The new year began in Times Square with the sound of “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra, with pieces of laminated paper flying through the air and the ball of colored lights on top of a building fading as usual. Despite traditional rituals, the turn of 2022 was different from previous ones in New York’s best-known square.
At the first New Year’s Eve party with public in the city since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of people was limited to 15 thousand, compared to more than 60 thousand before the health crisis. It was necessary to show identity and proof of vaccination at the entrance. To try to ensure social distance, the audience was divided into several spaces separated by railings, such as corrals, which were several meters apart from each other.
Each of these spaces, however, had no structure whatsoever. It was just a piece of asphalt, with no seats, toilets, water or food nearby. The access of each of them was closed when a certain amount was reached, and whoever left was told that they would have to get in line again, from the beginning, if they wanted to return.
Seven hours before the turn, at 5 pm, there was a line to get in that stretched for five blocks. Whoever won it gained access to already distant areas, almost ten blocks from the epicenter of the party. The sectors near the stages, and the ball, filled up quickly, shortly after the opening of the gates, at 15:00.
“I arrived here in the early afternoon and only got space far away. I think that whoever is near the stage arrived at 6:00 am”, said Alicia, 22, who declined to give her last name. She was in a space farther ahead, but ended up having to go deeper after leaving to find a bathroom. Instead of taking the line again, he ended up jumping over the fence while the police couldn’t see.
“I came here because I wanted to travel. And I don’t like parties where people get drunk,” says she, who lives in Virginia and had come by bus. A friend would meet her at the party, but couldn’t make it because her trip was cancelled, a reflection of the pandemic.
At the turnaround time, some people jumped the metal barriers, looking for better places to take pictures of the brief fireworks. In each pen, there was plenty of space for everyone to stay without crowding. But, as with any show, most people prefer to gather on the grid with a better view of the stage, and the rest of the space was empty, with a few people sitting on the floor.
Wearing a mask was also required, but many people put it down shortly after entering, and there was no enforcement of this. Several police, even, did not use it. The agent who controlled access to the space in which the leaf was was one of them. He spent about half an hour talking to a couple of regulars who also had an unprotected face.
The audience at the party was varied. There were young couples, groups of friends, families with children, single ladies. Conversations took place in many different accents and languages. But everyone understands when a man, around 7 pm, appears outside the grille shouting “pizza”.
The seller, who did not have credentials, placed seven boxes of cheese pizzas on the grid and offered each one for US$ 35 (R$ 190). Many interested parties found the price expensive – after all, it is common to find slices for $2 in the region. But within ten minutes they were all sold.
After him, for the next few hours, rare vendors came, offering pizzas and hamburgers at salty prices. A half-open newsstand sold a few things too, discreetly. In another area, next to a pharmacy, you had to talk to a policeman to be able to leave, buy something and come back. Each agent seemed to act in a way. Asked about bathrooms, one of them suggested: “try to see if any hotel lets you use them”.
Near the people on the street, several hotels and restaurants hosted New Year’s Eve parties for customers who arrived looking very tidy and could access the restricted area without lining up. They could also walk through the corridors between the bars. So, they went out to take pictures in the streets and then went back inside. There were parties there with tickets starting at $1,000, like the Marriot Marquis.
In areas farther away from the stage, the mood was more of waiting than partying, because the sound was low, although there were high definition screens to show who was performing. The night featured musical numbers by Mariah Carey, Journey, KT Tunstall, Ja Rule and Ashanti. Three names that had been announced initially – Carol G, LL Cool J (who picked up Covid) and Chloe – did not introduce themselves.
In the street, to pass the time, some couples practiced dance steps when the music got livelier. Others ate snacks they brought, sitting on the floor. And almost everyone was fiddling with their cell phones, most of them to take pictures, make video calls, and share what they were there. “I came because I always wanted to know this party, as it is considered the biggest New Year in the world”, commented Thrupthi, a young woman of Indian origin who came to study in the US (and also declined to give her last name).
Every hour, there was a countdown and a small explosion of fireworks, as a way of heating up for the turnaround time. As midnight approached, the crowd grew a lot, and everyone tried to find a good angle. The countdown started, the cell phones went up and I could barely see the screen. But the fireworks, the shower of colored paper and the atmosphere of the turnaround made it seem that the several hours of waiting were worth it.
The crowd began to leave minutes later to the tune of “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. Many tried to stop to take more pictures, but the police ordered everyone to circulate. Around 12:30 am, the subway carried many people still dressed in “2022” shaped glasses and hats who wished for “Happy New Year”.
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