By Maureen Post Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Jan 02, 2009 at 4:34 PM

In terms of nightlife, the last two weeks packed it in pretty tight.

Between friends in town, vacation days from work and holiday parties, I'm pretty sure I spent more time out and about in the last two weeks at restaurants, bars and friends' places than I have in the last two months.

I'm not complaining by any means. Being able to catch up with old friends, enjoy homemade meals and celebrate the holiday several times over, is exactly why I love this time of the year.

And then of course, there was also New Year's Eve.

I've kind of always been on the fence about New Year's Eve. There have been years when I've planned and prepped for a great night and others when I've headed to a friend's at the last minute to hang out.

Growing up, we used to watch the ball drop in Times Square and then run around the house banging pots and pans together. I'm pretty sure I had to be woken up for this celebration.

Undeniably, I spent my favorite New Year's Eve in Big Sky, Montana. Visiting friends, we climbed to the top of Andesite Mountain for fireworks followed by a long sled ride down the side of the ski hill.

But I was in town this year and if you were here, you are probably well aware that almost every bar in the city planned some sort of celebration welcoming you to welcome your New Year under its roof. Whether offering bottle service, a champagne toast or a live band, Milwaukee's bar scene pulled out the specialty treatment this New Year's Eve.

There was plenty to choose from. Concerts, dance parties and set menu dinners all offered something special for the holiday.

Entrance to Suite, the new luxury lounge on Old World 3rd Street, was $1,500 for eight people. Kil@wat at the Intercontinental Hotel served dinner and drinks for $125 per person. Karma urged you to drink all you could for $50 and Mo's Irish Pub rolled it all into one with all you can eat, drink and dance for $80.

But for every bar and club offering an expensive New Year's celebration, there were plenty of places like Maxie's, Kenadees and Rascal's that stuck to more economic offerings.

Personally, I opted out of any of it by working the dinner hour, toasting midnight and then heading to The Irish Pub after work and well after midnight. Regardless, the differences ideas and plans for New Year's Eve was an ongoing conversation in the weeks and days before the Dec. 31.

And so now, after the holiday, are you happy with where you were? Were those pricey parties worth the cash? Or do you wish you would've splurged a touch more?

Use the talkback feature to let us know about your New Year's Eve out on the town.

Maureen Post Special to OnMilwaukee.com

OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Maureen Post grew up in Wauwatosa. A lover of international and urban culture, Maureen received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

After living on the east side of Madison for several years, Maureen returned to Milwaukee in 2006.

After a brief stint of travel, Maureen joined OnMilwaukee.com as the city’s oldest intern and has been hooked ever since. Combining her three key infatuations, Milwaukee’s great music, incredible food and inspiring art (and yes, in that order), Maureen’s job just about fits her perfectly.

Residing in Bay View, Maureen vehemently believes the city can become fresh and new with a simple move across town.