The Briefly for New Year's Eve, 2019 – The "Best of the Year, Best of the Decade" Edition

Today - Low: 33˚ High: 46˚

Mostly cloudy throughout the day.

Vita Coco and Postmates are giving out hangover recovery kits on New Year's Day. Plan accordingly. (Collier Sutter for Time Out) Everything you need to know about the Coney Island Polar Plunge on New Year's Day. (Meaghan McGoldrick for The Brooklyn Home Reporter) Rachel Harrison, Hans Haacke and the top ten art exhibitions of the year. (Howard Halle for Time Out) 13 good things that happened in 2019. (Amy Plitt) 76,000 people left New York in 2019, more than any other state. To those who left, we all say "See ya!" (Adam Nichols for Patch) The world's longest boa, the world's tallest politician, a $70,000 dreidel, and the rest of the year in world records set by New Yorkers. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) Look for a live stream of Times Square? (Shaye Weaver for Time Out) How to get around on New Year's Eve. (Alexandra Alexa for 6sqft) If you're the kind of psychopath who must do Times Square tonight, here's what to expect for security. (Robert Pozarycki for amNewYork) The dumbest things said by Mayor de Blasio in 2019 .(Streetsblog) The Times gets a little navel-gazey looking back at nine ways the city changed in the past decade. (Gina Bellafante for NY Times) The Women’s March movement, a solo LEGO art exhibition, the Mermaid Parade, and the rest of the best photos of 2019. (Brooklyn Eagle) Looking at the best and worst of the year in Broadway theater. (Matt Windman for amNewYork) A Strange Loop from Michael R. Jackson tops Adam Feldman's top ten theater productions of the year. (Adam Feldman for Time Out) The top baby names of 2018 were released by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Emma was the top name for girls for the second year in a row and Liam topped the boys for the third year straight .(Mark Hallum for amNewYork) The two biggest design stories of the year, the Hudson Yards' Vessel and the Hunters Point Library, are both stories of accessibility failures. (Alexandra Lange for Curbed) Delays, fare increases, construction, fare increases, unexpected express trains, fare increases, and the rest of the best and worst of the decade in NYC transit . Seriously there was five fare increases this decade.(Ben Yakas for Gothamist) Ryan Sutton's best restaurants of the year: Kāwi and Llama San and 13 runners up. (Ryan Sutton for Eater) Eater asked 19 writers, editors, directors, and photographers their favorite new restaurants this year. It's like eavesdropping at a party you have to attend. (Eater) From the "overheard at a party" category, the top complaints about dining in the city. (Eater) The cheese and tomato sandwich at USHA Foods, Mama’s Special at Leo’s Latticini, and the full list of Robert Sietsema’s 11 best sandwiches of the year. (Robert Sietsema for Eater) The top dishes of the year according to Ryan Sutton were the rice cake fundido at Haenyeo, the Duck Nigiri at Llama San, and The Electric Lemon Curd at Electric Lemon. (Ryan Sutton for Eater) Ceviche at Restaurante Y Panaderia Guatemalteco, The Brighton Beach at Wheated and the the complete list of Robert Sietsema’s 15 best dishes of the year. (Robert Sietsema for Eater) A suitable way to end the year: Widow Rat. (Ben Yakas for Gothamist)