NEW YORK—Times Square revelers on New Year’s Eve were treated to temperatures that remained warm through the night. The annual celebration drew massive crowds. An estimated 1 million-2 million people came to Times Square, some as early as 24 hours in advance.
“This is like the best place in the whole wide world,” one reveler told NY1. “It’s just a once-in-a lifetime experience that you want to be here, see the crowd.”
People in the crowd wore blue 2012 party hats and 2012 party glasses. Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, and Lady Gaga performed. The latter also pushed the button to start the ball drop together with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The two kissed and danced as soon as the new year arrived.
Classic New York tunes played as couples throughout the crowd celebrated 2012 with a kiss.
NY1 estimates that approximately 100 million watched the Times Square celebration nationwide and an additional 1 billion worldwide.
As people cleared out the area, some 150 Department of Sanitation workers moved in to clean the streets. The department dispatched “24 mechanical sweepers, 22 collection trucks, [and] 37 leaf blowers,” according to a press release. Last year, the department collected more than 56 tons of party favors.
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