Good-bye ‘08, Hello ‘09
Still looking for something to do on New Year’s Eve? Join the club. Yes, it’s an overrated holiday, but there are actually some pretty great options for welcoming 2009 to Brooklyn.

If you’ve already got plans, and those plans are anywhere near Park Slope, don’t miss Prospect Park’s spectacular fireworks display. Though they won’t light up the skies until midnight, the park starts the celebration at 11pm with live music and free hot drinks in Grand Army Plaza. See prime firework-viewing locations here.

Hardcore Simulation
For those longing for bad-assery this New Years Eve, Death by Audio, our favorite little neighborhood DIY-venue brings us a night of hardcore cover bands, impersonating the likes of The Misfits, The Clash, Black Sabbath, and a “mystery” band. This may just be worth it to see how these kids impersonate the famous on-stage antics of their rock deities. Judging by the their lovably low-brow exchange of champagne for a “Busch Light Toast,” things are sure to be authentic. Also! Titus Andronicus covers Weezer! Weird!

Loft Lowdown
Okay, so it seems like every other loft in the borough is hosting a brilliant (cheap) party with crazy art/music/dance/circus performers/exploding babies/name your own favorite trend of Brooklyn’s creative underclass. BB has decided to make it easy for you, and list a ruthlessly to-the-point guide to some of the best of these sprawling warehouse hoedowns.

Easy Lover Loft Party — free-flowing champagne all night for a mere $25. Refuge, 1532 Decatur Street, Halsey L.

A Surreal New Years Eve: Contortionists, unicycles, break dancing, a nose-played harmonica, beer and homemade pomegranate wine, all at the Surreal Estate, 15 Thames Street, Morgan L. 8p-6a, $10. If you stay all night, there are rumors of a pancake breakfast in the morning.

Exploding Baby Masquerade Ball — “The year Two Thousand and Eight wanes, and Two Thousand and Nine is no stillborn child. She comes screaming into the world with fearsome vigor and volcanic mojo. Let us welcome that expectant, infant future into the world on Wednesday night, New Years Eve, at an unforgettable happening.” Cameo Art Gallery, 93 North 6th Street between Berry and Wythe, Williamsburg, $10 with mask.

The Night People — art rock from the likes of The Schieles, Ruff Kidz, French Hipsters, and Sleeping Norwegians. Jack Daniels provided. 50 John Street, Brooklyn, 10pm-10am, FREE!

Shangri-La in Greenpoint is throwing a huge party with bands including The Dixons, Sixgun Republic and Lone Wolf & Cub. DJ Six Gun Suicide plus unlimited beer all night long and champagne at midnight will keep the scene well greased. $50. 100 Sutton St., between Nassau & Norman in Greenpoint.

A Toast to Trapeze Artists
The ever-innovative Monkey Town continues their tradition of blissful over-stimulation with a killer musical line-up playing for their New Year’s Eve bash in their back room, where each wall is a giant screen that will project visuals to accompany the show. On the bill are The Wild Yaks, mystical art-rock songstress Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers, Freaky-in-a-good-way DJ The Pumpsta (Kill Whitie), and drum-cum-trapeze artist act Lone Wolf & Cub. Show starts at 11pm and rages until 4am. $12 at the door.

bussaco it to Me
If you still need plans for New Year’s Eve, the recently opened bussaco is offering a five-course prix fixe dinner for $80. A sampling of the scrumptious menu includes blue crab chowder, sweet potato ravioli, roast rack of lamb with beluga lentils and a chocolate-hazelnut napoleon. A raw bar (think: oysters, shrimp cocktail and clams), live music and a midnight champagne toast round out the special evening. bussaco, 833 Union Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues), Park Slope, (718) 857-8828.

Eyes Wide Shut
Get your midnight kiss from a masked stranger at Huckleberry Bar’s 2nd Annual NYE Masquerade Party featuring a complimentary champagne toast, dancing hipsters and even a mask of your own if you forget yours at home.

Get Bubbly
Celebrate New Year’s Eve Red Hook-style at Botanica, where you’ll get to indulge in three different types of champagne for $50 and dance to the beats of DJs Adam Warped, Onionz, Sameer and Billy Belmont.

Diner Spectacular
The Southside institution that is Diner launched ten years ago on New Year’s Eve. Come duck under the tents they’re setting up on the sidewalks and raise a toast to ten more before you raise one to 2009. Dinner will be served at Marlow & Sons next door.

Hip-Hop Hurray
The soon-to-be defunct Studio B goes out with a bang on New Year’s Eve with a bash featuring Grandmaster Mele Mel of the Furious Five, indie hip-hop from Brooklyn- based Ninjasonik and a bevy of big-time DJs.

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And if ringing in the New Year isn’t your thing, try listening to Pratt’s Chief Engineer, Conrad Milster, blow his old steam whistles from trains and ships at the stroke of midnight, while onlookers pop open bottles in chorus (mention the Pratt Whistle Blow at Gnarly Vines in fact, and you’ll get 10% off a bubbly to bring to campus). It’s like Times Square, only fun. 11:30pm-12:30am, Pratt Campus, enter on Willoughby between Hall & Emerson.

The Best of the Best
Barcade counts down the 200 most played songs of all time tonight, set to hit number one around 3:45am. Song list includes select tracks by The Mars Volta, Neutral Milk Hotel, Rush, Kings of Leon, Bruce Springsteen and Built to Spill.

Photos, from top, by William.p via flickr, courtesy of Monkeytown, and from the Huckleberry Bar website.