5 Cities to Celebrate NYE and Have an Epic Time

So here we are on the last day of 2019… the last day of the 2010’s decade. This calls for a celebration ya’ll!

But if you’re like me, your New Year’s Eve plans came together super last minute, or perhaps you don’t have any plans at all. Finding a place to count down into the new year can be expensive, exhausting, and an overall headache.

One typical scenario might go like this: you have all kinds of options at your fingertips but you want to make sure you absolutely choose the RIGHT one. You can’t waste that fresh mani/pedi and freakum dress on an okay time. You paid good money to look hot, so the party better be epic.

Another scenario is having very limited options to choose from (all of which seem like a hard pass), and instead of bothering your friends to try something new, you decide to pop that $5 champagne alone and sleep through the ball drop.

NYE doesn’t need to be stressful if you plan in advance… way in advance. I hope you know where I’m going with this… Yes, I’m telling you to take a trip for New Year’s Eve!

There are plenty of cities on this earth that throw a good party, but some cities simply do it better than the rest. So I’ve pulled together a list of five cities where you can comfortably ditch all the pretentious glitz and glam galas, and genuinely have a great time cruising the streets to discover what the city has to offer.

In every city mentioned below, I have drank, danced, sang out loud, and generally just let loose. That’s partly because the people and the vibe of these cities welcome this behavior. It’s not taboo to sweat and let your baby hairs kink up a little bit. If this is the vibe you want to be apart of for NYE 2021, check out the list below.

5. Dublin, Ireland (in the province of Leinster)
Whether it’s a matter of fact, opinion, or just a long-standing stereotype, I’ll be the first to confirm that the Irish like their ale… and in large quantities. With the Guinness Brewery stationed just outside the city center, the stout beverage is flowing pretty much everywhere, along with Jameson Whiskey… because, hello… Ireland.

While there are a number of pubs to grab a pint, the streets of Dublin can be overwhelming to navigate, especially at night. Do yourself a favor and put the responsibility on someone else: join a pub crawl.

How did Dublin make the list you ask? It’s simple: beer, music, and a raging time. I expected the music scene in Dublin to be on the acoustic-side and while my predictions were right, it’s the energy of the other spectators who are loudly and drunked-ly singing along to their favorite folk songs that control the ambiance.

Trust me lads, Dublin is worth it.

4. Portland, Oregon, USA
Known for its food carts, flannel-wearing-bearded men, and perhaps even a hub for progressive politics, Portland, OR (PDX) in its own unique way, knows how to party.

Non-locals may not realize that Portland is also known for having more strip clubs per capita than any other U.S. city. Here’s some invaluable trivia: the city of Portland has twice as many strips clubs than public restrooms. Of course, I wouldn’t attribute the liveliness of a entire city solely to pole-twirling topless women. BUT this is the only city where I witnessed an exotic dancer on stage in roller skates. Yes… roller skates.

To put it simply, that experience left an impression on me. The nude-y bars, as my dad calls them, are pretty critical to the PDX experience, including a visit to Casa Diablo – a strip club designed to replicate the bar Salma Hayek dance in From Dusk ‘Til Dawn.

Portland is also one of the very rare U.S. cities where you can purchase marijuana without a prescription. Do what you will with that little piece of information. Even if you don’t go for NYE, my advice is JUST GO. PDX is live.

3. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
What kind of “party city” list would this be if I didn’t include the Big Easy?

Let me just start off by saying this: New Orleans is a whole mood. NOLA is the kind of city where you wake up and start drinking just because the sun is out and you’re breathing. Sort of like Las Vegas, and that’s no exaggeration.

Of course, no NOLA trip is complete without a good tipsy stroll down Bourbon Street. And yes, the casting of beads is a real thing, if you earn them appropriately. NOLA might stretch the capabilities of your liver and that’s because the daiquiris have a way of sneaking up on you. In general there are alcoholic daiquiris flowing into cups just about everywhere in the French Quarter… even at the gas stations.

Beyond Bourbon Street, a casual night on Frenchmen Street can easily turn into a night of hot-sweaty dancing. The live music is turnt up! Frenchmen St. requires bar-hopping, and in my opinion it’s more fun than Bourbon. The live music coming from various venues pulls you into the bar, and you can’t help but groove.

New Orleans is the kind of city where you can have grown-up fun or frat boy fun and no one will judge you. It’s a must for anyone looking to get loose.

Read more on my experience in the Big Easy by visiting my previous post FIVE DAYS OF BEIGNETS: A CALI GIRL’S FIRST TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS

2. Boracay, Philippines
Enjoy a good ol’ island hop? Boracay is its own island off the main island of Manila, and a short flight from the Philippines capital. You can do some more island hopping via a motorboat to much smaller islands and coves, and of course water sports. Wherever you go in Boracay is a good time. Apart from the white sand beaches that surround the entire perimeter, the beachfront bars, lounges, and live music venues are what make the island’s nightlife come alive.

Just like any other main strip in a municipal downtown where the nightlife is concentrated, Boracay also has a central social scene filled with liquor-pouring venues lined up one after the other. What’s unique about Boracay is that all the bars are on sand to which you can walk out and follow the sound of waves right into the ocean.

When I arrived in Boracay, I was mostly looking forward to lounging around on the beach. Little did I know that this island is a party island, and I can testify that my last night on the island was pretty friggin’ epic. Let the blurry photo below serve as proof.

1. Pamplona, Navarre, Spain
Spain is a party country-  let’s start there. The Spanish claim the island of Ibiza, known for its 24hour clubs and wild pool parties (think endless raves and all the consumable substances that come with that), La Tomatina festival where 20,000 Spaniards and tourists launch tomatoes at each other… just for the hell of it, and of course, la Fiesta de San Fermin or the annual Running of the Bulls. The Running of the Bulls takes place in the city of Pamplona, and although the spectacle of raging bulls charging after helpless humans is epic, it’s the outdoor dance party that takes place the night before where the REAL fiesta is at.

Pamplona is one of those cities that changed my whole experience in terms of partying abroad. Allow me to paint this picture for you so you really get it.

Only in the city of Pamplona have I danced in the middle of the street pretty much all night long to drum circles, EDM Dj’s, and perhaps to no music at all (blame it on the sangria). It’s also the only city where I’ve slept at a bus stop…  and I’ll leave it at that.

A fiesta in Pamplona is one big block party, so there’s no need to pay cover at a bar. What’s most intriguing about Pamplona and their festivals is that the locals really commit to a theme. For the Running of the Bulls, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone outside of an all white suit and red accessories. For New Year’s Eve, the locals dress in costumes, and like I mentioned before, they take the party to the streets.

Have some cities to add? Drop those recommendations in the comments!