New Year's Eve in Times Square

31 December 2011 - Well...what a night. About 3.30 PM  I caught the Subway into Manhattan  and tried to make my way to Times Square. There were a squillion policeman on duty and all the streets were blocked off. I started at 42nd Street and couldn't even approcah  the Times Square area until I got to 59th Street.  Once I turned into 59th St I was basically locked in - there were more people than I could have imagined all trying to do the same thing as me. We were stuck here for over an hour...there was no fear of falling over lol....we were stacked so tight you were held up by the people around you...very cosy. As the police opened another street the crowd surged forward and that was when it got scary....I was pushed and shoved and must admit to being nervous about falling. Finally we got as far as we were going to get....still 2 blocks from the action (the crowds finally filled 12 city blocks and numbered over a million) but there were big screens up so you didn't miss anything. It did cross my mind that I could have been in the Hotel sitting up in bed watching on TV and eating chocolate lol but the atmosphere was what made it special.

The entertainment was great - strangely I liked Pitbull lol - and the fireworks and confetti and the noise put me in sensory overload. A great experience and another thing crossed off the bucket list. Would I do it again? Probably not. Standing crushed together for so many hours - no toilets and the inability to get closer to the action all would make me the take the hotel/stay in bed/watch TV/eat chocolate package next time.....but I'm 60. If I was 20 and lived in New York I would go every year.

As soon as it hit midnight I fought my way through the crowds and headed back to 42 nd street and the Subway. I got on the Brooklyn train but eventually realised I was on the wrong line. Caught two more trains and still couldn't get on the right line but thanks to my  I-phone saw that I was in the general area. I walked along 4th Ave from 10th St to 38th St. It was a decent walk and a bit scary in places - 4th Avenue ain't pretty but got back safely but tired. All in all an interesting day that I wouldn't have missed and I am glad that I overcame my fears and went to Times Square.

PS normally breakfast in this hotel is a very busy overcrowded affair - today there was three of us hehehe....may be a few hedaches in the building.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!

Gordon the Gnome was embarrassing and indulged in all available substance abuse he could take . Today he is paying the price.