NYC is a busy place at any given time, but when you couple this fact with a certain yearly occurrence, the crowds become all the more major.
The event: New Years Eve
The city: New York City
The setting: Times Square
It doesn't get much busier than this.
Observing the NYE festivities in NYC is a bucket lister for me, and this year, we made it a reality. My Dad was able to trade in some of his hard earned hotel points for a special NYE experience, sans some of the not-so-stellar aspects of waiting.
We decided to roam the streets in the early afternoon to get a lay of the land.
During a typical stroll around the busy Times Square one will spy many an enterprising hawker. These forces were in full swing, armed with a variety of 2017-themed paraphernalia.
There are various stages scattered around the square, where a variety of performances occur over the course of the evening. Those eager to secure a spot nearby are subject to a bag search prior to entering the barrier.
Those ambitious enough to secure a spot are left waiting in the cold for multiple hours. "Are you wearing a diaper?" my Dad asked a woman near the outskirts of the lineup. "Um, no," she replied, shifty eyed.
I do suspect she was wearing a diaper.
I applaud the determination these people have to ring in the new year in style at the biggest NYE party out there.
Leading up the evening, the family decided on a plan of action, should things go awry. Fortunately, nothing happened, but I'm glad we had made plans just in case.
In addition to the bag checks that Times Square partiers were subject to, additional security was put in place throughout the area. Several NYPD officers surveyed the crowd, and garbage trucks were placed strategically throughout the roads to prevent anyone from driving into the crowd.
You can see one of these trucks in the photo below:
As the hour drew nigh, we filed into our designated spot in the street, and in that sea of celebrators, we counted down to the new year.
As soon as the fireworks finished, the crowd began to disperse.
As the crowd thinned, a layer of confetti and various trash was revealed. Immediately, a cleaning crew dispatched onto the street, sweeping up the waste to ensure the street was back to its normal self the next morning.
But, sometimes, they can't quite get everything.
Happy New Years, everbody!