The NYC New Year's Eve Ball Drop
December 31, 2013
New York City, NY
New York City New Year's Eve Ball Drop = CHECK!
We spent New Year's Eve in New York City, the best city to usher in 2014.
New York City is a wanderer's wonderland. From its very mixed landscape of natural and man-made landmarks, to the diversity of its demographics, New York City offers the finest of all worlds. There were just too many things to discover in NYC. The places to explore and the food to try are so varied yet unique that one could not resist but to try to fit everything in the schedule (and not to mention budget and tummies).
Armed with our very flexible itinerary and the GPS in our phones, we marched on the streets of NYC looking for our next stops. We were not so lucky with our first try on getting seats at the famous ramen place Ippudo on our very first day in NYC. But we are a stubborn couple. So on our second day in the Big Apple, we decided to head over to Ippudo for another shot at getting a table for lunch. Since the restaurant was only a few blocks away from where we stayed, we decided to walk and take in the concrete jungle street vibes.
We got to Ippudo just ten minutes after they opened. And boy, the long waiting list was growing by the minute. But a wait time of 30 minutes and being able to sit inside the warm bar was a far better deal than the previous day's 2-3 hours of waiting outside in the cold weather. And so we patiently waited by the bar and killed time by doing our favorite past time - people watching.
The ramen bowls we had were just perfect! The tasty broth and ample serving of the noodles and meat filled our growling tummies. The silky soup warmed our very core and thawed our frozen Texan butts, literally.
After our hearty Ippudo fill, we headed a few blocks up and got some coffee and pies at Pie Face. Much to our delight, we were able to take in some Aussie goodness while roaming around NYC. It was like a mini world tour within just a few blocks in Manhattan.
While enjoying our pies, and warming ourselves up again before the next trek, some people watching was in order. We hung out for a few minutes at Pie Face and observed locals (or travelers) walk on by.
People told us horrible stories about their ball drop experiences, and how we should be there by 9 in the morning and stay in our spots if we wanted to get a good view of the stage. But being tropical people, staying outside in the freezing temperature for more than 12 hours was definitely not an option for us. To better prepare ourselves for the next grueling hours, we went back to the apartment where we were staying and got some needed zZz's. After making sure we had our protein bars and hand warmers packed, and extra layers of clothing on, we hopped on the train at after 3:18 in the afternoon and headed for Times Square for the much anticipated NYE ball drop.
Our excitement and hopes to finally experience the ball drop were high on the way. Couple this with the falling of a flurry of snow, and I was a very happy kid (this was my very first snow experience). But as we were touching and tasting the first few snowflakes, we were also met with a throng of fellow spectators trying to figure out a way to get in to Broadway. By the looks of it, it seemed we got there late and most of the side streets were already blocked off.
After some running and (mild) pushing, the best spot we could get was on 7th Avenue and 50th Street. It wasn't something to be excited about, because it was too far and we couldn't hear anything from the stage at Times Square. Fortunately, we were huddled with a wonderful mix of people from different parts of the globe who kept our spirits up by shouting "Happy New Year!" at 5 in the afternoon. Either they were already drunk or were just making the most out of our tight situation, pun intended.
It was awfully cold, and the pushy crowd made it just a little bit more uncomfortable. We were stuck behind spectators well endowed with height. Being Asians, we do not really have the advantage of vertical measurent to get a clear view of the ball. But being fun-size and nimble did prove to be of good use when inching forward.
We found ourselves in the midst of like-minded adventurers/bucket-list-doers from all over the globe who came to witness this famous spectacle and didn't mind the inconvenience. We even met a few fellow Filipinos who were so good at sneaking their way into the front of the crowd.
When the ball finally dropped, people cheered, kissed, cried, greeted strangers, jumped up and down like little tykes. Some even acted like they already reached the pinnacles of their lives. An exaggeration, you may say. But if you have been to the emotionally-charged NYE ball drop, you will totally understand and probably even add more crazy emotions to this list.
We walked into 2014 with our tummies empty but our psyches filled with euphoria from all the ball drop experience. It was a night that made us look forward to this year with so much renewed hope. If the experience did not break our spirits, then what will? So we say, bring it on 2014 (you have less than a few days left).
After all the excitement has dissipated, we cautiously made our way out of the busy streets. We had a nice dinner in a Korean restaurant and then headed home to recharge for the next day. We always ended up coming home dead tired from our daily adventures (or misadventures) in NYC. Couple this with the perfect bed weather and we were doomed to be stuck in bed until late in the morning. But the Big Apple is the perfect place to experience the world and yet not feel guilty if you start late in the day. And so we did just that the very next morning... or afternoon.
- Dai
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