If you find yourself in New York City for New Year’s Eve and looking for something iconic to do, here are just some of the best options—if you’re in the mood to go all out or looking for an activity a bit more mellow, there’s a little bit of everything here so you can start your 2018 on the right foot! Don’t forget to wish everyone a “Happy New Year” in your best practiced English!
Behind Christmas, New Year’s Eve is easily the most popular holiday in New York City. Times Square, the most-visited tourist attraction in the Big Apple, is home for this annual countdown to the new year. Thousands of people gather anywhere within the Broadway and Seventh Avenue neighborhood to get a sight and view of the sparkly ball that will drop at midnight to ring in 2018. While this is the typical activity on this day, there are so many other options to ring in the new year in New York City. Luckily, if you’re new to English, this is a great time of year to brush up on your social English skills, as many people will be out and about, so you won’t find any shortage of people to talk to! Here are some of the most popular things to do in New York City on December 31st and January 1st. Take your pick—you won’t be let down!
- Times Square; Manhattan
Yup, this is the location that everyone thinks about for New Year’s Eve. While it looks elegant and festive on television, I must warn you: you will be standing outside for hours on end, in the same spot, without bathrooms or food, and you don’t want to leave your spot because you WILL lose it. If this all sounds like something you still want to do, make sure you come early, well-dressed, stocked with food, and make sure you use the restroom before you leave. You’ll be surrounded with THOUSANDS of people, so this is a great time to practice your “Happy New Year!” openers!
- New Year’s Eve Night Bike Ride; Brooklyn to Manhattan
If you’re looking to stay away from the bar scene, this is a great solution for you! Grab your bike, as the ride will start at night in Brooklyn, and you and your fellow riders will travel over to Central Park to ring in 2018. When you arrive, everyone will be together for a fun party—and the bonus is that you got a great exercise out of it! This is a great way to meet new people, so brush up on your English “nice to meet you” and “what brings you to New York?” Just make sure you don’t drink too much so you and your bike can get home safely!
- Coney Island Polar Bear Club New Year’s Day Swim; Coney Island, Brooklyn
This might seem crazy since the thought of getting into the ocean in the middle of winter is a bit ridiculous, but this event is incredibly popular with the New York City locals. These (slightly crazy) partakers will disrobe their winter layers and plunge into the ocean for a quick shock to the system. If this doesn’t sound sane for you, plenty of people go to the location to just see for it themselves and cheer on the bold and brave. Head down to Coney Island in Brooklyn so you can brush up on your English social phrases, like: “These people are crazy!” or “I could never do something like this!” or even “Maybe I’ll do this next year—it kind of looks like fun! Why not?!”
- Keep the party at home!
If you’re anything like I am, the older I get, I find it’s more difficult to stay up all night to celebrate the holiday. Or sometimes I find myself turned off by all the crowds on December 31st. So if you’re like me, bring the party home! Invite your friends for a decked out New Year’s Eve celebration at your place—have everyone bring snacks and drinks, play the best hits of 2017, set up a trivia game for all the events that took place that year, and toast to a healthy and happy 2018! You might find that you have more fun this way, and chances are, you’ll probably save a lot more money this way, too! Plus, if any of your friends are practicing their English like you are, what a great opportunity to mingle with these people so you can all practice together!