New Year's Eve in Times Sq

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NEW YEAR’S EVE
in TIMES SQUARE
2009 - 2010!
http://www.timessquarenyc.org/nye/nye.html
Subject to Change-Please check back for frequent
updates. For 105 years, Times Square has been the
center of worldwide attention on New Year's Eve, ever
since the owners of One Times Square began in 1904 to
conduct rooftop celebrations to greet the New
Year. The first Ball Lowering celebration occurred in
1907, and this tradition is now a universal symbol of
welcoming the New Year. Partial Event Schedule
4:00 p.m. The Revelers.Revelers start arriving late in
the afternoon on New Year's Eve. By approximately
4:00 p.m., the Bow Tie of Times Square (42nd
to 47th Sts. between Broadway & 7th
Ave.) is fully closed to traffic. Revelers are directed
by the NYPD to gather in separate viewing sections. As
one section fills up, the revelers are directed by police to
the next viewing section. As the evening progresses,
revelers continue to fill the Times Square neighborhood
along Broadway and Seventh Avenue moving uptown
from 43rd Street to as far as Central Park.
6:00 p.m. to 6:05 p.m. Opening Ceremonies -
Lighting and Raising the Times Square New Year’s
Eve Ball.The celebration begins with the raising of the
New Year’s Eve Ball atop One Times Square. The
Event Organizers, Tim Tompkins and Jeffrey Straus will
be joined by representative of the Philips Lighting
Company to flip the giant switch which lights the New
Year's Eve Ball and begins its ascent accompanied by
special pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square.
Performance
6:58 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Hourly Countdown with Carson Daly
As we approach the New Year, Carson Daly will
appear on the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the
Times Square revelers "Happy New Year", read
some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti
release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New
Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end
of the hour.
7:10 p.m. Times Square 2010 Hats and Balloons
The Times Square Alliance sanitation crews clad in
bright red uniforms begin to distribute tens of thousands
of fun handouts to the Times Square revelers for
cheering in the New Year. Nivea is providing festive
blue New Year's Eve hats and blue balloons tied with
silver mylar ribbons along with useful Nivea Lip Care
product to keep our lips looking and feeling beautiful for
that unforgettable kiss at midnight.
7:15 p.m. to 7:25 p.m. NBC's New Year's Eve with
Carson Daly: Musical Performance .The Times
Square Alliance sanitation crews clad in bright red
uniforms begin to distribute tens of thousands of fun
handouts to the Times Square revelers for cheering in
the New Year.
7:58 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Hourly Countdown with Ryan
Seacrest. As we approach the New Year, Ryan
Seacrest will appear on the Nivea Countdown Stage to
wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year",
read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the
confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for
the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to
the end of the hour.
8:58 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Hourly Countdown with
Anderson Cooper . As we approach the New Year,
Anderson Cooper will appear on the Nivea Countdown
Stage to wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New
Year", read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into
the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish
for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down
to the end of the hour.
9:58 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Hourly Countdown. As we
approach the New Year, a Surprise Guest will appear on
the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square
revelers "Happy New Year", read some of the confetti
wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight,
share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the
revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.
10:07 p.m. to 10:16 p.m. ABC's Dick Clark's New
Year's Rockin' Eve: Musical Performance by Chris
Daughtry. Chris Daughtry performs a medley of hit
songs on the Nivea Countdown Stage.
10:31 p.m. to 10:34 p.m. Waterford Crystal Toast.
Representatives from Waterford lead the revelers in a
toast to the New Year!
10:38 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. ABC's Dick Clark's New
Year's Rockin' Eve: Musical Performance by Chris
Daughtry. Chris Daughtry performs a medley of hit
songs on the Nivea Countdown Stage.
10:58 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Hourly Countdown with Raul
de Molina. As we approach the New Year, Raul de
Molina will appear on the Nivea Countdown Stage to
wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year",
read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the
confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for
the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to
the end of the hour.
11:38 p.m. to 11:46 p.m. ABC's Dick Clark's New
Year's Rockin' Eve: Musical Performance by Jennifer
Lopez
Jennifer Lopez performs a medley of hit songs on the
Nivea Countdown Stage.
11:59 p.m. The Sixty-Second Countdown
The Times Square 2010 Special Guest and New York
City Mayor Michael Bloomberg push the Waterford
crystal button that signals the descent of the New Year’s
Eve Ball, and lead the final sixty-second countdown to
the New Year.
The New Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball
The lighted Ball descends 70 feet in sixty seconds. The
Ball is a geodesic sphere, twelve feet in diameter,
weighing 11,875 pounds. The Ball is covered with 2668
Waterford crystal triangles and lit by 32,256 Philips
Luxeon Rebel LEDs.
12:00 a.m. -- New Year's Day 2010 Sign. At the stroke
of Midnight, the lights on the New Year’s Eve Ball are
turned off as the numerals of the New Year “2010” burst
to life shining high above Times Square.
Times Square Confetti Release and Pyrotechnic
Effects. The world-famous New Year's Eve confetti is
released from the rooftops of buildings throughout
Times Square creating a celebratory blizzard of colorful
confetti as revelers welcome the New Year
accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects.
12:15 a.m. - End of Show
Where is the Ball lowered? The Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball descends from a flagpole at the top of
One Times Square. It can best be seen along Broadway,
from 43rd Street to 50th Street, and along Seventh
Avenue, as far north as 59th Street.
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 3:00 p.m. Vehicles will most likely
have difficulty traveling across town after 6:00 p.m.
above 42nd Street as far north as 59th Street. If you are
planning to come to Times Square and join in the
festivities, you are advised to enter from Sixth or Eighth
Avenue. Your chance of getting a viewing spot near the
Ball (at Broadway & 43rd Street) 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 Street. However, this area will fill up quickly, and it
is advised that disabled visitors arrive early in the day.
For a listing of the access points from which you can
enter Times Square.
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 Avenue cross), and the video
screens on One Times Square (where the Ball is
lowered) are easily visible. There are additional screens
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set up at Broadway and 50th Street, Broadway and
52nd Street, Broadway and 54th Street and Broadway
and 58th Street.
What is the best way to come to Times Square? The
best way to come to Times Square is via public
transportation. To get to Times Square, the # 1, 2, 3, 7,
A, B, C, D, E, F, N, Q, R, W, V and S shuttle trains all
service the Times Square area. Please note that the
MTA has advised revelers not to use the 42nd Street
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
p.m. on December 31st, the N and R train station at
49th Street and Seventh Avenue 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 (718) 330-1234 or www.mta.info.
Other useful sources of information:
Port Authority Bus Terminal (212) 564-8484
New York City Transit Authority (Local Bus Service)
(718) 330-1234, Amtrak (800) 523-8720
Metro North (212) 532-4900
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) (718) 217- LIRR
For questions on New Year's Eve about access, please
contact the NYPD sub-station at (212)-239-9803 or the
Times Square Alliance Dispatch Office at (212)-452-
5218. Please call ONLY on New Year's Eve.
How do I enter Times Square on New Year's Eve?
To access Times Square south of 41st Street, please enter at:
37th Street & 7th Avenue, 37th Street & Broadway, 38th Street &
8th Avenue, 38th Street & 6th Avenue
To access Times Square north of 43rd Street: 45th from 8th
Avenue & 6th Avenue, 46th Street from 8th Avenue & 6th Avenue
(press access), 49th Street from 8th Avenue & 6th Avenue, 52nd
Street from 8th Avenue & 6th Avenue, 54th Street from 6th
Avenue, 55th Street from 8th Avenue, 57th Street from 7th
Avenue, 57th Street from Broadway, 58th Street from 8th Avenue
& 6th Avenue, 59th Street from 8th Avenue & 6th Avenue
Pedestrian & Subway Chutes: 39th Street: Limited access to
cross from Broadway to 6th Avenue, 41st Street: Limited access
to cross 7th Avenue directed westbound to 8th Avenue, 49th
Street: Limited access to cross 7th Avenue directed eastbound to
6th Avenue, 50th Street: Limited access to cross Broadway
directed westbound to 8th Avenue, 53rd Street: Limited access to
cross Broadway directed westbound to 8th Avenue, 55th Street:
Limited access to cross 7th Avenue directed eastbound to 7th
Avenue
When should I get there? Revelers begin to gather in
the late afternoon on New Year's Eve, December 31st.
The best advice we can give is to get there as early as
possible. We cannot predict how quickly the viewing
areas will fill up. Prime viewing areas may fill up early in
the afternoon.
At approximately 6:00 p.m. 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 Street)
and lit. At exactly 11:59 p.m. 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.
Here is the timeline for last year's street closures
and viewing areas. This information may be helpful for
planning your trip to this year's event:
3:45pm - 7th Avenue & Broadway closed to vehicular
traffic from 43rd Street to 49th Street (cross streets were
closed at 3:30pm).
5pm - All cross streets closed to vehicular traffic except
57th Street, 58th Street & 59th Street. 42nd Street
closed to vehicular traffic.
5:30pm - Viewing areas filled north to 48th Street, south
to 40th - 41st Street.
6pm - Viewing areas filled to 52nd Street.
10pm - Viewing areas filled to 58th Street, south to 38th
Street.
10:30pm - Viewing areas filled to 59th Street.
Will there be portable public restrooms available?
No.
Is alcohol or champagne allowed? No. Public
drinking is illegal in New York City. Police will confiscate
alcohol.
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 (see below).
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 consult our
Interactive Map and Guide to locate a restaurant - and
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 at 10 a.m. on
New Year's Eve. You can check the schedules for
Broadway and some Off Broadway shows at
www.telecharge.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and
check out our Interactive Map and Guides. 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, DoubleTree
Guest Suites, Marriott Marquis, TGI Fridays,
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company,
Sbarro Pizza, Olive Garden, 2 Times Square
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.
Where can I find information on Times Square New
Year's Eve parties? There's no more electrifying place on
the planet than Time Square on New Year's Eve. Check this
page for details on New Year's Eve parties you can attend at
the Crossroads of the World.
What is the history of the Times Square New Year's
Eve event? Revelers have been celebrating New Year's
Eve in Times Square since 1904. To learn more about
the celebration's history, check out our
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 wellinsulated.
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.
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 16,000 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. For a complete
listing of hotels in the area visit our Interactive Map and
Guides. 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.
Can I volunteer to help prepare for New Year's Eve?
Absolutely. There are many opportunities to help the
Times Square Alliance prepare for New Year’s
Eve. Once you’ve signed on, you will be contacted with
specific information about the various volunteer projects
that you can participate in. Projects include helping with
mailings, putting together gift bags, general office
support, and much more. There will be weekday,
evening and weekend volunteer dates throughout
November and December. If you would like to help out,
please email us at
volunteers@timessquarealliance.org. Please be sure
to include your name, phone number, email address,
and general availability (evenings, weekends, or
weekdays.) Thanks
in advance for your
help.