The Sunshine State’s boom at the expense of New York now includes the accolade of being the best place in the United States to celebrate New Year’s Eve, according to a new study.
The city of Orlando, Florida, has replaced the Big Apple as the nation’s top New Year’s Eve hotspot, WalletHub reported this month.
Orlando’s rise as a New Year’s Eve destination comes after a years-long trend that has empowered Florida while the Empire State has lost its unrivaled edge.
Florida surpassed New York in population, electoral votes and representatives in Congress following the 2020 US Census.
New York City fell to No. 3 on WalletHub’s New Year’s Eve list, despite the iconic and internationally televised Times Square event.
San Diego, California, is the second best city to celebrate New Year’s Eve, according to a new study by the personal finance company.
Orlando “ranks first when it comes to affordable 4.5+ star-rated nightlife and restaurant options, so you can enjoy some fun and good food before 2024 rolls around,” writes WalletHub.
“What keeps New York from being the best city overall is price — festivals are significantly cheaper than in the top two cities,” the organization said.
New York City has been named the third best city to spend New Year’s Eve. Courtesy of Christopher Tyler Studio
The average couple will spend $872 to enjoy New Year’s Eve in the country’s three largest cities, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, according to WalletHub.
A New York City official dismissed the study, arguing that Orlando still doesn’t have the juice to compete with the Big Apple.
“It’s comparing apples to oranges,” Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance, told Fox News Digital.
The Alliance manages activities and events in Times Square, including the New Year’s Eve ball-dropping bash, which was first held in 1907.
Harris added, “New York City has been the place America and the world have looked to for years to ring in the New Year. We’ll have a million people in Times Square again this year and a billion people watching around the world.”
The nationwide trend, however, is moving in Florida’s favor. New York has lost more than 100,000 residents in the past 12 months, according to new US Census Bureau data — more than any other state.
Orlando, Florida took the top spot as the best place to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The Empire State has also lost billions of dollars in annual taxable income, while Florida’s coffers have been flooded with billions in new revenue.
The Florida community has also recruited New York City police officers right in Times Square.
“Recognition as destination No. 1 for New Year’s Eve reinforces that Orlando is an ideal location because there is something for everyone to enjoy,” Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, told Fox News Digital this week in a statement.
He cited the city’s many family-friendly outdoor attractions, beyond its “world-famous theme parks,” as reasons it’s the best place in the country to ring in the New Year.
The list includes “block parties, concerts and dining events,” as well as multiple “one-of-a-kind fireworks displays.”
Fireworks seem to represent Florida’s less restrictive political environment and were chosen by WalletHub as the reason Orlando topped the list.
“You can’t talk about New Year’s Eve without mentioning fireworks,” the survey reported. “Orlando has some of the longest fireworks shows in the country, and consumer fireworks are legal, so people can set up their own shows.”
San Diego’s “mild weather” helps the sunny Southern California community leapfrog over chilly Gotham.
“It’s the perfect spot if you want clear skies so you can appreciate outdoor gatherings and fireworks,” WalletHub reports. “The city has the lowest chance of rain on New Year’s Eve.”
WalletHub ranks America’s 100 largest cities based on 26 different metrics across three different categories: entertainment and food; cost; and security and accessibility.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
