Planning on Getting Engaged on New Years Eve in Times Square?

by Mike Kazis

Serving brides and grooms so often has given us the opportunity to hear how so many grooms-to-be proposed marriage. Whether it be a romantic dinner at their favorite restaurant or in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle in Disney World, we have heard of some creative ideas. We'd like to share one of these ideas with our visitors that involves a remarkable experience in Time Square during the New Year's Eve celebration.

Ever since DPP started looking for ways to have a great time outside the boundaries of a party room, we have enjoyed the energy of Times Square for two straight years.

New Years in Times Square is probably the biggest party event of the year and it’s the biggest party event in the world. It only seemed appropriate that we went ourselves to see what makes it so exciting.

Times Square has many party elements and at such a great magnitude. There are people in good spirits, lights, music, and party props; very similar to what you would find at any party. This much excitementm, we felt would definitely add to the excitement of getting engaged.

Tips

If you've never been to Times Square for New Years and don't know much about it, here are some tips to help you plan for a much more enjoyable event, whether you're going for just New Years Eve or planning to stay at a hotel in or around Times Square.

Safety First
We'd like to start off by saying that you should go there with security in mind. Remember that New York's Finest are there to make sure that everyone is there to have a good time and stay safe. They should be given complete respect.

The key to a Times Square New Years experience is getting there early. The police close the street to traffic by 4:00 PM and begin constructing fences immediately afterward. By 4:30, they begin the process of filling in the boxed areas with the awaiting crowds. Many people get there as early as 1:00 PM just to be as close to the ball as possible. The area between 44th & 48th streets is the optimal place to be, especially since they are all within range of the confetti and the speakers. Anything past these streets is difficult to hear the music playing and there is less confetti falling from the rooftops.

When the boxes are full, the police close the streets and move the crowd to the next block to fill in the next set of boxes. The crowd fills the boxes on Broadway and Seventh Avenues all the way to 59th Street. If you get there late and have to go that far, from Time Square then enter a box on Seventh Avenue rather than Broadway. You will get a better view.

Booking a Hotel

If this is an option, then we highly recommend it! We have been satisfied with this decision thus far. We find that the best hotels are the ones situated on Seventh Avenue and on Broadway. The main advantage to booking a hotel in these areas is that it can cut down on the amount of time that's required to wait in a boxed area. Many hotels have a pretty good view of the ball.

The Marriott Marquis would be the most ideal hotel to stay at because of its location between 45th and 46th Streets on Broadway. Besides having the most trilling elevators in the city, being on the street of the Marriott Marquis gives you the optimal effect of Times Square. Sound, lights, confetti, noisemakers, and entertainment are all within view from Marriott Marquis. You may also be able to get into one of the boxed areas from here. The same may go for the Doubletree Guest Suites which is across the street at 1568 Broadway. We haven't had much experience with the Doubletree. We know they are the only all-suite hotel in Times Square and that they are also sold out for next year. A couple we met from Tampa stayed at the Doubletree this year and were able to enjoy all that Times Square had to offer on New Years Eve. Although the weather has been bearable for the past two years, it may get cold in the future New Years celebrations, driving some partiers indoors. If you choose to party from your hotel room, the south side of the Marriott faces the ball and a view of the crowd. You cannot see the ball drop from the north side, you can only see the crowd in the opposite direction. With any luck you may meet some guests on the south side of the building that are willing to share the view with you.

All these hotels allow guests to enjoy New Years with some indoor celebrations. In addition to the price of the hotel room, guests could buy tickets to the new years parties in their lounge areas. We have found the views from the Marriott and the Renaissance to be the best in Times Square.

Further up from the Marriott Marquis are two more hotels, the W Hotel and the Crown Plaza. We stayed at the Crown Plaza this year at 1605 Broadway (between 47th and 48th Streets). Most of the view of the ball is obstructed by other buildings but you have a great view from the street. The police let some of the crowd in the boxed area in order to keep the sidewalks clear. We haven't stayed at the W Hotel in Times Square but we have been to the one on Lexington Ave and 48th Street. We are very impressed with the style of both hotels and plan on visiting in the near future.

The closest hotels on Seventh Avenue are the Renaissance Hotel and the Doubletree Guest Suites. The Renaiisance Hotel is the last building before Broadway and Seventh Avenue meet and is directly opposite the ball. Their lounge area faces the ball and the hotel staff claim that the view is "the best view in Times Square." If anyone's been to Times Square and remember seeing the facade of a Mercedes Benz will know will the windows of the lounge area. They make up the windshield of the Mercedes. We were able to check the view for ourselves and it is pretty spectacular. However, be prepared to spend a lot for it. The hotel will give you a package deal of party and accomodations for approximately $900 per person.

There are two more hotels on Seventh Ave that are further away but still give you a decent view. They are the Sheraton Manhattan and the Sheraton New York. Both are almost directly across form one another and have a clear view of the end of Times Square.

Side street hotels are also an option but are not much cheaper. One that we have experience with is the Millennium Hotel at the center of 45th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenue. This hotel is in a great spot because it's on the same street as the corner shared by the ABC studio and Toys R Us. The only drawback to this hotel was that it was blocked off to Times Square until the last few seconds of the countdown. People had to run down the street so they wouldn't miss anything. This would be great if you could get over the gate fast enough to run half a block.

Dining

It's no secret that some restaurants can be pretty expensive in New York City, especially in a place like Times Square. We found some terrific restaurants on the side streets that had delicious food, great prices, and a cozy atmosphere.
Hakata
This place could possibly have the best sushi ever. The prices for their entrees were very good. They are also listed in Zagat.

For a taste of tourism two of our favorites are Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and Fridays. Sure, they have extremely inflated prices but the food is delicious.

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