Exclusive | Young NYC parents ring in 2025 hours before midnight at special matinees: Better than couples therapy

They rang in the New Year – five hours ahead of schedule.New York City barflies and dancefloor divas who wanted a New Year’s Eve night on the town – and to still be in bed before midnight – came out in droves to Manhattan bars hosting parties centered around “countdowns” as early as 7 p.m.“When you walk in the bar at our 7:30 p.m.‘matinee,’ it looks like 1 a.m.,” said Jennifer Shorr, owner of the Alphabet City club Joyface — which hosted its second annual “matinee” New Year’s Eve celebration from 5 to 10 p.m.

Tuesday.“It ends up being mostly parents, like young parents,” Shorr said of the early-night celebration, which includes pizza, a champagne toast and caviar bumps for about $100.

“It’s people that have babysitters at home, people that run outside and video chat with their child for a second and then come back inside.”The disco-themed bar also hosts regular boogie nights from 5 to 10 p.m.on Saturdays under the banner ‘Matinee Social Club.’ Despite the early hour, Shorr contends the event – which draws crowds in their 40s to 60s on average – is in high demand.Tuesday’s early countdown sold out online days in advance, she said.“These people, they still want to party and rage, so they still feel like they can get ready and go out and be out in the city at night, and then they’re home at a reasonable hour, ” Shorr said.

“One couple told me that this was better than couples therapy.’”Raquel Tirado, 40, from Jersey City, NJ, was sipping a dirty martini at Joyface with her husband Tuesday.“We have a 3-year-old, we have to put her to bed,” the mom said.“We are going to leave at 8.

The babysitter needs to leave at 9.”Upper West Side resident Emmy London called the party “the best of both worlds.“We are almost 40 so it’s like we want to be home early relaxing in our pjs,” London, 39, said.“When you get to your late 30s, you’re like, ‘Is it worth it [to stay out]?’ ” Early-bird ball...