6 Ways You Can Welcome New Year’s Eve in NYC

Say hello to 2018 with these must-dos in New York!

It’s just a few days before we bid adieu to 2017. And what better way to welcome the brand new year than to celebrate it in the concrete jungle where dreams are made of? The lights, the energy, the fun–what else can you ask for? We’ve made you the ultimate cheat sheet on how to begin 2018 with a bang while you’re cruising along the streets of New York.

1. Don’t miss the Ball Drop. Of course, no NYC NYE celebration would be complete without witnessing the annual ball drop! Also, three things: artists’ concert, the inevitable surprise engagement, and getting featured on live television while you’re partying the night away in Times Square–thrilling!

2. Watch the sky light up in Prospect Park. Witness a wonderful fireworks display in Brooklyn’s most famous green space come midnight! Save your spot in Grand Army Plaza, where you can get the best view of the show.

3. Run towards 2018! Yes, let’s not wait for it–chase it! New York Road Runners makes this possible with their annual four-mile Midnight Run. It begins at 10pm with dancing, and when the clock strikes 12mn, trek with hundreds of joggers and enjoy a gorgeous fireworks display.

4. Or if you don’t want to run, glide! Before you head on your parties or concerts, try skating in The Rink at Rockefeller Center. There are morning and afternoon skate schedules if you wanna play with ice. If not, just watch the Christmas Spectacular show featuring the Radio City Rockettes.

Photo from @rockcenterrink

5. Start the year on a high (musical) note. The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine brings you the New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace, where their choir and orchestra will perform and readings, meditations and more festive music are in store, too. Must-see: It begins with Joseph Haydn's Te Deum and continues with the U.S. premiere of See the Wretched Strangers by Lucas Wiegerink.

6. Put your mask on. Head to McKittrick Hotel and attend The King's Winter Masquerade. Celebrate New Year with the royals with this no-holds-barred theatrical event – including an opulent masked revelry, a decadent feast and elaborate performances created exclusively for the evening. Oh, and it’s an open bar all night. *wink*

Photos from Timeout