New Year’s Eve is the best holiday. It just is. It’s a night of no inhibitions, one where you’re as likely to wake up in the middle of making out with someone as you are to find yourself puking. Forget those friends of yours who grouse about it being amateur hour and a haven for people who can’t handle their liquor. If you’re the sort of person who’s always the drunkest one at the party, it’s the night where everyone gets dragged down to your level and you subsequently look great. Not only that, but it’s a night full of optimism and the belief that things will be better over the next 365 days, despite zero evidence to back it up. If you’re still looking for somewhere to get that midnight smooch and sing Auld Lang Syne, we’ve got your back.
BUSHWICK/WILLIAMSBURG
BangOn! NYC presents: New Year’s Eve 2013: REBIRTH
Secret location off the Montrose L Stop (Williamsburg)
$40
Ah the secret warehouse party. Is there any better New Year’s plan than “This guy told us about a secret party in an abandoned warehouse?” No, there is not. And this is one is looking packed to the brim, with a DJ sets by Alex English and Yeasayer’s Chris Keating among others, an Alice in Wonderland art installation and rides. Rides!
Rubulad Presents: Party-Go-Round on New Year’s Eve
Secret location off the Jefferson L stop (Bushwick)
$20
Another secret warehouse party, this one will have puppets, acrobats, a magician, a magic RV and sprawl over three different Bushwick warehouses. So wear some comfortable shoes.
New Year’s Eve Pre Fixie at Cafe Ghia
Cafe Ghia, 24 Irving Avenue (Bushwick)
$50
The Bushwick restaurant is rolling out a special New Year’s menu, including options like mushroom risotto, tofu manicotti and molten chocolate cake. Your $50 gets you a beer or wine with your meal, and following the food portion of the night, everyone will get down to to sounds from Oliver Ralli and take part in a midnight toast with either champagne or the champagne of beers, High Life.
Murphy’s Law at The Trash Bar
The Trash Bar, 256 Grand Street (Williamsburg)
$12
For those looking to go into 2013 swinging, hardcore legends Murphy’s Law will provide an appropriate soundtrack. As it always is at the Trash Bar, a ticket gets you a PBR and well open bar from 8 to 9 and $6 gets to a PBR and shot of Jack Daniels after 1am.
Matchless New Year’s Eve 2012
Bar Matchless, 557 Manhattan Avenue (Williamsburg)
Free
We’re going to an avoid a cheap, easy pun about no one being able to match this party and give it to you straight: for the low price of zero American dollars, you can ring in the new year first by enjoying stand up comedy and then flitting between dance parties in the front and back room of the bar. And they even give you free champagne at midnight.
New Year’s Eve 2013 at Bembe
Bembe, 81 South 6th Street (Williamsburg)
$25
The Williamsburg bar and lounge will open its doors for an open bar from 8:30pm to 10pm and give all its guests a glass of champagne for a toast at midnight. The soundtrack for your evening will be an uptempo blend of cumbia, Brazilian, African, merengue, soca, tropical bass, reggae & dance hall.
New Year’s Eve with Jungles, Gregory Ferreira and the Bushwick Hotel, Mancie, Bill Bartholomew Band and Tropical Ooze
Spike Hill, 186 Bedford Avenue (Williamsburg)
Free
You can get bass-heavy dance music at almost every party on this list, but not too many of them come from a live band, like you can find with Jungles. And there’s just something that much more urgent about music like that when played live. Plus! One of their members was willing to wear one of those hideous/awesome Rangers’ “Liberty” jerseys in a press photo, so these kids are obviously capable of anything.
New Year’s Bash: Ian Pooley, Pat Mahoney and Ron Morelli
Cameo Gallery, 93 North 6th Street (Williamsburg)
$30
It’s New Year’s Eve, so why should you be subject to the limitations of just one measly DJ? Get down and get sweaty with Pooley, Morelli and late of LCD Soundsystem, Pat Mahoney.
Swans and Dons New Year’s Eve Spectacular
Brooklyn Stable, 486 Metropolitan Avenue (Williamsburg)
$40
This is looking like a party where your money will be well spent. Your $40 gets you an open bar from 9pm to 1am, a free champagne toast, free catered food ranging from hors d’oeuvres to turducken, three DJs and a variety of raffled off items from artwork to glass pipes.
Gaze 4 Daze
Public Assembly, 70 North 6th Street (Williamsburg)
$10
The modest $10 ticket gets you access to both rooms in Public Assembly, which will, presumably, be filled with gays for days. Or else that’s a really misleading title. Just make sure you’re not dancing so hard you miss the midnight champagne toast.
Murray Hill’s New Year’s Eve
The Knitting Factory, 361 Metropolitan Avenue (Williamsburg)
$40
“The hardest working middle-aged man in show business” Mr. Murray Hill brings his ageless Borscht Belt stylings to Williamsburg for New Year’s. Joining him will be burlesque dancers, performance artists and a monkey.
New Year’s Eve Built By Mean Red
Villain, 50 North 3rd Street (Williamsburg)
$35
A warehouse party that’s slightly less secret than the other ones on this list, it still sounds huge and crazy. Three DJs, representing Brooklyn, LA and Paris respectively, an open bar from 9pm to 10pm and a champagne toast at midnight should pack the house and make for a memorable (forgotten) New Year’s.
The Reverend Vince Anderson and His Love Choir
Union Pool, 484 Union Avenue (Williamsburg)
FREE
New Year’s is on a Monday this year, so that means you can enjoy the already amped-up entertainment provided by the Reverend Vince Anderson and see if he can push it to a whole new level. Huddle with the other seekers looking for spiritual redemption through music and try to find the right one to lock lips with as the snow swirls outside.
CLINTON HILL
Lola BKLYN End of the World New Year’s Eve
Chez Lola, 387 Myrtle Avenue (Clinton Hill)
$40
The Clinton Hill gastropub is priming the pump for one more end of the world celebration with a $40 open bar from 10pm to midnight, with a free shot when the ball drops. Champagne is overrated next to whiskey anyway. Throw them ten more bucks and you can get an appetizer platter to go along with your booze.
Occupy New Year’s Eve
Jack, 505 1/2 Waverly Avenue (Clinton Hill)
$10 suggested donation, volunteers get in free
If you want to pick up a little do-gooder sheen on New Year’s, or just kiss someone who’s worth a damn, hang with the Occupy kids and DJ Radio Raheem at Jack, Clinton Hill’s newest arts center. The flyer says volunteers get in for free, though it doesn’t specify how they know if you’re a volunteer. Just remember you’re a terrible person and no one will kiss you at midnight if you lie to avoid paying the door fee.
PARK SLOPE/GOWANUS
Union Hall and Karaoke Killed the Cat’s $5 New Year’s Spectacular
Union Hall, 702 Union Street (Park Slope)
$5
Who among your friends will be the first to get up there and butcher “Auld Lang Syne“? Will any of you be able to remember or will you indulge too heavily in the champagne and drink specials all night? We’d be guilty of the second, for sure.
New Year’s Eve Bash at the Rock Shop with Doll Parts
The Rock Shop, 249 4th Avenue (Park Slope)
$10 advance/$12 door
Start January with tear in your beer with Doll Parts, New York’s premier Dolly Parton cover band
The Rub New Year’s Eve
The Bell House, 149 7th Street (Gowanus)
$40
The party-starting vets will make your New Year’s especially funky by spinning their custom blend of hip hop, soul, classic funk and disco. Plus, you can wash it all down with a champagne toast at midnight.
The First Party Ever
The Gowanus Ballroom, 55 9th Street (Gowanus)
$15
A post-apocalyptic party with a sense of humor, art collective Swimming Cities is heading to Gowanus to share a coal fired hot tub time machine, hair salon and a derelict car running into a giant pinata at midnight. All the proceeds from the night will go towards Secret Metal Works and resurrecting the Boatel, both of which suffered massive damage during Sandy.
New Year’s at Pork Slope
Pork Slope, 247 5th Avenue (Park Slope)
$60
This emporium of pig will open their kitchen and bar for you for an astounding three hours, from 10pm to 1am, with an all-you-can-eat and drink extravaganza. They must be really happy the world didn’t end, because we don’t know what else explains this kind of generosity.
PROSPECT HEIGHTS/CROWN HEIGHTS/PROSPECT PARK
New Wave Eve Bash featuring Electric Monday
The Way Station, 683 Washington Avenue (Prospect Heights)
FREE
The Prospect Heights nerd sanctuary invites you to remember the 80s with all of its side ponytails, skinny ties and Blondie’s “Rapture” which is somehow 32 years old. Electric Monday, a New York based self-described “New Wave Hip Hop Funk” trio will be providing the tunes.
LaunchPad New Year’s Eve: Eat, Drink, Dance, Craft, Sing, Play, Etc
LaunchPad, 721 Franklin Avenue (Crown Heights)
$10
LaunchPad is celebrating the new year AND their recently acquired non-profit status with a whole mess of stuff: home brew beer, snacks (which you are also welcome to bring), a dance party, karaoke, a board games table and even a midnight monster movie. So it’s basically like a half-dozen New Year’s parties rolled into one.
New Year’s Eve Grand Army Plaza Fireworks
Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park
FREE
If braving the crowds and the chilly air along with 1 million other revelers at the annual Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Drop feels a little daunting, put your Glug in a to-go cup and head out from your friend’s party to Brooklyn’s tamer alternative to welcoming the new year. At midnight, the borough puts on a dazzling fireworks display over Grand Army Plaza that’s decidedly more family-friendly than Manhattan’s festivities. The party kicks off at 11pm with entertainment and warm treats. For optimal viewing, pick a spot along Prospect Park’s West Drive between Grand Army Plaza and 9th Street.
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