How to Keep Stocked on New Year's Eve in New York City

There are not too many places that are open in New York City in Midtown on New Year’s Eve. Contrary to popular belief, much of the activity you see taking place in Time Square is not inclusive of commerce. There are street vendors outside making a big buck, but sometimes you need more than what you can find at a falafel stand. When this is the case you have a couple of options for places to go. Read on to learn how to keep stocked on New Year's Eve in New York City.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
   42nd St Manhattan

   Consider Duane Reade. Known as New York City's drugstore, Duane Reade is one of the stalwart places you can always depend on to be open when you need things at odd hours. With hundreds of locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, as well as neighboring areas in New Jersey, and points in Nassau, Westchester and Suffolk counties in Long Island, Duane Reade is always the perfect spot for you if you need something in a pinch. With many of the locations in Manhattan with 24-hour service and many of their larger stores carrying all sorts of party supplies, grooming and more you are very likely to find what your looking for on New Year's Eve.

2. 
   Here is a Rite Aid location on 50th Street which is west of Times Square.

   Consider Rite Aid. Competing with Duane Reade is Rite Aid. While perhaps a more popular drugstore nationwide, Rite Aid has substantially less presence in New York City. No matter though because even though the presence is not as profound, Rite Aid still has a number of 24-hour locations in the heart of Manhattan near Times Square.

3. Know your neighborhood bodegas. While many of the bodegas/deli locations in and around New York City will close on New Year's Eve there are some which will remain open for your last-minute supplies. One good rule of thumb is to walk west from Times Square as this is where you are much more likely to be able to find an open bodega. Much of the activity in Time Square is limited to closed businesses and offices and you have to get much further east toward Second Avenue to find anything that would be open.

4. Keep a stash. If you are staying with friends, family or in a hotel then you can always stash away anything that you think you might need before things close and the party gets going. While having the foresight to do something like that is not always an easy thing, it is often easier than walking around in the dark in a big city like New York looking for toothpaste.