Big Cities, Big Plans

From New York to London to Rome--and not forgetting Israel--plenty has been planned for the eve of Jan. 1, 2000, and the year that follows. Aside from New Year fireworks, which seem likely just about everywhere, here’s a sampling of big-city festivities:

New York. Times Square. Great big ball sliding down flagpole. Dick Clark. You know the drill. But this time add giant video screens showing celebrations around the world, and a few more special trimmings.

London. In years past, the action and crowds were at Trafalgar Square. This year, all eyes are on Greenwich, a few miles down the River Thames, where the Millennium Dome will open to the public on Dec. 31, 1999, offering an elaborate slate of exhibits and performances throughout the year. Meanwhile, a Millennium Wheel that’s 151 meters (495 feet) high, said to be the largest Ferris wheel ever, is to open in late summer at Lambeth, near the Houses of Parliament. The other big project in London is the Millennium Bridge, to span the Thames near St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Globe Theatre.

Paris. A 600-foot-high Tour de la Terre (Earth Tower) is to rise along the Seine, with bars, restaurants and exhibitions below. Also planned: an artsy temporary installation of 2,000 brightly colored faux fish in the Seine, and an enormous egg beneath the Eiffel Tower that will crack open to reveal myriad television monitors showing celebrants around the world.

Berlin. Aside from fireworks over the Brandenburg Gate (where Berliners traditionally gather for New Year’s Eve), organizers say they’ll build a series of 200 stages along Strasse des 17. Juni, the boulevard that runs through the Tiergarten to the gate. On the stages, performers will reenact key moments of the last 10 centuries.

Rome. The usual public celebration spot is the Piazza Navona, but beginning around Christmas thousands of pilgrims will gather at St. Peter’s Square and the Vatican to mark the Catholic millennial Holy Year.

Rio de Janeiro: As they do every New Year’s Eve, thousands of Rio residents dressed in white will step to the water’s edge at Copacabana Beach and place candle-lighted gifts in the tide, a gesture of homage to Iemanja, the goddess of the sea.

Israel. At Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, government officials recently unveiled a giant menorah designed by the late Salvador Dali. In Jerusalem there’s a new “time elevator,” which offers 30-minute rides exploring the city’s 4,000-year history. InNazareth, about 2,000 new hotel rooms are in the works and an estimated $100 million is being spent to renovate historic structures. For the arrival of Jan. 1, ambitions are large but details unclear, most notably in Bethlehem (which lies on the West Bank and reverted to Palestinian control in 1995).