Happy New Year - NYE in NYC

by Michael Barbieri
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When people across the country and around the world think of New Year’s Eve, they tend to think about the famous ball dropping in Times Square in New York City.  It’s my feeling, however, that most New Yorkers avoid New Year’s in Times Square like the plague!  It’s too crowded, too cold, and the wait is forever!  What many folks don’t realize, is that once you get to the area, you’re herded into pens - a grid of wooden police barriers, where you have to stay until the moment the ball drops!  You’re not allowed to leave your pen and duck into a deli or shop for any reason at all!  Hungry?  Too bad, you gotta stay!  Gotta pee?  Nope, you have to stay there!  It’s a thrill for tourists, I’m sure, but New Yorkers generally take a pass.

Having said that, here are some alternative activities for a fun and entertaining New Year’s celebration...

Dinner
Last year, my husband and I had an amazing dinner at Craft, Tom Colicchio’s wonderful restaurant on East 19th Street.  We had reservations for the late seating, which was at 10:30 pm.  There was a prix fixe menu - the best prix fixe I’ve ever tried.  The food was fabulous - we each had a choice of starters, main courses and desserts, and the sides were served family style.  There was a champagne toast at midnight, complete with hats and noisemakers, and with it’s warm, distinctive glow, the atmosphere was elegant and subdued.  It was a bit of a splurge, but well worth it!

Another experience we’ve enjoyed tremendously has been ringing in the New Year with the lovely ladies of Lips Drag Queen Show Palace, Restaurant and Bar, which we’ve done three times in recent years.  This year, their New Year’s Eve Glitz & Glam Ball offers an early seating at 7 pm, which includes a three-course dinner, a fabulous show, hats, horns, noisemakers and more, all for $45.  The late seating, which is the one we’ve always opted for, starts at 9 pm, and continues through until midnight.  For $85, the late seating includes the dinner, the show, the hats and noisemakers, and a champagne toast when the ball drops!  The night is hosted by Morgan Royel, and will surely be a fun, campy party, and a great way to celebrate the start of 2018.

For information, go to www.craftrestaurant.com and www.lipsnyc.com 

Finally, just a few blocks north of Times Square, at 1650 Broadway, there’s Ellen’s Stardust Diner, a retro 1950’s themed diner, filled with nostalgic memorabilia, and home to a fabulous singing waitstaff - they’re not on Broadway...yet, but the caliber of talent is incredible!  Enjoy their classic diner fare, but don’t be surprised when your servers burst into song, roaming the floor and climbing on the backs of the banquettes while they croon.

Ellen’s is hosting a special New Year’s Eve party, which includes a wonderful Prix Fixe dinner, along with performances by the Stardusters.  There will also be a dance floor, and champagne at midnight, all for $225.53 per person.

For information and reservations, go to www.ellensstardustdiner.com 

Dance and Drink:
A couple of months ago, I reported on Retroclubnyc, a new nightclub on 23rd street in Manhattan, which caters to the 35-and-older crowd.  Well, to celebrate its first holiday season in the city, Retroclub is hosting a New Year’s Eve party.  If you enjoy dancing to great music from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s - songs like Vicky Sue Robinson’s “Turn the Beat Around,” Lipps Inc’s “Funkytown,” and Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” then this is the place for you!  Add to that their retro cocktails, like the Tequila Sunrise, Alabama Slammers, B52’s, and Kamikaze shots, and you’ve got a fun party for the adults, which the 20-somethings can enjoy as well.  

While things are still somewhat in the planning stages, I’ve been told that the evening’s festivities should include a 4-hour open bar, from 9 pm to 1 am, music, dancing, party favors, and a champagne toast, all for $100 per person.  So ease on down to Retroclubnyc, and disco your way into the New Year!

For information, go to www.retroclubnyc.com 

Come to the Cabarets
Some of the city’s cabarets and piano bars are helping revelers ring in the year.  Here are a few of the shows and activities they have in store...

Pangea 
This lovely, quirky jewel box of a room on 2nd Avenue between 11th and 12th streets, will present Molly Pope and Kim David Smith, in “No Thrill From Champagne,” a New Year’s Eve flirtation.  The show, featuring Tracy Stark at the piano, will definitely swing both ways, from the glam of yesteryear, to the neo-here-and-now.  There are two performances: 8 pm (priced at $125) and 10:30 pm ($165).  Both shows include a three-course dinner and a half-bottle of Cava per person, with tax and gratuity included!  

For information, go to www.pangeanyc.com  


Don’t Tell Mama   
Located on West 46th Street, just a couple of blocks from Times Square, Don’t Tell Mama, one of NYC’s longest lasting cabarets, will present two shows: In one room, there’s Rick Skye as Liza Minnelli in “Bazazz: A Sequined Variety.”  Laugh the night away, as Liza welcomes comedian Nancy Witter, and the sultry alt-cabaret star, Lykken.  The show runs from 9:30 pm - 12:30 am, and includes a 3 course Prix Fixe meal, the show, and a champagne flute at midnight, for $160 per person.  

In the second room, you can catch “Mama’s New Year Extravaganza,” featuring several of Don’t Tell Mama’s talented staff members performing their hearts out for you!  The show runs from 9:30 pm - 12:30 am, includes the 3 course Prix Fixe, the show, and champagne at midnight, also for $160 per person.

For info: www.donttellmamanyc.com. To make reservations, e-mail MANUEL@DontTellMamaNYC.com  

The Duplex 
On occasion, my husband and I have wanted to go out to celebrate the New Year, but we’ve wanted to avoid the crowds and craziness.  One of our favorite options has been to party at home with friends and then go out after the ball-drop madness!  One of our favorite places to go has been the Duplex, down in Greenwich Village.  

The Duplex is New York’s longest running cabaret and piano bar, down at 61 Christopher Street.  Downstairs, there’s a lively piano bar with a fantastic, friendly, talented staff, who will sing the night away with you.  Head upstairs and you’ll find their legendary cabaret theater, as well as their lounge, known as Upstairs@The Duplex.  This is where Vincent and I have gone to have a drink or two, once the crowds have cleared out, and the vibe has settled into one of pleasant camaraderie.  Of course, The Duplex is a great place to go for all of your New Year’s fun, but we enjoy it after midnight!

For information, go to www.theduplex.com 

No matter what you end up doing, all of us at QLife Media wish you a safe, healthy, and happy New Year!

Michael Barbieri

Food & Entertainment Writer