It's silly and pointless hyping yourself up to think New Year will be some special night if essentially you're just going out with the same people you normally would and going to usual place. Last year I went down to London and visited a group of friends I rarely get to see. The pub was expensive, crowded and played pretty crap music but I still had a great time just because I was enjoying being with my friends. If you care about having a good or memorable new year I think it's best to go away somewhere or do something you wouldn't normally.