New Year’s Eve alone in New York: how to spend it well

Some people want to be in a crowd at midnight. Others want a good dinner, a film and to be asleep by half past twelve. Both are perfectly good ways to start a year. Decide early, so you are not making the choice at nine o’clock with nothing booked.

• Prospect Park in Brooklyn usually puts on free fireworks at midnight, with music beforehand near Grand Army Plaza. It is lively, local and easy to join alone.
• New York Road Runners’ Midnight Run in Central Park starts as the year turns, with fireworks overhead. You need to register in advance, and it tends to sell out.
• Many restaurants offer a set New Year’s menu. A seat at the bar is easy to book alone and easy to talk from.
• Concerts, comedy and dance nights run all evening; buying a single ticket is often easier than finding two seats together.

Details change from year to year, so check this year’s plans before you go. The subway runs all night, but trains around midnight are very busy.

Watching the ball drop in person is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for some people and a long, cold wait for others. People often arrive hours early, there are no bathrooms in the viewing areas, and once you leave you usually cannot get back in. If you go, go prepared; if you are unsure, the fireworks in the parks are more relaxed.

Ask around, even late. A short message to a colleague or someone from your class (“I’m around for New Year’s, are you doing anything?”) often turns up an invitation or a fellow free agent. Small gatherings at home are common and usually welcome one more person who brings something.

If you would like a quieter plan with one new person, the week between Christmas and New Year is a good time for it. Simurgsu introduces people in Manhattan and nearby Brooklyn who want the same kind of evening, starting with a five-minute call.

New Year’s Day in New York is calm and bright: empty streets, long walks, brunch. Plan something you look forward to, like a walk across a bridge or a film, so the holiday ends on a good note. If you are setting resolutions, “one regular thing with the same people every week” is a good one to start with.

Holidays can stir up loneliness, and that is a common and human reaction. Call someone, even briefly. If you are struggling or thinking about harming yourself, you can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, at any time; it is free and confidential. In an emergency, call 911.