When I was going to high school in New York, my roommate Eric and I would always go to Times Square for New Years Eve to see the ball drop. We lived on the Upper West Side by Columbia and would hit a movie or go music shopping that evening on the Upper West Side. We’d start walking down to Times Square from 59th Street or so, just depending on where we wound up that day. Even early in the evening – starting around 9 or so – it would start getting more crowded than normal around 49th Street or so. Security guards would be blocking the front of the movie theatres in Times Square. We’d see all the store owners and theatre owners putting up plywood so their windows wouldn’t get broken out. Traffic was stopped and rerouted so Times Square became one big pedestrian mall – ironically – now it is! By 11, we couldn’t move – we would be down around 45th Street then, with a great view of the ball drop at the Times Building on 42 St. When the countdown began, with the scoreboard providing a cue, everyone would shout out the countdown. It was deafening, to say the least. After the ball-drop, I’d say at least 3 people would try to sing Auld Lang Syne – everyone else was too busy hugging their friends, blowing on their noisemaker, or kissing their girlfriend. By 12:30 or 1 am, it starting clearing a little – but it was still VERY unnerving to get swept up in the crowd rushing towards the subway stop. Sometimes our feet wouldn’t touch the ground for 5 or 6 feet. I can’t believe we didn’t get separated. I’m not quite sure why we needed to be there, but I know we knew that we HAD to be there – that it was THE New York thing to do. Living out here in Ohio now, watching the ball-drop with my son – it’s a lot of fun to point out to him, “See that corner – I celebrated 4 New Years’ Eves right there! That was me!”. He is not very impressed.
