... or New Years, just to see. 
These days I'd avoid NYE as well unless you're willing to spend the bucks to attend a club party. Then you can have a nice view away from the crush. Book your room in the same hotel as your club of choice unless you don't intend on leaving before about 3am or so. I'm sure you know just how expensive the rooms and clubs are for NYE.
I've done NYE on the strip twice. The first time was NYE 1999 and I had a blast!! I flew in at 22:30 on a last minute standby ticket I purchased at the airport after work with no room reservation and no bags. I had the limo "bus" driver drop me off around Koval when he got stuck in traffic, walked to the strip, partied all night long, called for the limo "bus" to pick me up around 6am, flew home on 1/1 early in the morning and was home in bed by 9am. It was one of the best times I've ever had. To top it off, I won the airfare back at the blackjack table in 10 minutes just after arriving and then got to drinking and partying. I even won another hundred or so playing some slot machines in the early morning hours.
The second was NYE 2013. It wasn't that fun and was awful after midnight.
The biggest difference is that back then the entire street was closed to traffic but was open to pedestrians, so there was a party atmosphere. People found spots and celebrated. The casinos didn't close their doors so it was easy to go back inside before and after the midnight festivities. The crowds didn't push and cram because there was plenty of space with no blockade in the middle of the street and because the casino's weren't denying entry.
Now they put a police barricade down the middle of LVB for cops on horseback and for ambulances. I understand the reasoning but it makes it impossible to "cross" the strip anywhere but the standard street corners, effectively making the street just an extension of the sidewalks, and it takes its toll. People were mostly walking "somewhere," mostly northbound on the east side and southbound on the west. There were people standing in the intersections but it wasn't nearly as festive. Most were groups who kept to themselves. The casinos don't help as they now close their doors to interlopers at about 23:30 or possibly 23:00, if I remember correctly. I think they'll let people in with player's cards so be sure to carry all of them with you. They may even be more restrictive (room keys or higher level cards) in those minutes before midnight.
The party atmosphere just wasn't really there, except from just a few minutes before through a just a few minutes after midnight. Afterwards, it was hell trying to get back to a monorail station. The crowd was too thick and at times I was forced to move with the herd against my will. Not fun. The wait at the monorail station was about 2 hours but fortunately I was behind some nice folks who liked chatting as much as I so the time passed quickly. Again, the casinos made sure that the rabble herd did it's migrating outside their doors by denying entry to most.
It was most definitely NOT the Vegas New Years Eve of old.
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