'Thank God It's Over': Philadelphians Say Goodbye to 2020, Making Best Of New Year's Eve
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's a very different sort of New Year's Eve for everyone everywhere. In Philadelphia, smaller, low-key celebrations have replaced what are usually crowded events in the city. Still, people are making the best of it.
Fireworks won't be ringing in the new year and those celebrating are hoping for a better 2021.
Restaurants around Philadelphia had to get creative when figuring out ways to celebrate New Year's Eve. Those in Center City decided to shuck in the new year at the Oyster House.
"We just decided to have a little street shell-a-bration as best we could. We have a couple barrels out here. People are eating oysters, drinking martinis," manager Danielle Amabile said.
It's been a rough year for the service industry, but restaurant workers are grateful for those who have supported them through a year where many restaurants were forced to shut down.
"People want to help and they're doing as much as they can to try to save the restaurant industry," Amabile said.
Over at Dilworth Park, people took to the ice for their final moments of 2020. Eyewitness News spoke with a father and daughter who were enjoying their New Year's Eve tradition at Winterfest at Penn's Landing.
"It's the only thing that keeps this year normal. Thank God it's over," John Cush said.
"This is the first thing we've really done this entire year. Everything's kind of been shutdown so we've just been in the house. This is something we do every year so it's special," Mikaela Cush said.
It's those special moments that make 2020 a little more bearable. And like many, they're looking forward to better days ahead in the new year.
"Less anxiety, more peace. Looking forward to the future instead of fearing it," John Cush said.
Well said. He went on to say they had to make reservations to skate this year to keep the tradition alive.
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