Who will be watching a falling lighted ball on New Years? (New York: home, live in)

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I love your city but just can't understand the facination with the falling ball on New Years. Looks like it slowly moves down. I was thinking that it would be cooler if it slammed into the ground and exploded into a mess of fireworks, confetti, and balloons. Now that would be cool. Saying that I have never seen or watched on TV the New York New years eve festivities. Some members of my family love to bring in the new year watching the New York show.

Can anyone explain the facination with a falling ball,and hanging out with 1,000 of other people in the cold?

[cazattack]

lol i hate the whole "ball- dropping" i'm actually quite nervous being as i work in times square until 6 today and may have to push trhough the crowds to get to the train and get home.
I have friends from out of state (though im not a native nyc-er im from upstate) that think its crazy that i dont want to go see the ball drop. its like being cramped in between 8 million people, standing in the cold, to watch a disco ball move and some fireworks? no thanks!

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

I love your city but just can't understand the facination with the falling ball on New Years. Looks like it slowly moves down. I was thinking that it would be cooler if it slammed into the ground and exploded into a mess of fireworks, confetti, and balloons. Now that would be cool. Saying that I have never seen or watched on TV the New York New years eve festivities. Some members of my family love to bring in the new year watching the New York show.

Can anyone explain the facination with a falling ball,and hanging out with 1,000 of other people in the cold?

Ah, my friend, to discern the beauty of the falling ball is to observe a piece by Picasso and to be so enthralled that it leaves one speechless and dumbfounded.

Trying to explain that work of art to the unitiated and non-art lover would be fruitless. Either one loves works or art or one doesn't.

Why not instead have some fun under a well-lit cactus tree on the lovely deserts of Arizona, tequila in hand, to ring in the New Year?

[ImCurlybelle]

I'll probably be in bed, sleeping. This is by far the most depressing new years I have ever had ... I'm usually all into it, excited to go out. But I have zero plans this year and not even any invites to go anywhere. So pathetically sad ...

[rocafeller05]

You can come out with us if you like. Were a sane, down to earth group.

Originally Posted by ImCurlybelle

I'll probably be in bed, sleeping. This is by far the most depressing new years I have ever had ... I'm usually all into it, excited to go out. But I have zero plans this year and not even any invites to go anywhere. So pathetically sad ...

[jax78]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

I love your city but just can't understand the facination with the falling ball on New Years. Looks like it slowly moves down. I was thinking that it would be cooler if it slammed into the ground and exploded into a mess of fireworks, confetti, and balloons. Now that would be cool. Saying that I have never seen or watched on TV the New York New years eve festivities. Some members of my family love to bring in the new year watching the New York show.

Can anyone explain the facination with a falling ball,and hanging out with 1,000 of other people in the cold?

Nope because NYers don't really do that!! It's tourists. I've lived in NY my whole life and I have never went nor had the desire to go. =)

[danameless]

Same here, I would say 90% if not more of the people that go are tourists - just so they can do home and tell their friends that they did it. I've never gone or had the curiosity to go.

[TheMachineStops]

I'll be watching the ball drop. But on television without the cold or the crowds.

Still, it's fun to experience it live in Times Square once in your life. I did it in 1985, IIRC

[bmwguydc]

I have never had a desire to go to Times Square for New Year's, either. It's more of a tourist activity, and I liken it to a larger crowd that one would see outside the morning show studios, holding their signs and waving to the people back home.

People ask me why I would not go, and they just don't understand the dynamics of it, and that every pickpocket east of the Mississippi has been converging on Manhattan for the last few days (handy to have the Port Authority just up the street). Well, perhaps they have a handle on the pickpockets, since the police cordon off the areas and you cannot enter or exit after a certain time, but that has historically been an event where one would increase the odds of getting pickpocketed without proper precautions.

The ball, itself, is a work of art, and as it's Waterford that's why they lower it slowly, but the show has changed without Dick Clark in his preeminent role. And, at least Dick Clark and Regis Philbin are from New York, though Dick Clark is upstate, but now it's Ryan Seacrest as a host? What's next? America's Rockin' New Year's Eve Idol contest? It's not as New York-centric as it once was, now merely a stage set for Hollywood east, trading on the city as a backdrop, hence why it appeals to tourists from areas outside New York.

[rlrl]

after being at the 78-79 and 88-89 ball drops I've had enough