Every year lots of people debate about whether or not Times Square on New Year’s Eve is worth it. Most New Yorkers will scream, “Don’t do it!” the second you mention it. And while I tend to agree with them, if you do it like I did, it’s 100% worth it. Never have I felt so alive as I did on December 31, 2012!
More people enter the corrals in Times Square at least 24 hours early for New Year’s Eve. You are not allowed to reenter the corrals and I’ve heard horror stories of people literally wearing diapers! Yuck.
My secret to doing Times Square for New Year’s Eve is finding a friend in the military or navy.
I met my girl friend and her now husband a couple blocks from Times Square at 11:30 p.m. on December 31, 2012. Her boyfriend and his two friends showed up wearing their navy uniforms or “whites” as they called them.
When we arrived at a police blockade, the cops let us right through and thanked the navy men for their service. We were escorted to the front of the crowds, right to the stage as Taylor Swift performed, “We Are Never Getting Back Together.”
There were other military and navy troops in our area but still room to move and dance. We got free hats and glasses and had a fun party as the ball dropped!
It was amazing to see the people in the corrals who had been waiting for hours thanking the guys for their service and shaking their hands. They didn’t seem upset that we got to skip the lines. I’ve never felt so alive or proud to be an American as I did that night. It really was one of the most magical nights of my life and everything you hope Times Square on New Years Eve to be.
After the ball dropped, police escorted out the military and navy troops. We ducked into a bar around the corner and the bartender gave us free drinks for the rest of the night with no cover. Unheard of on New Year’s Eve!
So if you’re looking for the secret to doing Times Square on New Year’s Eve, find a military or navy friend to help you! It’s a night you will NOT forget.
And a huge shout out and thank you to all of our military and navy troops for your dedicated service.
