If you haven’t checked out Remezcla’s New Year’s Eve 2012 Guide yet, what are you waiting for? Tomorrow is already New Year’s Eve-Eve, and then the day after is New Year’s Eve – i.e. the day you should be partying! We’ve assembled a guide with the best Latin fiestones in your city – New York, Chicago, Miami, LA, and San Francsico – to make sure that you can bid 2011 goodbye properly and ring in 2012 with a real desmadre.
Still can’t make up your mind? Here’s a list of the editors’ favorites, and be sure to check out our Facebook page for ticket giveaways. (You have to click Like to win!)
Without further ado, these are the four Best Bets en tu ciudad.
Best Bang-to-Buck Bet: Geko Jones @ Ideya
For just $75, you get access to Geko Jones of QUE BAJO?! fame in a brand new hyped up venue with an open bar that just can’t wait to ladle you sangria, mojitos, and caipirinhas. We don’t expect tickets to last.
Best Theme Bet: Nacolipsis
The end of the world is on everyone’s mind, right now. What better way to stave off some of that fear than with an apocalypse themed party? Wear your best Mad Max gear, but make sure you’ve still got room to move to Nacotheque DJs Amylulita and Marcelo’s mixes.
Best Ball Drop Bet: AMC Times Square
This party offers you the best of being in Times Square for the ball drop without the cold, the crowds, the sobriety, and the lack of bathrooms.
Best Dinner Bet: Hecho en Dumbo + Salon Hecho
Hecho en Dumbo has been on of New York’s foremost Mexican restaurants. This year, they opened up a swank party/music venue right next door and invited some of Remezcla’s new favorite artist’s to perform. For New Year’s Eve, you and some friends can enjoy a party, burlesque, drink specials, and an amazing prix fixe menu that includes an entire suckling pig.
Best Bang-to-Buck Bet: A Craft Beer New Year’s with (((SONORAMA)))
$40 gets you into this party, thrown by Chicago favorite Maria’s Packaged Goods and Community Bar along with the DJs behind ((SONORAMA)). There’s also a whole lot of beer, which, hey, if you’re going to do New Year’s well and on the cheap, beer and dancing is the way to do it.
Best Comedy Bet: Paul Rodriguez
Yeah, he’s doing cell phone commercials now, but Paul Rodriguez is still one of the classics of Latino comedy in the States. He’s worth the drive to Schaumburg.
Best Sexy Bet: The Official Playboy Party
We’re still not sure exactly why Playboy’s official party is in the Chicago Hilton. We’re not sure we really care.
Best Dinner Bet: Meze Tapas Lounge
Tapas are ideal for an all night party like New Year’s Eve. You pick here and there, you try a bit of everything, you drink lots of sangria, and it takes you forever to get stuffed so you can stay out for hours instead of crashing like on those other holidays. What better place to get tapas, then, than at one of Chicago’s highest rated? $120 for a four course meal and open bar from 9PM to 2AM.
Best Sexy Bet: The Sex Sells Party
This party’s hosted by Alexis Texas, Abella Anderson, and Daisy Marie. If you recognize those names on sight, you should clear your browser history before your mom gets home and go wash your hands. We can write about them, though, since two of them are Latinas!
Best All Weekend Bet: Orange Drive Music Festival
Sure, a lot of the music at this festival is the kind of stuff you stopped listening to in high school. But think back: didn’t you really like this music back in high school? Plus you have to admire the dedication of a festival that takes you from December 30th through January 1st. And it’s on the beach. Kick ass.
Best Local Music Bet: Locos Por Juana + Suenalo + Stokeswood
Three local Miami bands with sounds tailor made to make you dance on one stage. The Stage, to be exact.
Best Dinner Bet: Novecento
Novecento has made a home for itself in Miami and Key Biscayne after heading on up from Argentina. For New Year’s eve, both locations are offering a four course menu of delicious grilled Argentine specialties, a bottle of wine for every pair of people, and a very exclusive burlesque show. We’re not sure why this New Year’s Eve everyone’s decided that burlesque and dinner go together, but we’re absolutely not complaining.
Best Bang-to-Buck Bet: Bodega New Year’s w/ Canyon Cody
Hip hop, cumbia, salsa, samba, Afrobeat and more from Subsuelo DJ Canyon Cody, joined by CBrown Melaaza and Panamami, hosted by the beautiful Jessica Grande. And all of that is completely free.
Best Music Bet: Very Be Careful
Very Be Careful’s New Year’s Ever party will very be special. These nu-cumbia party rockers will be backed up by Petrojvic Blasting Company, La Dukessa, and Special Lord B.
Best “I’m on a boat” Bet: Brazilian New Year’s Eve on the Queen Mary
In our research building the guide, we were surprised to find that LA had far too many Brazilian parties to choose from. Let us make the decision for you: of all the feathered, sambaing, thong wearing Brazilian parties in LA, only one of them is on a huge-ass awesome boat.
Best Barhopping Bet: Las Palmas Ave Block Party
We give this party a lot of credit for doing all the barhopping work for you by including three clubs in one package. Drunkenly make your way from one party to the next without worrying about paying cover over and over and over again.
Best Eclectic Lineup Bet: Eclectic Fever’s A Zap Mama New Year’s Eve
Funk. Afro Latin. Cumbia. Afro Beat. Reggae. Reggaeton. Funk. Salsa. Bhangra. Soul. Flamenco. House. Cuban. Rock. Holy shit. We’re obsessed with the fact that this party has everything.
Best Gay Bet: Colossus Gym New Year’s Eve
This is one of the most impressive theme parties we’ve ever seen: an entire gym taken over and turned into a 1980’s workout themed club. Think Olivia Newton John and you’re set.
Best Dinner Bet: Andalu
As we said with Chicago’s Meze Lounge, tapas are ideal for an all night party like New Year’s Eve: you pick here and there, you try a bit of everything, you drink lots of sangria, and it takes you forever to get stuffed so you can stay out for hours instead of crashing like on those other holidays. San Francisco’s Andalu offers an inexpensive way to gorge yourself on Spanish finger foods and wine, with $49 for the dinner menu and $26 for additional wine pairings.
Best Bliss Out Bet: Prophesea NYE w/ Santigold + Amon Tobin + BeatsAntique
Each year, Sea of Dreams’ New Year’s Eve celebrations sound like what might happen if you built a music festival out of psychadelic 1960’s cartoons. This year’s bash is no exception. We’re not advocating the use of substances to enhance your experience, we’re just saying you’re probably going to do it anyway.
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Have your own ideas? Sound off in the comments, or send us your thoughts at nye@remezcla.com