Clean-Up Underway In Times Square After Massive Crowds Ring In 2020
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Crews rushed in to sweep up the confetti and trash after crowds rang in the New Year in Times Square, but the city was ready.
By early Wednesday morning, things already seemed to be back to normal, CBS2's Reena Roy reports. The roads were clear and traffic opened back up like the celebrations never happened, but it surely was a party that many won't soon forget.
An eruption of confetti descended upon Times Square at the biggest New Year's Eve party in the world as the iconic Ball dropped.
"That ball to drop, the whole excitement, the fireworks, the people, the music, just being here is amazing," said Angela Ross, who was visiting from Virginia.
"It's 2020, once in a lifetime," another reveler said.
It was a night to remember and well worth the wait. Thousands arrived way before the clock struck midnight to get the best views and meet some new people.
"Just making new friends from different parts of the country," one woman said. "We all met here. We ordered dinner together, made some friends out here."
A-list performers like Korean pop band BTS hit the stage, and surrounding all the revelers, top-notch security.
Thousands of NYPD officers, barricades, drones and helicopters kept things safe along with checkpoints to monitor everyone going in.
"You'll see our heavy weapons teams out there. You'll see ... K9s, other explosive detection that we're using, so all our assets are out there to make sure everybody is safe tonight," said Martine Materasso with the NYPD counterterrorism bureau.
Despite the quick rain shower, people made sure to have fun, improvising to stay dry for the big moment when the 12,000-pound Ball, 12 feet in diameter and covered in crystal panels, made the 70-foot drop in just 60 seconds.
"It's pretty surreal. Something you always see on TV, something you don't expect to see in person, but it happens and it's like, dang, this is pretty lit," said Sam Bambrick, from Detroit, Michigan.
Quickly after came the clean-up with about 200 sanitation workers sweeping up the colorful aftermath. An estimated 1 ton of confetti was thrown into the air.
Last year, the department of sanitation picked up 65 tons of debris.
