square, millions nationwide and over a billion watching throughout the world are united in bidding a collective farewell to the departing year, and expressing our joy and hope for the year ahead. The Times Square New Year's Eve celebration features star-studded musical performances, balloons, pom-poms, confetti, and a colorful pyrotechnic display. What streets will be closed for the celebrations? The New York Police Department will begin closing down access to Times Square starting at 43rd Street and Broadway and moving north as revelers arrive. The exact times that these blocks close to pedestrian and vehicular traffic will depend on when the revelers begin arriving. It is likely that there will be no vehicular traffic on either Broadway or Seventh Avenue as of approximately 3:00pm. Vehicles will most likely have difficulty traveling across town after 6:00pm above 42nd St as far north as 59th St. If you are planning to come to Times Square and join in the festivities, you are advised to enter from Sixth or Eighth Ave. Your chance of getting a viewing spot near the Ball (at Broadway & 43rd St) increases the earlier you arrive. The blocks will be closed off as they fill up northward, street-by-street, as the police deem necessary. Will there be areas in Times Square designated for the disabled? Yes. The police will set aside a viewing area for the disabled, located on the northwest corner of 43rd St. However, this area will fill up quickly, and it is advised that disabled visitors arrive early in the day. Where is the best view? The earlier you arrive, the better your view and the closer you will be to the action. The sound system is set up in the Bowtie area (where Broadway and Seventh Ave cross), and the video screens on One Times Square (where the Ball is lowered) are easily visible. There are additional screens set up at Broadway and 50th St, Broadway and 52nd St, Broadway and 54th St and Broadway and 58th St. What is the best way to come to Times Square? The best way to come to Times Square is via public transportation. Please note that the MTA has advised revelers not to use the 42nd St Subway Station on New Year's Eve due to crowding conditions - you are advised to exit at one of the surrounding stations and enter Times Square on foot. It is expected that the MTA will keep all subway stations open on New Year's Eve. Some entrances and exits may be closed as crowd conditions require. After 7:00pm on December 31st, the and subway station at 49th St and Seventh Ave may be closed until after midnight. Trains may also bypass some stations, depending on how the crowds build. For further information nearer the date of the event, please call or visit the MTA at 1(718) 330-1234 or www.mta.info Other useful sources of information: Port Authority Bus Terminal 1(212) 564-8484 New York City Transit Authority (Local Bus Service) 1(718) 330-1234 Amtrak 1 (800) 523-8720 Metro North 1 (212) 532-4900 Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) 1(718) 217- LIRR For questions on New Year's Eve about access, please contact the NYPD sub-station at 1(212)-239-9803 or the Times Square Alliance Dispatch Office at 1(212)-452-5218. Please call ONLY on New Year's Eve. How do I enter Times Square on New Year's Eve? If you are attending a party or event within Times Square on New Year's Eve, be sure to contact the business to confirm special instructions you may need in order to access the entrance of the establishment. Access Points: To Access Times Square South of 41st Street • 37th & 7th Ave • 37th & Broadway • 38th & 8th Ave • 38th & 6th Ave To Access Times Square North of 43rd Street • 46th from 8th & 6th Ave (press access) • Emergency Vehicle Route (48th, 5th-9th Ave) • 49th from 8th & 6th Ave • 52nd from 8th & 6th Ave • 54th from 6th Ave • 55th from 8th Ave • 57th from 7th Ave • 57th from Broadway • 58th from 8th & 6th Ave • 59th from 8th & 6th Ave Pedestrian/Subway Chutes: • 39th - Broadway to 6th Ave • 41st - 7th Ave directed westbound to 8th Ave • 49th - 7th Ave directed eastbound to 6th Ave • 50th – Broadway directed westbound to 8th Ave • 53rd – Broadway directed westbound to 8th Ave • 55th – 7th Ave directed eastbound to 7th Ave When should I get there? Revelers begin to gather in the late afternoon on New Year's Eve, December 31st. We cannot predict how quickly the viewing areas will fill up. Prime viewing areas may fill up early in the afternoon. At approximately 6:00pm EST the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball will be raised to the top of the 77-foot flagpole at One Times Square (Broadway at 43rd St) and lit. At exactly 11:59pm EST, the Ball will make its 60-second descent down the flagpole to signal the start of the New Year. Please Note: Revelers who arrive very early in the day, before the police have established viewing areas, may be moved by the NYPD when barricades are put in place. Will there be portable public restrooms available? No. There are no portable restrooms in Times Square during the celebration. The Times Square Visitor Center and Mini-Museum has public restrooms but will be closing early on New Year's Eve. Will there be food and drink vendors in the square? No. There will be no licensed food and beverage vendors in Times Square. However, there are hundreds of restaurants in and around Times Square. Public drinking is illegal in New York City. Police will confiscate alcohol. Will there be restaurants open in the area? Can revelers return to the same viewing areas after dining? Many restaurants located in the Times Square area will be open on New Year's Eve Be sure to make your reservations well in advance. Please remember that if you dine at a local restaurant, you will not simply be able to come out and watch the Ball lowering at midnight. Revelers will arrive in Times Square early in the day, and while you are dining, designated viewing areas will fill up on a "first come, first served" basis. Furthermore, no one is allowed to stand in the emergency lanes or on sidewalks. Please remember that if you leave your viewing area to dine in a restaurant, you will not be able to return to your spot in a viewing area. Are theaters, stores and restaurants going to be open? Some Broadway theaters will be open on New Year's Eve. The TKTS booth will open on New Year's Eve. Please check the TKTS website for the schedule of hours. You can check the schedules for Broadway and some Off Broadway shows at www.telecharge.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Stores and restaurants will be open at their own discretion, so please call them ahead of time. Please remember that if you leave your viewing area to dine in a restaurant, you will not be able to return to your spot in a viewing area. Which Times Square restaurants and hotels have a view of the Ball? • Renaissance New York • R Lounge • DoubleTree Guest Suites • Marriott Marquis • Bubba Gump Shrimp Company • Sbarro Pizza • Olive Garden What security procedures are in place? The New York Police Department will control all access points to Times Square. No bags or backpacks are permitted. Emergency Service squads, drug and bomb sniffing canine units and counter-terrorism personnel will be present in Times Square on New Year's Eve. What should I wear and what should I bring? Dress warmly. Remember that you could be spending an extended period outdoors in potentially below-freezing conditions. You should be well-prepared and well-insulated. Many layers, synthetics (such as Goretex and polypropylene), wind-resistant and water-repellant outerwear and a good hat are the keys to staying warm. Finally, remember to drink lots of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine. Not only is public drinking illegal in New York City, but both caffeine and alcohol will dehydrate you. Dehydration is very common and can sneak up on you in cold weather. Are tickets needed for this event? No. This event is open to everyone. However, to get the best view, arrive early in the afternoon. Some private parties are held in many of the restaurants and hotels in Times Square and tickets are required in advance. Please check here for parties on New Year's Eve. Will there be a Webcast? Yes. Visit www.TimesSquareNYC.org on New Year's Eve for a live webcast. Are there still hotel rooms available in the Times Square area? There are more than 17,000 hotel rooms in the Times Square neighborhood - ranging from large hotel chains, to small quiet retreats or suite hotels for extended stays. There are also several youth hostels situated in and around the Times Square area. Book your stay now to avoid disappointment. You can contact the hotels directly about rates and availability, or contact your travel agent for more information and reservations. How much confetti is dropped in Times Square on New Year's Eve? More than 1 ton of confetti. Source: Times Square Alliance New Year’s Eve FAQ Enjoy shopping at these festive holiday markets The Grand Central Holiday Fair a great choice no matter what the weather might be doing outside. Open November 15 - December 24 Closed Thanksgiving Day Hours: 10am - 8pm daily The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park surround Citi Pond’s ice skaters and Celsius diners with a wide variety of items for sale, including many handmade goods. Open November 5 - January 2 Hours: Monday - Friday: 11am - 8pm Saturday: 10am - 9pm Sunday: 10am - 6pm Holiday Shopping in Union Square offers shoppers handcrafted jewelry, fine art, clothes, handmade ornaments, and toys. Open November 19 - December 24 Hours: 11am - 8pm daily Holiday Market at Columbus Circle has 120 vendors selling a wide variety of gifts. Open December 1 – 24 Central Park (59th St & 8th Ave) Hours: 10am - 8pm daily The Holiday Gift Shops at St. Bartholomew's Open November 15 - December 24 Park Ave at 50th St Hours: 8am - 8pm daily Museum Highlights The World’s Largest Dinosaurs Continues through January 2 How did a 60-foot dinosaur live, breathe, eat, and move? This exciting exhibition features cutting-edge research about super-sizedsauropods-including the giant Mamenchisaurus, one of the largest animals to ever walk the Earth-and offers new insights into how their colossal bodies functioned. American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St. For more information, call 1(212) 769-5100. Source: www.amnh.org De Kooning: A Retrospective at MoMA Continues through January 9 This is the first major museum exhibition devoted to the full scope of the career of Willem de Kooning, widely considered to be among the most important and prolific artists of the 20th century. The exhibition, which will only be seen at MoMA, presents an unparalleled opportunity to study the artist’s development over nearly seven decades, beginning with his early academic works, made in Holland before he moved to the United States in 1926, and concluding with his final, sparely abstract paintings of the late 1980s. The Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53 St. 1(212) 708-9400. Source: www.moma.org New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands Permanent Installation Opens November 1 More than one thousand works from the preeminent collection of the Museum's Department of Islamic Art—one of the most comprehensive gatherings of this material in the world—returns to view in a completely renovated, expanded, and reinstalled suite of fifteen galleries. The organization of the galleries by geographical area will emphasize the rich diversity of the Islamic world, over a span of 1300 years, by underscoring the many distinct cultures within its fold. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave at 81st St, 1(800) 466-7386. Source: www.metmuseum.org Maurizio Cattelan: A Retrospective Continues through January 22 Italian-born Maurizio Cattelan has created some of the most unforgettable images in recent contemporary art. This retrospective survey marks the first time that the entirety of Cattelan’s works will be assembled into a coherent exhibition. Cattelan’s source materials range widely, from popular culture, history, and organized religion to a meditation on the self that is at once humorous and profound. For this exhibition, Cattelan will create a dramatic site-specific installation in the Guggenheim rotunda designed to encapsulate his complete production to date. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave at 89th St, 1(212) 423-3500. Source: www.guggenheim.org Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration Discover the exciting future of space exploration as it boldly speculates on humanity’s next steps “out there” in our solar system and beyond. Understand why geologists are so interested in specimens from moons and other planets and what we can learn from them. And explore some possible spectacular missions of the future: returning humans to the Moon, landing on and deflecting a potentially deadly asteroid, or traveling to Mars —and perhaps even establishing colonies there. Is it possible within our lifetime? Will we discover evidence of life, past or present, on another planet? Find out what experts think the future will hold for us beyond planet Earth. American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St. 1(212) 769-5100. Source: www.amnh.org Outstanding Holiday Entertainment The Big Apple Circus has pitched its tent for its 34th season of family-friendly treats Continues through January 18 One of the special features of this single-ring spectacle is that the performances are up close really close. No one is more than 50 feet from the ring, and that makes for an intimate feel. This year's production is called Dream Big! and it’s all about using the power of the imagination. To capture what’s in the mind’s eye of performers and volunteers from the audience, a kooky contraption resembling a souped-up salon hairdryer is placed over their heads. Thoughts are then magically transformed into live performances. Every circus needs thrills. They come courtesy of graceful and fearless rope aerialist Anna Volodko and the awesome juggler Dmitry Chernov. Also whipping up oohs and ahhs are the Flying Cortes family, whose impressive trapeze act includes a member who’s only 10, one of the world’s youngest circus pros. And after 25 memorable seasons with the circus, Dream Big! marks the farewell tour of Grandma the Clown. Big Apple Circus Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center, 62nd St (between Columbus & Amsterdam Aves). Tickets: 1(212) 721-6500, 1(212) 307-4100. Source: Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News, October 25, 2011. Rockette’s Musical Journey Continues through January 2 A tradition transformed. This year’s show features new 3DLive scenes, dazzling special effects, new Rockette numbers, and beloved favorites. Using cutting edge technology, the audience will be part of an expansive experience, as the scenery extends beyond the stage, onto the ceiling and walls transforming the interior of Radio City Music Hall into a massive musical canvas. All children who have reached their second birthday require a ticket. This is the 79th year of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Radio City Music Hall, 50th St & Avenue of the Americas (aka 6th Ave). Tickets: 1(866) 8500. Source: Rockette’s Musical Journey George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker opens New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center Continues through January 1 Set to Tschaikovsky’s glorious score, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ is seen by more than 100,000 people annually and has been performed more than 2,000 times. The production includes the Company’s entire roster of more than 150 dancers and musicians, as well as two alternating casts of 50 children from the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet. David H. Koch Theater (formerly New York State Theater), 20 Lincoln Center Plaza. Tickets: 1(212) 870-5570. South Street Seaport’s Christmas Tree, Chorus and Strolling Santa There’s the strolling Santa and the Big Apple Chorus singing out Christmas Tunes. The strolling Santa also moonlights as the Santa at City Hall amongst other Places. During the holidays, the Seaport is bustling with holiday festivities and the Chorus Tree is at the center of the activity. The beautifully decorated Chorus Tree with thousands of white lights stands over 50 feet tall. Performances last for approximately 45 minutes. Fridays: 6:00pm and 7:00pm Saturdays and Sundays 3:00pm and 4:00pm. Dec 3 – 5: New York City Gay Men’s Chorus Dec 10 – 12: Cantori New York Dec 17 – 19: The Young New Yorker’s Chorus Grand Central Light Show 2011 Nowhere on Earth is the holiday spirit as spectacular as in New York City. Visitors to Grand Central will delight in the high-tech winter wonderland images on the famed Astrological Ceiling in the Main Concourse 125 feet above their heads. The Grand Central Holiday Laser Light Show is back by ‘popular demand’ and officially kicks off the holiday season on Monday, November 30th. A series of six (6) individual six minute shows will be presented on what is perhaps the busiest room in the world, the Constellation Sky Ceiling of the Terminal’s Main Concourse. One show is presented every half hour, between 11:00am and 9:00pm, over the course of six weeks. The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Gardens Continues Through January 11 “All aboard” for one of New York’s most beloved holiday traditions. A dash of holiday magic transforms the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory into an enchanting world featuring replicas of more than 140 New York landmarks made entirely from plant parts like berries, leaves, and seeds. New additions are marked with special signs making it easy to find them. The Holiday Train Show is popular with families. Children love watching the trains and finding buildings that they recognize, while adults will be impressed with the detail and beauty of the New York landmarks. Large-scale model trains and trolleys zip through this wondrous landscape, disappearing into tunnels, crossing bridges overhead, and gliding under waterfalls and twinkling lights. New York Botanical Garden, Open daily, 10am - 5:30pm. nybg.org Additional Holiday Events Celebrate Hanukkah with the lighting of the world's largest menorah December 20 - 27 You'll find the menorah at Grand Army Plaza (at Fifth Ave & 59th St, across the street from The Plaza Hotel). This 32-foot-high, gold-colored, 4,000-pound steel holiday icon is a sight to behold. Every evening during the 8 day holiday, another candle will be added to the menorah. For the Sabbath, the lighting will be at 3:30pm on Friday and 8:30pm on Saturday (on all other days, a candle will be lit at 5:30pm). Hanukkah does not have its origin in the bible. It commemorates the victory of the Jewish Maccabees in a fight for religious freedom. Hanukkah is observed with parties, games, and gifts to the children. A favorite food is latkes. Potato pancakes. Source: Ice Skating Rinks CLICK HERE for links to ice skating rinks in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. Exciting Professional Sports New York Knicks - Basketball NBA extended season opens Christmas Day at the Garden Knicks 2011-2012 Schedule Extended season home games played at Madison Square Garden. Madison Square Garden, 7th Ave at 32nd St Bus: M4, M6, M7, M10, M16, M34, Q32 Subway: to 34th St/Penn Station. New York Rangers - Hockey Rangers 2010-2011 Schedule Home games played at Madison Square Garden. Madison Square Garden, 7th Ave at 32nd St Bus: M4, M6, M7, M10, M16, M34, Q32 Subway: to 34th St/Penn Station. New York Giants - Football Giants 2011-2012 Schedule Home games played at Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ. For information & availability of tickets, call 1(201) 935-9500. New York Jets - Football Jets 2011-2012 Schedule Home games played at Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ. For information & availability of tickets, call 1(201) 935-9500. Public Transportation to Met Life Stadium From Penn Station, 7th Ave & 32nd St, Manhattan NJ Transit Rail Service is the rail system connecting the northeast corridor to the Frank Lautenberg train station in Secaucus, NJ. The rail station at the Sports Complex is located next to MetLife and the travel time between Secaucus Junction train station and the Sports Complex station is approximately 10 minutes. The round trip fare is $4.50. Rail service commences 3 hours prior to kickoff and ends 2 hours after the game. For more information, visit NJ Transit.com From Port Authority Bus Terminal 8th Ave & 41st St, Manhattan Coach USA bus service (Number 351) Coach USA provides the 351Meadowlands Express bus service from Port Authority to the Meadowlands Sports Complex for NFL games and other large events at Met Life Stadium. The 351 bus service will begin one half hour (1/2) hours prior to the game and will continue to run one half (1/2) hours prior to the start of a game and will continue to run until one half (1/2) hour after the start of the game. The 351 bus line will be operational for approximately one (1) hour following the conclusion of the game. Drop-off and pick-up at the Sports Complex is located near Parking Lot K. Round trip ticket costs $10 and a one-way ticket is $5. For more information, visit www.351express.com ©2001 to date Big Apple Visitors Center. All Rights Reserved.