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As New Year's draws closer, it's time to begin planning how you'll say goodbye to 2016 and hello to 2017. Choose from one of these New Year's celebrations--from a fireworks show in the mountains to a champagne jazz cruise on the Hudson River to a whimsical party at a winery and a bike ride through the city--and don't look back.
1. The Sporty Celebration | Hunter Mountain | Catskills, NY
If you can't beat the cold, join it. After a day of living 2016 to the fullest on the slopes, head down to Hunter Mountain's main bar for rewarding eats and live entertainment, followed by a tailgate-style shindig, a torchlight parade, and a big fireworks show. For a fine dining experience head to the mountain's Van Winkles Restaurant for their prix fix dinner.
Directions: There are multiple options for easy travel to and from Hunter Mountain by bus, check out the Hunter Mountain's Bus Lines page for specific information on various other pick-up and drop-off points in New York City.
2. The Family Style Meal | Maison May Dekalb | Fort Greene, NY
Top off 2016 with an eco smorgasbord, where a $70 per person feast promises plates like mushroom tartine, herb gnocci, and braised beef brisket. Sip champagne with your flourless chocolate cake and make a New Year's resolution to keep eating delicious food from local farmers. Reservations are recommended, minimum 4 people per party.
Directions: R/Q/B/D train to DeKalb Avenue; C train to Clinton/Washington
3. The Whimsical Celebration| Brooklyn Winery | Williamsburg, NY
Don't settle for Yellow Tail at a random party and discover Brooklyn's first wine-making center instead. Put on your best fantastical cocktail attire and head to a night of wonderland-esque surprises where for $150, you'll explore a mystical forest, eat lavish anti pasto, and dance the night away.
Directions: Take the L Train to the Bedford Ave. stop (First stop in Brooklyn). Exit on either Bedford or Driggs and walk north to North 8th St. Walk east on North 8th St. and it is on the north side of the street at 213 North 8th St. The trip takes less than 10 minutes from Union Square.
4. The Romantic Seaside Getaway| Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel & Spa | Newport, RI
Escape to Goat Island in Newport for a romantic New Year's Eve getaway, which includes one night in a deluxe room, spa treatements for two, a welcome gift, and champagne.
Directions: Consult offManhattan's public transportation guide to Providence.
5. The Low-Key Celebration | Gigi's Trattoria | Hudson Valley, NY
Slip into the countryside just north of New York City for a sumptuous sustainable dinner. Offerings include Hudson Valley foie gras, house smoked scallops, sablefish, and slow roasted suckling pig with porcini mushrooms. Confetti will be thrown at midnight. $100 with wine pairings. Read the full menu here.
Directions: Rhinebeck is easily accessible from New York City by trains out of New York Penn Station or Grand Central Station. From Penn Station, Amtrak will take you to Rhinecliff, a small town outside of Rhinebeck. MetroNorth will take you to Poughkeepsie, and Rhinebeck is less than a 20-minute cab ride from there.
6. The Last Wild Ride of 2016 Celebration | Time's Up | NYC
If one of your resolutions is to get fit in 2017, this is a good place to start, with a festive bike ride through NYC ending with fireworks and a dance party at Belvedere Castle in Central Park. Bring the bells, booze, and whistles, forget the dressy get-up and say "cheers!" with the grassroots environmental organization, Time's Up.
7. New Year's Eve Fireworks Cruise | Classic Harbor Line | NYC
Ring in the New Year with a party aboard the 1920s style Manhattan boat. After a one-hour on board champagne class, enjoy breathtaking views of the city (including Battery Park, South Street Seaport, Governors Island, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Roosevelt Island) while sipping on drinks and eating hors d'oeuvres, while a live jazz trio serenades the 3.5 hour trip, with a break for the boom boom of fireworks, of course. $378
Photo: Ed.ward