Looking for a Ride Home on New Year's? Here's Your Solution

Police will be out in full force on the holiday, and drinking and driving will cost far more than a cab ride home. Do the responsible thing and set up your transportation ahead of time.

COMPANY: AAA Express Wheaton Taxi Cab & Limo PHONE: 630-462-5555 SERVICE AREA: All Chicagoland suburbs, airports and Loop RATES: Local service rates are $2.30 per mile and have a $7 minimum charge. Waiting time is $30 per hour. COMPANY: AAA Express Wheaton Taxi Cab & Limo PHONE: 630-462-5555 SERVICE AREA: All Chicagoland suburbs, airports and Loop RATES: Local service rates are $2.30 per mile and have a $7 minimum charge. Waiting time is $30 per hour. COMPANY: American Regional Taxi PHONE: 630-465-5608/630-882-5242 SERVICE AREA: West suburbs and surrounding areas RATES: No charge for additional passengers. Call for a quote. COMPANY: Naperville DuPage Taxi PHONE: 630-961-3232 SERVICE AREA: The area surrounding Aurora, Batavia, Bolingbrook, …

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Fun Facts for New Year's: Wear Red Underwear, Lock Your Car and Eat Black-Eyed Peas

Check out these interesting fun facts and trivia about New Year's Eve.

Pick the Best Bottle of Champagne to Toast the 2013 New Year

Choosing the appropriate sparkling wine for New Year's Eve can make you dizzy before the first sip. Here's a handy guide to the intoxicating world of bubbles on a budget.

The pop of the Champagne cork is as much a part of the New Year’s Eve soundtrack as "Auld Lang Syne" and fireworks. The tiny, tickling bubbles evoke celebratory moods. With so many sparkling wines to choose from, picking the best bottle can be daunting. Prices for sparkling wine range from less than $10 to more than $500 per bottle. Keep in mind that while you usually get what you pay for, there are some great options for those of us on a budget.  Large “negociant” champagne houses that purchase much of their fruit, such as Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger, Roederer, Taittinger, Perrier Jouet and Nicolas Feuillatte, dominate the market. However, in the last decade or so, Champagne from small growers has gained some traction with Champagne …

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Will You Be in Chicago for New Year's Eve?

MillerCoors will cover the cost of your ride on the El and CTA buses on New Year's Eve to keep the inebriated from getting behind the wheel. Read more on a sister Patch in Chicago.

Downers Grove Police Announce Holiday DUI Crackdown

Police will participate in the "Drive to Survive" campaign Dec. 17 to Jan. 1, the department announced Tuesday.

Downers Grove police will crack down on impaired driving and seat belt violations later this month as part of the statewide "Drive to Survive" campaign. The campaign will span much of the holiday season, beginning Dec. 17 and ending Jan. 1.  "Driving under the influence" (DUI) is defined as operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, drugs, other intoxicating compounds, or methamphetamine, according to police In Illinois, a driver is legally considered to be under the influence if he/she has a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or more. In certain situations, a driver may have a BAC of less than .08 and be arrested and convicted of DUI, police said. The department released the following facts about impaired driving…

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Fun Facts for New Year's: Wear Red Underwear, Lock Your Car and Eat Black-Eyed Peas

Check out these interesting fun facts and trivia about New Year's Eve.

If you're celebrating New Year's Eve this year and find a lull in the conversation, impress your family and friends with this New Year's trivia.

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Moms Talk POLL: Will You Stay Up for New Year's 2012?

Are you a party mom, a stay-at-home mom or a go-to-bed-early mom? Take our Patch poll.

During our younger years, we made late dinner reservations and stayed out until the wee hours of the morning. As we got older, we started spending the evening in, with an intimate dinner, a good movie, a bottle of champagne and a "Happy New Year!" at the stroke of midnight. When the kids were babies, we'd hope the noise outside didn't wake them. And when they got a little older, we'd let them stay up until 9 or 10 o'clock for our own family "Happy New Year" yelling and confetti, funny hats and cranking noise-makers. Now, we're just happy if we can stay awake until midnight. What kind of mom are you? Take our Patch poll and share your favorite New Year's Eve memories in the comments field.

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Rick Nagel

9:24 am on Friday, December 30, 2011

Look like a lot of our readers are going to be before midnight on New Year's! :) Good response to this poll!   more ›