Hate the Istanbul traffic, the crowded restaurants and the loud music on New Year's Eve? Party boats on the Bosporus are booking up fast for a celebration away from the crowds.

Street parties and extravagant New Year's events at high-profile and often paparazzi-filled resorts and restaurants have lost their allure in Turkey, particularly after the Reina terrorist attack in 2017 that killed more than 40 people at a nightclub on New Year’s Eve. Turkey’s middle class — not to mention publicity-shy bureaucrats, top managers and media-shunning culturati — largely opted in the past for house parties, making sure that the guest list was as exclusive as the food served. Exhausted by increasing scrutiny from conservative circles and worried about safety, professionally organized parties at home became the most popular choice to ring in the new year.

For New Year's Eve 2019, house parties will continue to be popular, with services ranging from DJs to professional catering.

Hakan Yilmaz, a caterer from Ankara, told Al-Monitor, “Customers are asking for fresh ingredients. I traveled to Istanbul’s turkey market where I bought 15 turkeys for three house parties. They will all be slaughtered and cooked within 24 hours including the brining process.”