On South Beach, where every night is New Years Eve (and/or Halloween for that matter), actually going to a party on the last night of the year seems like going to the Paris or Venetian hotels in Vegas in lieu of visiting the actual cities. Can we say overkill? Not to mention that the sticker price on most NYE events brings to mind the SNL Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers’ segment, REALLY???!!! “$300.00 for Lady Gaga, REALLY???!!.” “$300.00 for general admission, REALLY???!!” While we veterans still consider NYE to be amateur night, opting instead to cozy up with a couple of bottles of Dom and a few pounds of stone crabs (George Stone Crabs will even deliver them to your door: http://georgestonecrab.com/ 1 (800) 273-CRAB) and to celebrate on the 30^th or the 1^st, we will admit that New Year’s Eve will deliver a champagne-soaked, celeb-filled debauchery, as promised. So for those of you who insist that two months salary is worth spending on a night you won’t remember, here’s a rundown of some of the best the final night of 2009 has to offer.

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Celebrity sightings:

Entourage‘s Perrey Reeves (AKA “Mrs. Ari”) attended the kick-off party at the Raleigh and her sister-in-law, Marysia Reeves’s show. Cindy Taylor strutted her stuff on the catwalk at the inca 2010 cruise collection show at the W South Beach on Thursday night. Seen at W on Thursday and Friday for the Shay Todd show, Tara Reid, who didn’t mind the rain one bit. “It’s only water? What’s all the fuss about?” she said. After the show, she partied with her boyfriend, Michael Axtmann at the Wall.

Olivia Palermo and Whitney Port from The City attended Mara Hoffman’s show.  Port was also front row at L Space and seen lounging by the W pool on Monday. Donald and Lisa Pliner enjoyed Red Carter’s show on Friday.

Burn Notice star Jeffrey Donovan was seated first row at Ed Hardy and later seen drinking Patron shots out of champagne flutes at the Mercedes Benz Star Lounge.   Bravo’s ubiquitous Real Housewives, Kelly Killoren Bensimon (New York) and Dina Manzo (New Jersey) were all over the place.  Bensimon attended the kick-off party at the Raleigh Hotel on Wednesday, Caviar Kaspia at The Webster on Thursday, the Wall on Saturday and numerous shows.  She was also seen at the Mercedes Benz Star Lounge. Manzo followed suit attending many shows and hanging in the Star Lounge with her daughter. 

Hotelier Andre Balazs was front row at the L Space show and hit the Wall at the W South Beach on Saturday. Artist, Romero Britto, director, Michael Bay, and rapper, Lil’ Jon, also took in shows during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Swim.

At the Living Room on Saturday, Belkys Nerey celebrated her birthday alongside good friend, Marysol Patton. Supermodels, Angela Lindvall, Erin Wasson and Nicole Trunfio were seen at the Standard throughout the weekend.  Andy Roddick’s wife, model Brooklyn Decker, attended a few shows and had brunch at Asia de Cuba at the Mondrian Sunday afternoon. Lennox Lewis dined late along with a group of 15 at Smith & Wollensky. Latin Pop Star, Elvis Crespo and starting third baseman for the Florida Marlins and 2007 World Series MVP, Mike Lowell attended the smash-hit show, Fuerza Bruta, as did Miami Heat Coach Eric Spoelstra over the weekend.