New York City rings in 2021 with ball drop, mostly empty streets

Goodbye 2020 and hello 2021.

New York City rang in the new year like it has for decades.

The pandemic couldn’t keep the famed crystal ball from dropping in Times Square but the horde of people squeezing in to celebrate wasn’t there.

Crowds were prohibited from flocking to Times Square for the first time since 1904.

Some celebrity performers took to stages set up in the mostly empty square to sing to a small group of masked essential workers.

In the final minutes before midnight, Jennifer Lopez sang the Aerosmith classic “Dream On” beneath a blast of confetti.

Spectators were banned from the area and were urged to watch the ball drop on television.

Still, modest throngs of people gathered just outside the police perimeter and kissed and cheered at the stroke of midnight.