The ball drops here: High cost of casual holiday fare
Many self-respecting New Yorkers would pay good money to avoid setting foot in the tourist trap otherwise known as Times Square, not to mention opting to dine at a national chain on New Year's Eve. Yet the price of admission is hundreds of dollars and rising to ring in 2016 at one of a handful of casual eateries located in one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections.
America's largest TGI Friday's, for instance, is charging $200 for a general admission ticket to the festivities, which in this case does not include dinner, but an open bar and passed Hors D'oeuvres. Another offer, the "Couples Champagne VIP Package," goes for a whopping $899. The offers come with a warning that ticket prices often go up "significantly" -- 100 percent and higher -- the closer you get to New Year's.
Conversely, TGI Friday's is also selling tickets for $50 for those coming late to the party, meaning 12:30 a.m. or later.
General admission to Ruby Tuesday's starts at $350, but couples looking for a VIP experience, or table, are looking at an $1,800 tab, according to the website balldrop.
Comparatively, tickets offering the chance to mingle with a celebrity-laden crowd seem quite the deal, so long as you don't mind wax versions of Hollywood's finest, with general admission tickets to Madame Tussauds on New Year's Eve starting at 100 bucks for those under 21, and $119 for those old enough to drink alcohol.
The wax museum also has a $1,399 per person VIP package that offers inside views of the Times Square festivities and "Complimentary Festive NYE Party Favors," -- in addition to food and booze.