L.A.'S 2000 ENDING AS QUIETLY AS IT BEGAN.

Byline: Erik Nelson Staff Writer

It took 1,000 years to get here, and there's still no rush.

If you want to celebrate the real millennium that ends Sunday, there are still plenty of restaurant, hotel and nightclub reservations available.

After last year's Y2K fears and faux-millennium madness, people seem to have used up their enthusiasm for marking the New Year in a big way, say caterers, restaurateurs and special events coordinators.

``So far this year, people are going to be more conservative than they were in the past,'' said Scott Tessler, president and general manager of Silver Spoons Catering in Tarzana. ``There tends to be more, but smaller, parties in homes than there are larger groups getting together.''

As of Thursday, Universal CityWalk still had entertainment packages available for its 30 different restaurants and clubs. The Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City also had tickets available for its three New Year's Eve events.

And there will have to be some mighty big crowds to buy up all of the 50,000 tickets for ``Together as One 2001,'' a massive electronic dance party at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Sports Arena next door. Tickets for that tandem event were still available Thursday.

Last year's millennium meltdown, together with people's typical wariness of venturing out on New Year's Eve, have combined to put a damper on an otherwise celebratory evening, said Mari Womack, a California State University, Northridge, anthropology professor and author of several books on popular culture, including the forthcoming ``Symbols and Meaning.''

``I think it's a letdown this year, and it's a letdown that goes beyond the normal Angeleno thing of 'I don't want to get on the freeway,' '' she said. ``I think we're sick of the word 'millennium.' ''

No party this year

Bert Seneca, general manager of the Airtel Hotel at Van Nuys Airport, certainly doesn't want to hear that word again. Last New Year's Eve was such a bust that the hotel isn't holding a party this year.

``Last year was so much of a hype and we had to spend so much money on bands, we did not want to go through that kind of aggravation again,'' Seneca said.

Others say this town just doesn't appreciate the holiday.

``L.A. has never been a big New Year's town. Our New Year's party is the Rose Parade,'' said Carol Martinez of the L.A. Convention Center and Visitors Bureau.

Robert Lamishaw, president of the Mid-Valley Chamber of Commerce, agreed.

``Everyone I've talked to is basically treating this New Year's the way they've always treated them,'' he said. ``Many of my friends are staying home to avoid the crowds and the drunks.''

That's bad news for Diana Aliabadi, owner of Diana's Gourmet Catering in Glendale.

``It's very bad,'' she said. ``We're doing six or seven events, and they're smaller parties and they're in the home. This year there isn't any big party.''

On Dec. 31, 1999, Diana's catered four big parties of up to 600 guests each and 10 small events of up to 50 guests each.

``I think this year, this election, made the economy stop. I hope 2001 will be good,'' Aliabadi said.

So does Tessler, who is catering about eight modest in-home parties rather than the same number of much larger affairs he typically does on New Year's. He blames the economy and the disappointing Y2K celebrations for the trend.

``I think that a lot of the wind blew out of the sail last year, even though some people say this year is the actual millennium,'' Tessler said. ``They don't want to pay for the labor, which is generally double on holidays. They'll go with a smaller party, and mama will do the cooking instead of the chef.''

CityWalk hopes

Norm Rich, Universal CityWalk vice president and general manager, is also hoping for a brighter New Year's. He expects up to 20,000 revelers to attend CityWalk's free street show and buy entertainment packages for its restaurants and clubs.

Last New Year's, Universal CityWalk drew fewer visitors but, Rich said, part of it was under construction. Since then, the dining and entertainment complex has expanded. And like other special events organizers, Universal is changing tactics to take advantage of a more subdued type of New Year's revelry.

Last year, Universal Studios held a New Year's event in its theme park that attracted about 15,000 people, but this year the park is reserved for a private event for Purdue fans on their way to the Rose Bowl, Rich said.

To be sure, not all millennium events were experiencing slow ticket sales.

Stephanie Smiley, publicist for the dance party at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Sports Arena, said between 20,000 and 30,000 $30 advance tickets had already been sold, and promoters of the youth-oriented event were confident that enthusiasm for it would remain high.

``Presale tickets are right where they should be, and nobody got it out of their system last year,'' Smiley said.

Giant 2001, an ``over 21 club'' spread out on Hollywood Boulevard between Vine Street and Cahuenga Boulevard, has sold ``more than half'' of its 8,000 tickets, including all of its 1,000 VIP tickets that include free drinks and T-shirt, by Thursday, said Dave Dean, director of GIANT Kids.

And at Staples Center, which will host a rhythm and blues and hip-hop concert featuring Destiny's Child, Mystikal, Jon B and Ideal, $75 tickets for an after-show party at the 3,500-capacity L.A. Entertainment Center were ``selling like wildfire,'' said Gale Williams, publicist for producer Prime Time Concerts.

``We don't have a concern about ticket sales,'' Williams said. ``Last year, I think there was a big panic about the world coming to an end. I don't (expect) that panic this year, so we will do just fine.''

But just in case, the promoters plan to sell tickets at the door.

Even so, this year's events are at least a recovery from star-studded Y2K flops, say some organizers.

``There's a lot more interest this year,'' said Linda Scott, sales director for Sportsmen's Lodge Restaurant and Special Events Center. ``I'm so glad last year's gone; that was a nightmare.''

This year, the lodge is hosting a big-band party, rock 'n' roll party and comedy show for the launch of 2001, and $70 to $120 tickets for all three events were still available Thursday.

Womack believes this New Year's ``has a kind of poignancy. Last year, it seemed that we had a kind of unlimited optimism, but this year it's time to pay the bills.''