On a night when may opted to stay home, these intrepid partyers rang in 2000 across the Southland

On an average Friday night, Hollywood’s famed Sunset Strip is a slow-moving procession of bumper-to-bumper cars. On New Year’s Eve, it was practically deserted. But those who came to party were dedicated to the task.

“If we were going to be in L.A., we wanted to be on the Strip,” said David Norrell, 26, of Hollywood.

Only about 30 people were waiting to get into Miyagi’s, a Japanese-themed restaurant and bar on the site of the old Roxbury, and they said they wouldn’t have stayed home for anything. “You gotta go out and have some fun,” said 25-year-old Noel Villanueva of Arleta. “Sunset’s our hangout.”

Airplanes and defense systems may have made it through New Year’s Eve without glitches, but alas, a West Hollywood landmark did not: Spago’s computerized ordering system broke down early in the evening. Restaurant staff, who weren’t sure what caused the problem, reverted to the traditional pad-and-pencil method to serve the 70 or more customers who packed the first of the restaurant’s two seatings.

“In the 21 years I’ve been doing this, it’s never rained on my parade,” said party planner Shelly Balloon, who had organized Spago’s evening as well as 11 other parties around town, including the Alcoholics Anonymous masked ball in Santa Monica.

Though some of her events were marred by weather-related problems, Balloon tried to stay upbeat. Her motto: “There’s no doom and gloom with Shelly Balloon.” Just then, a call came through via cell phone from a nervous lawyer whose Hollywood Hills “Year of the Dragon”-themed party was in jeopardy because of the soggy weather.

“We’ve got $20,000 worth of papier-ma^che dragons I personally flew to Bangkok to buy for the party,” she said.

At 9 p.m. the Jumbotron, a gigantic video screen that looms over the Strip, showed the Times Square ball fall in New York City, drawing a feeble response from some noisemakers and a few passing car horns. The screen had been rented for the evening by Tom Dillon, owner of Saddle Ranch Chop House and Miyagi’s.

Naomi Strauss, 23, a UCLA engineering student, drew many glances dressed in a millennium superhero costume: a gold cape, pink hair, gloves, a bikini brief and utility belt for her flashlight and ID.

“My best friend flaked on me at the last minute and decided not to go out,” she said. “But I spent too much time on my costume to do that.”

Others said they were turned off by the police presence (there were officers in nearly every bar).

“These sheriffs are bumming me out,” said Roosevelt Larks, 27, of Hollywood. One had the feeling of being at a prom, with too many parents supervising for there to be any real fun.

Even the notorious Viper Room was subdued.

“Where is everyone?” asked Norrell. “Staying home I guess. It is kinda hard to cough up $100 for one of these parties. A lot of my friends didn’t want to do it.”

The cover charge for most of the bars on Sunset was at least $100, which did not include drinks. The newly remodeled Hyatt Hotel bar attracted a small crowd--probably because admission was free.

An older crowd gathered at the House of Blues to get it on with R&B; singer Al Green. Sipping hurricanes (not included in the $250 ticket price), guests were fairly mellow, and midnight came and went without much fanfare. Some even accused Green of singing through the stroke of 12, and doing his own countdown a few minutes late. For some in the crowd, the confusion made a moment they’d been anticipating all night rather anticlimactic.