After a great Labor Day weekend ending what was hopefully a stellar summer for everyone, and with BBQ season quickly coming to a close for many of us, we will soon be forced to move inside for the cold, snowy months (let's not get ahead of ourselves, we still have another month or so of outdoor shenanigans!) I thought we could all use a little refresher course on how to properly entertain while you are living in a community and how to throw a party without annoying the neighbors.
When you decide you want to throw a party you have to decide what kind of party you are going to have. Generally your set-up will determine what kind of party it is, but there is always a chance that things could get out of hand (it is a party after all). If you decide you want a quite calm affair, then wine and cheese might be your best bet. Your landlord and neighbors would prefer this option.
If you decide to go with another option like beer and chips while watching the Skins game, then you should be prepared to deal with a rowdier crowd. Here are some rules to remember no matter what kind of party you decide to have:
- Ask your roommates. If you live with other people, at least ask them if they would mind if you had some people over. Chances are, if they are your roommate, they will be down, but you need to make sure that the parents aren't in town/they aren't taking the LSATs the next day/they aren't hosting their monthly book club that night/etc
- Tell your neighbors you are going to be having people over and give them your number to call you if things get loud. If you don't they will usually call the cops instead. Heck, might as well take the opportunity to invite them over and get to know them while you are over there!
- Only invite your friends or the friends of friends you trust. Random people are usually less accountable for their actions and are not as careful with your things.
- Make sure there are enough refreshments for your party. Whether you are having diet coke or whiskey on the rocks, the party usually ends when the house runs out of drinks.
- Collect keys. If people are going to drink make sure they don't drive. Either tell them to cab over or have designated drivers. If you live in the city, this is usually not a problem. If you don't, tell them to draw straws for DD status anyway or have some pillows and blankets on standby.
- Put away your most valuable/breakable/important things. Even though theses are your friends, it is always better to be safe then sorry.
- Check the volume level. If you are playing music, check the volume level. If your friends are yelling (even if you are merely playing Taboo), check the volume level. Go outside and see if you can hear the party from outside. If you can, then you need to turn it down
- Clear out some space so that people can congregate and not run into your things... thus breaking them. The more open the floor space, the more communal socializing will take place.
Remember to be respectful of your neighbors. If you are constantly annoying them, they will be much more likely to call the authorities rather than you if things get too loud for them. Also remember that if your neighbors complain enough, you can be held in violation of your lease and have some unnecessary problems with the landlord!
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