Birthdays are easy when you’re in elementary school. Your mom buys (or makes, if she’s ambitious) cupcakes for the entire class and you throw a party for the entire class. There are the normal politics of how good a party you throw, who got you the best gift, who gets to sit next to you at the ginormous table, but all in all, it’s just fun.
College birthdays, however, get difficult. With family at home, old friends scattered throughout the region, and friends from all your groups on campus vying for your attention, it gets difficult to plan. It does not have to be this hard. Whether it’s your party or the surprise dinner for your friend, there is a way to maneuver through the politics of birthdays.
Remember to keep everything in perspective. It won’t come together perfectly. Something will go wrong. Someone will bail. Acknowledge, move on, and enjoy yourself. Dinners are always a great option, but you need to stick to a pretty tight budget. Arthur Ave. is always a safe bet if you want to keep things local, with quality food at affordable prices. But you can also make the meal a little more special by heading into the city. Lincoln Center has tons of options, easy and affordable transportation for a group of students, and Web sites such as urbanspoon.com that have options for filtering restaurants by type, price, and area.
If you want to plan an activity, New York offers a ton of options and touristy spots may just be ideal. Never walked the Brooklyn Bridge? Now could be a good time to try it. Winter babies can go ice skating at Bryant Park or Rockefeller Center, while those whose birthdays are on a nice spring or fall day can head to Central Park. Music lovers can look into bands playing the area, while art lovers can check out local exhibits. The key to remember is that this is meant to suit your interests.
For the guest list, start out short and sweet. Include your core group, and work out from there. While adding everyone may seem ideal, politics may demand a quickly exploding guest list. Feel free to include friends from home, but, again, be careful of overcrowding. Introducing your BFF from high school may sound great now, but how great will it sound if she’s shy around your friends?
Always remember not to be a diva; you want people to celebrate with next year, too! Still, this is your birthday, and a day to celebrate you, so live it up.
Want more on planning a birthday in NYC? Check back next week for Part Two!