One of our favorite traditions is to spend New Year’s Eve in Manhattan while the city is all decked out and relatively unpopulated, then to exit in the early evening before the madness begins.
MOMA
First, we walk uptown to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), past huge crowds on the west side of Sixth Avenue, waiting to be let into Times Square, which is blocked off. It will be ten hours before the ball drops at midnight, so this will be quite a wait for them, so good luck!
MOMA, on the other hand, is open but lightly populated. We tour miles of artwork that was revolutionary in its time and in many ways still seems so.
The highlight for us is Otobong Nkanga’s tapestry titled Cadence, which hangs ceiling-to-floor against the tallest wall of the atrium, 60 feet long.
Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center
The Christmas tree still stands at Rockefeller Center. Although a few feet shorter than last year’s Norway spruce, this 2024 giant reigns supreme over the ice-skating rink and photo-shooting tourists. We approach beneath the trumpeting angels, grateful that the crowds have thinned since before Christmas. Always nice to see the tree!
Grand Central terminal
Grand Central, where we plan to spend the rest of our evening before heading home, beckons just a short distance from Rockefeller Center. The Main Concourse, as always, is bustling and beautiful—probably our favorite space in New York. We plan to have drinks and dinner in the terminal but decide to explore first, including the Grand Central Market, where we would shop every day if we lived closer.
Grand Brasserie
Occupying 16,000 square feet in Grand Central’s historic Vanderbilt Hall, the Grand Brasserie restaurant with towering ceilings seats 300 in the main room and another 100 in the Green Room in back. We choose the Green Room for our New Year’s Eve celebratory drinking. It’s more intimate and beautifully decorated. In fact, the whole of Grand Brasserie delights the eye.
The Oyster Bar
Then we head downstairs to the Oyster Bar for dinner. The food here gets deservedly mixed reviews, but it’s a night for tradition, and this tiled, arched space has been around since 1913. Gourmands recommend ordering a dozen oysters or clam chowder along with a martini if you want the best results. Agreed!
And with that, we’re done, safely exiting the festivities by 8 pm. Happy New Year!