If you want to see the ball drop, you have to get into Times Square in the middle of the afternoon. I haven`t spend New Year`s Eve in NY for abut 15 years but when I did, we ended up in Central Park. It wasn`t that spectacular - America doesn`t do spectacular as far as NY is concerned (IMO) As far as I remember, there was a big joggers event and they all ran through the park. It was a nice night weatherwise, and good to see anyway.