Four Vital Tips For Surviving The Worst Night of The Year

New Year's Eve, aka the Worst Night of the Year, has finally arrived. Tens of thousands of out of towners will soon be invading the streets of Manhattan to drunkenly disrupt traffic, blow cheap horns while wearing glittery hats and 2010 sunglasses, and repeatedly scream "Happy F!*#ng New Year" at anyone and everyone who crosses their path before 1:00 AM. The snow and rain throughout the day should only make things more enjoyable. But New Years really doesn't have to be that bad. Here are some pointers to make the night a bit more enjoyable.

1. Start Early: A perfect way to avoid some of the travel pains of NYE is to get where you are going before the masses start making moves. If you are really going for a big night, does starting at 9 PM instead of 10 PM really matter? Really? Of course not.

2. Stay Local: If you have ever tried to hail a cab or town car after 1 AM in New York City on New Years, you probably made a resolution to never try to hail a cab or town car on New Years ever again. The solution? Pick a bar or restaurant in your neighborhood and laugh at all of the fools trying to get from downtown to uptown in the rain as you casually stroll home. Ha!

3. Go Where They Ain't: If you really want to get out of your hood, may we suggest going to an out of the way neighborhood you normally wouldn't go to? The reason? Transportation. After attending a wonderful affair on the Upper East Side last year, we marveled at the quantity of available cabs waiting to take revelers downtown, where 40 people mauled each other trying to claim the cab that dropped us off. Not pretty. So while the masses fought each other, we were able to keep the night going. Winner!

4. Host a Party: Instead of trying to find a restaurant or bar looking to gouge you on prixe fixe, minimums, or tickets, why not throw a house party? It's the simplest way to spend the night with friends in an environment completely controlled by you, hopefully guaranteeing you a night of fun without any of the hassles associated with New Years. If your place is too small, well, get a bigger place.

Follow these simple suggestions and you have more than a fighting chance of turning New Years from the Worst Night of the Year to a very fun one.
· The Five Worst Nights of the Year [~ENY~]
· New Years Eve Coverage [~ENY~]