Large Public NYE Celebration in the USA

December 23, 2015 6:52 AM

I love large, public street parties for New Year's Eve. Where can I find one in the USA?

I've tried New York City, Houston, and Los Angeles but to my experience, the street parties are generally very sedate, organized, and shut down shortly after midnight... I'm looking for a place where people stay out, dance, shoot fireworks, etc.

Recommendations? It doesn't necessarily have to be a large city, but I'm looking to capture a bit of fun-with-crowds, especially as it seems the weather will be somewhat warmer in most parts of North America than normal.

posted by Seeba to Society & Culture (9 answers total)

Boston.
posted by Melismata at 7:02 AM on December 23, 2015

I'd be surprised in light of increasing perceptions of threats to public gatherings if you'd find the type of environment youre seeking anywhere these days. Huge gatherings of people without sizable police or private security just dont seem likely (i say this as a NYC resident who expects to be cavity searched for trying to get within 25 blocks of times square on new years, and a SF native who remembers halloweens in the castro before gunfire and the sanitized move to the downtown location with all the charm of a cage - they secured an area near civic center for people to celebrate but it was not the same).
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 7:12 AM on December 23, 2015

I've never been but my guess would be that New Orleans is a party on NYE. Might be worth googling.
posted by amro at 7:22 AM on December 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

People say the Atlanta Peach Drop is a good time.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:24 AM on December 23, 2015 [2 favorites]

Seconding Boston (and maybe anywhere that's hosting a First Night celebration?).
posted by acridrabbit at 9:38 AM on December 23, 2015

I've done Vegas. The strip is closed to cars which is cool and the cops were pretty laid back. The street party did fade pretty quickly after midnight, but there's lots of partying still available.
posted by dripdripdrop at 10:54 AM on December 23, 2015

Oh lordy, Beale Street!
posted by raisingsand at 12:44 PM on December 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

To further educate you on my fair city, Alton Brown just declared Memphis as his favorite food city in the country in an interview last week. There's TONS to do here and the weather will be warm and the forecast says dry, too. It's a really big party and has all the elements you requested above.
posted by raisingsand at 12:47 PM on December 23, 2015

Response by poster: I appreciate all the answers; looks like we'll try either Boston or Memphis, thanks.

Exceptional_Hubris, that's what I am looking to avoid- "all the charm of a cage". The best celebrations I've found were in Berlin, Brussels, and Madrid where sure, there is concern given to security, much as there is to safety, but that such concerns aren't the primary drivers of what (to my mind) should be a celebration.

Thanks!
posted by Seeba at 9:17 AM on December 24, 2015