Countdown in Brooklyn

By Meredith Deliso

For all the talk of cutting back during the recession, Brooklynites are still partying strong. Just look at the sold-out concerts at venues like the Music Hall of Williamsburg, or the packed parties that transpired this past Halloween.

New Year’s Eve shouldn’t be any different, and for those looking to make a night of it, here’s what’s going on in a neighborhood near you.

Rock ‘N’ Soul
Boogie with Obits, Eli Paperboy Reed & The True Loves, and other special guests at the Bell House for this December 31. Subway Soul Club DJs will be on hand to get you dancing until the wee hours of the morning as well. There will also be food vendors for when you get hungry, free champagne with admission to quench that thirst, and party favors and door prizes just for the fun of it.Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 day of the show. At 8 p.m. The Bell House is located at 149 7th St. For more information, call 718-643-6510.

Warehouse Parties from Party People
For New Year’s Eve, Winkel & Balktick bring you their Warehouse Alchemy Magnum Opus, fancy words for a night to make you forget the booms and bursts of the past 10 years, and go into the New Year in style with dancing, DJs, interactive art installations, lounging, activities, games, elixirs, cuisine and merrymaking. The party duo will transform their warehouse in Sunset Park into a “clandestine celebration laboratory just for the occasion.Tickets are $20 through December 25, and $100 or $250 after. The location of the warehouse is given upon RSVP.

Dance until you sweat in Gowanus, as MeanRed hosts an all-night dance party at the Old American Can Factory. The Rub, known for their funk, soul, and R&B classics parties, will be sure to get you moving.The party happens from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. at the Old American Can Factory (232 3rd St.). Tickets $25.

Gemini and Scorpio take a break from their Russian Baths parties for The Bootleggers’ Ball, a New Year’s Eve speakeasy ball in a Carroll Gardens warehouse befitting the mood. Party-goers can expect “the intimacy of a daring cabaret mixed with the intrigue of a vintage costumed ball, expansiveness of a warehouse dance party, excitement of live brass, a splash of fine cocktails, and just a dash of illicit adventure and unpredictable moments,” according to the organizers. Come dressed in depression glamour and dance to old-timey jazz. The party is from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and is 21 and over (25+ recommended). Tickts are $30 in advance, $40 at the door, $50 VIP, and $20 after 2 a.m. Check in is at Green & Green Insurance Co. (450 Union at Bond Street).

Best of Downtown in Brooklyn
Galapagos Art Space welcomes a Downtown cast, as comedian Mr. Murray Hill hosts a variety show at the DUMBO space. The cast includes burlesque beauty Dirty Martina, nightlife performer Julie Atlas Muz, comedian Bradford Scobie, Neal Medlyn, the “Paris Hilton of performance art,” crooner Bridget Everett, musician Kenny Mellman, and performer ‘Lill Miss Lixx. And, when midnight strikes, look up, as champagne will descend from the ceiling. After raising your glasses, stick around for the after-party with DJ Mel Huckabee. Tickets range from $25 to $100. The party starts at 10:30 p.m. Galapagos Art Space is located at 16 Main St. For more information, call 718-222-8500.

Party with a ‘Vue’
Ring in the New Year atop the Le Bleu in Park Slope in the Vue Restaurant, dancing to music spun by the live DJ, munching on hors d’oeuvres made by celebrity chef Chris Cheung and watching the ball drop at midnight on one of eight flat-screen panels.The $75 admission includes a five-hour open bar from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. After 1 a.m., bottles are 20 percent off. Admission is $25 after 12:30 a.m. The Vue is located at 370 Fourth Avenue. For more information, call 718-625-2177.

Glitz, Glamour and Gambling
Get a taste of Las Vegas in Brooklyn when Brooklyn collective Block Association, in conjunction with fashion boutiques Brooklyn Circus, Private Stock and Pedigree Sneaker Gallery host Casino Royale. This coming from the fashion set, expect a glammed-up party, equipped with red carpet photo-ops, as well as black jack tables, three floors of dancing and a complimentary midnight champagne toast. Dinner is also served until 11 p.m. The party’s from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. at No. 1 Front Street in DUMBO. Tickets $30 in advance or $50 at the door. The dress code is, as they describe it, black tie/fashionably elegant, so break out your best duds for this one. For inspiration, head to Brooklyn shop Harriet’s Alter Ego, which belongs to the Block Association.

Ballroom Dancing
The newly renovated grand ballroom at the Dyker Beach Golf Course is ready for its first New Year’s Eve party. Live entertainment, dinner and dancing will be on the menu for this elegant affair, as well as a few live views of the countdown on screens throughout the room.Tickets are $150, and includes dinner, a full premium open bar and party favors. For reservations, call 718-836-9722 ext. 224.

Circus celebration
OK, here’s a free one for you. The Coney Island Circus Sideshow makes a special trip north to ring in the New Year. Scott Baker, Serpentina, Kryssy Kocktail, Adam “The First Real Man” Rinn, The Executioner and Dick Zigun will bring the goods to Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Williamsburg, along with musical guest Bad Buica. The show starts at 10 p.m. and is free. Radegast Hall is located at 113 North 3rd St. For more information, call 718-963-3973.

Lighting up the Sky
Also free: While Times Square usually draws the biggest crowds for its fireworks display, over in Prospect Park, you can honor the evening in a traditional fashion with fireworks and live music at Grand Army Plaza. Best locations for fireworks including anywhere in Grand Army Plaza, inside the park on the West Drive, and along Prospect Park West between Grand Army Plaza and 9th Street. And, or course, anyone with a rooftop view.The festivities begin at 11 p.m., with the show at midnight.