Times Square Ball Drop Turns 100

Remember when you were a kid and it was a big deal to stay up and watch the ball drop in Times Square on TV? Then you grew up and at some point realized that Times Square is the last place you’d want to spend your New Year’s Eve, right? But what if that jaded point of view is just keeping you from celebrating a one-of-a-kind experience in harmony with thousands of your brothers and sisters from around the world? Maybe this is your year to get over your fear of crowds, Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest and be the reveler your younger self always dreamt you’d be! (Anyway, it’s a lot cheaper than most other options.)

And this seems like a particularly festive year to take the plunge; it’s the 100th anniversary of the New Year’s Eve Ball drop, and the event’s organizers have unveiled a new LED Crystal ball for the occasion. The surface consists of Waterford Crystal triangles and boasts “increased energy efficiency” – though twice as bright as the old ball, the new one will be lit with “approximately the same amount of electricity as it takes to power ten toasters or a single oven/range.” Since the ball drop started a century year ago, only two years were missed: ‘42 and ‘43, during the wartime "dimout" of lights in New York City.

If you decide to join the festivities, here are some things you should know:

No alcohol or champagne! Police will confiscate it.
There will be no licensed food and beverage vendors in Times Square.
The police control all access points to Times Square.
No bags or backpacks will be permitted.
There will be no portable public restrooms.
One ton of confetti will be dropped on you.

Who’s in?! And we also have street closures and subway info after the jump.

If you want a good spot to see the ball – which is raised up at 6pm and lowered at 11:59pm – it’s recommended that you arrive in the afternoon and wait. The best view is along Broadway, from 43rd Street to 50th Street, and along Seventh Avenue, as far north as 59th Street. Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin Eve begins broadcasting at 10pm. There are helpful tips here, more history on the tradition here, and the strange journey of this year’s ‘8’ in 2008 here.

Have you ever greeted the New Year in Times Square? If so, any tips? And if you go this year, please let us know about it on the 1st (We’ve already got plans.)

Photograph of the Waterford Crystal New Year's Eve Ball by missapril1956

From the NYPD and MTA:

There will be No Parking in the following areas from Monday, December 31st at 12:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 1st:
* All cross-town streets from 34th to 57th Street between Sixth and Eighth Avenue;
* West side of Sixth Avenue, from 34th to 59th Streets;
* East side of Eighth Avenue from 34th to 57th Streets;
* 48th Street between Fifth and Ninth Avenues.

At approximately 4:00 p.m. on Monday, December 31st, the following streets will be closed to all vehicular traffic:
* Seventh Avenue, from 42nd to 59th Streets;
* Broadway, from 42nd to 59th Streets;
* 43rd to 47th Streets, from Sixth to Eighth Avenue.

After 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 31st, the remainder of the traffic closures will be instituted as crowd conditions warrant:
* All cross-town streets from 37th to 42nd Streets - Sixth to Eighth Avenues;
* All cross-town streets from 49th to 59th Streets - Sixth to Eighth Avenues;
* 48th Street, from Fifth to Ninth Avenues;
* Cross-town access for emergency vehicles will be available on 42nd, 48th, 57th and 59th Streets.

People are strongly advised to use public transportation. On street parking will be extremely limited in the Midtown area. People should avoid all cross-town streets from 34th to 59th Streets, as well as Sixth and Eighth Avenues.

The Department will continue its drunk driving enforcement on New Year's Eve through DWI patrols and checkpoints throughout the City. The NYPD increased drunk driving arrests 16.4% over the last year, and as part of the DWI Forfeiture Initiative, seized 2,245 vehicles from drunk drivers so far in 2007, 33% more than 2006. Due to these efforts, our City experienced a 33% decline in drunk-driving fatalities this year.

TRANSIT INFORMATION

Beginning at 7 p.m. on Monday, December 31st, some subway access around Times Square will be closed. The following subway system changes should be noted:
* Southbound and northbound N/R/W lines will skip the 49th Street station beginning at 7 p.m., Monday, December 31st until approximately 12:15 a.m., Tuesday, January 1st.
* The northbound IRT “#1” train will skip the 50th Street station beginning at 7 p.m., Monday, December 31st until approximately 12:15 a.m., Tuesday, January 1st.

The MTA also stresses not to bring alcohol onto its trains and buses.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on December 30, 2007 2:50 PM

Comments [rss]

John Del Signore

What a bunch of negative nancys you commenters are! This Primetime New Year’s Rockin Eve is going to be Most Rockin' Yet!!!

I'm on my way to Times Square now, where I'll be liveblogging until midnight with Clark, Seacrest, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers and 50,000 people who know how to CUT LOOSE!!!! So stay home SQUARES! Can't wait for 08!!!!!!!

angry_pickle

This isn't fun at all. And that stupid ball just landing slowly on top of a building ... uh totally 100% lame. Unless you get there 8 hours early and get close enough to see the widescreen displays, just go home and watch it on TV; because you won't hear a thing and all you'll see is 1 ton of confetti dropping on people in the distance while you stand there like a fool shivering, hungry, and tired.

yakatori

College friedn from pittsburgh came to the city in 1997 and was dyign to do this. Got blasted and Jimmy's Corner and stopped at a Deli where we both got a 40 o Bud and got herded into a crowed of lame tourists. Needless to say we finished the 40s in less than an hour. And some may know that an empty 40 bottle doesn't hold a the contents of a full bladder. Luckily for us someone had drank enough to throw up over the railing. Saw the ball drop, yelled, had fun, but we still talk about how we just could believe that 40 bottle was not enough to contain our urine.

robingee

How is this fun at all?

redhookreject

why don't we outsource this to Disney world, or better yet - just sell tickets to the tourists and the kids from the Island and Jersey..

seriously I could deal with a night out without the booze but when ya need a slash ya need a slash. innit.

and the Bloody Irish and English who show up to this thing, its like a bad Essex joke.

bklynd

So, seriously, you stand for hours and hours in a pen with no chance to pee?

JacqueMehoff

You do what people who are old and infirmed do,

you shat your pants. Hopefully you brought a change of underwear.

How do I know this? This happened to a chemo patient I overheard last week.

johnieBK

What happens if its 11:50pm and you are in the middle of Times Square and get a massive diarrhea attack? What would you do?

johnieBK

What happens if its 11:50pm and you are in the middle of Times Square and get a massive diarrhea attack? What would you do?

Jen Chung

Yeah, I think if you want to keep your sanity, aoid Times Square. But if you have a need to welcome the new year with total insanity and possible panic attack, go for it!

David Topping

Props for this story being tagged with both "Ryan Seacrest" and "Ball Drop."

Rfive

My tip is to STAY OUT of Times Square. I did it years ago and it was one of my more regretful NYC experiences. Leave the area BEFORE 5 PM. It will be ugly for New Yorkers.