When it comes to a New Year’s Eve party, there are many types:
1. The raucous, boozy ones that the cops break up at 12:01 a.m.;
2. The lazy ones where people struggle to stay awake until midnight, only opening their eyes occasionally to see how Ryan Seacrest is doing in Times Square; and
3. The just-right ones where everyone has a good time and no one gets so drunk that they have to spend all of January 1 apologizing for their behavior.
Or maybe that is your idea of a good time. We’re not here to judge.
But if you live in a small apartment and you want your landlord and neighbors to like you, we recommend you aim for less option 1 and more option 3. (Option 2 is acceptable only if you did manual labor all day leading up to the party, or if you’re 90 years old.) The point is, your New Year’s Eve party doesn’t have to result in a citation for disturbing the peace or a certificate for Lamest Party of the Year. There’s a nice middle ground there, and we’ve got some ideas to help your party achieve it.
1. Start around 9 p.m.
There’s an art to party timing. You want everyone to have enough time to enjoy the festivities, but not be stuck there so long that everyone’s barely awake at midnight. Three hours is enough time to meet and greet everyone there and maybe play some party games before the ball drops. Plus, you can always keep the action going after midnight for those who want to stick around.
2. Supply the champagne, but for everything else, make it BYOB.
Champagne is what you traditionally drink when the clock strikes midnight, so you want to be sure there’s enough to go around. But you don’t want to be on the hook for whatever else anyone wants to drink, so ask your guests to bring their own libations. And if you’d prefer your New Year’s Eve party to be booze-free, be sure to have plenty of soda or punch on hand.
3. Keep the TV on.
You might not turn it on until 11 or 11:30, but you need some Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in your party. It’s an American tradition, and everyone likes to watch the ball drop in Times Square.
4. Plan a playlist.
Any party needs music, no matter what time of year it is. We’ll leave it up to you to decide what tracks to include on your playlist (although we do have some suggestions), but just make sure you have Auld Lang Syne cued up when the clock strikes midnight. Also, remember that not all of your neighbors are going to be staying up until midnight, so don’t play anything too loudly. A visit from the cops isn’t going to make your party better.
5. Keep the cab company’s phone number handy.
If your party involves alcohol, you need a plan to get people home safely in case they over-imbibe. Designated drivers are essential, but they can’t always drive everyone home. Taxis are a safe way to enjoy the evening responsibly and start the New Year off right.
More ideas for your New Year’s Eve party:
What are your tips for a rockin’ New Year’s Eve party in an apartment?
Photo credits: Shutterstock / shy; fotohunter