Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:49
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
Anonymous wrote:There's another thread on here where people look down on serving food from Costco at a party. In the social media age, I think people are more into hosting a "curated" party, which can seem like more effort than it's worth.
Also...we have more ways of connecting than we did before social media/text. Back then you saw each other in person or called on the phone. Now we're connected in so many other ways.
The problem is that none of those other ways are as meaningful or immediate as in person gatherings/get togethers
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:48
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
Anonymous wrote:Like PP, I only invite wives and kids. This started because my now-ex was antisocial and a jerk, and the other men in the neighborhood only socialize with certain couples or are raging alcoholics. Or both.
I think people are really clannish these days and weird about going to a gathering of a broad group of people. They either want to socialize only with their closest friends from college or their giant extended family, or they want to be home with just their immediate family. It’s tough for people like me who have a small nuclear family and want to fill the house like the olden days.
I think modern invite expectations and evite/paperless post is also a problem. I throw parties with broad invitation lists, so it’s interesting to watch the RSVPs. If too many “randos” RSVP early on, more connected people or people with social capital will all reply no. When 1-2 people who are in key social groups say yes, the rest follow with a yes like sheep. It could be a coincidence but it’s happened too many times. I’ve tried hiding the invite list but then no one says yes.
I agree with all of this.
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:47
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
There's another thread on here where people look down on serving food from Costco at a party. In the social media age, I think people are more into hosting a "curated" party, which can seem like more effort than it's worth.
Also...we have more ways of connecting than we did before social media/text. Back then you saw each other in person or called on the phone. Now we're connected in so many other ways.
Also...we have more ways of connecting than we did before social media/text. Back then you saw each other in person or called on the phone. Now we're connected in so many other ways.
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:47
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
I’m throwing a party Saturday and will leave notes at my neighbors homes day of inviting them to come by. We moved in a few months ago so hope one or two will!
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:46
Subject: Re:Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
I have hosted many parties catering to kids and parents when my own kids were in ES or MS. After that, my kids did not want these parties and so I stopped.
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:45
Subject: Re:Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
I do a high tea for the women in the neighborhood every so often. I am close friends with most of them and there is incredible amount of reciprocity with 70% of them. Then there are women who have never invited me back or have been friendly in any meaningful way. They just exist. Like starfish. 🙀
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:44
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
Anonymous wrote:Like PP, I only invite wives and kids. This started because my now-ex was antisocial and a jerk, and the other men in the neighborhood only socialize with certain couples or are raging alcoholics. Or both.
I think people are really clannish these days and weird about going to a gathering of a broad group of people. They either want to socialize only with their closest friends from college or their giant extended family, or they want to be home with just their immediate family. It’s tough for people like me who have a small nuclear family and want to fill the house like the olden days.
I think modern invite expectations and evite/paperless post is also a problem. I throw parties with broad invitation lists, so it’s interesting to watch the RSVPs. If too many “randos” RSVP early on, more connected people or people with social capital will all reply no. When 1-2 people who are in key social groups say yes, the rest follow with a yes like sheep. It could be a coincidence but it’s happened too many times. I’ve tried hiding the invite list but then no one says yes.
This is all spot on. People don’t want to go to a party where they might not know anyone super well, or where the “right people” aren’t going. I’ve also noticed the “large extended family socializing” and there was a thread about it on here somewhat recently as well. And people are also very self conscious about their imperfect houses as well.
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:44
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
Since my kids have become teenagers we are just too busy with their activities, travel sports, social calendar and extra tutoring/ test prep to do things like neighborhood parties. My kids happiness and facilitating their success comes first, not entertaining the neighbors.
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:40
Subject: Re:Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
I used to throw two neighborhood potlucks every year. Provided the chairs, tables, trash bins, music, fan, one or two big food items, beer water etc. Then we figured out that there were a handful of neighbors who were neighborly and also contributed equally. These have become my close friends and now I have house parties where I invite only these neighbors. They also take turns to invite us. We are due to invite them early next year.
I tried to do large catered parties at home (no potluck) but it was like pearls before swine. I stopped that too.
I tried to do large catered parties at home (no potluck) but it was like pearls before swine. I stopped that too.
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:34
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
I’m one of the PPs and I think the parties we’re talking about are holiday “open houses”. They are in the late afternoon or evening and usually there were multiple ones so the expectation was that you would kind of drop in and out. We’re catholic so ours were always in the weeks before Christmas, but in neighborhoods that were more WASP-y people did them on Christmas Eve.
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:32
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
I grew up in the NY suburbs and never saw this. For a few years ONE neighbor hosted a NYE party for adults only but that was literally 3-4 years and then they stopped.
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:28
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
Like PP, I only invite wives and kids. This started because my now-ex was antisocial and a jerk, and the other men in the neighborhood only socialize with certain couples or are raging alcoholics. Or both.
I think people are really clannish these days and weird about going to a gathering of a broad group of people. They either want to socialize only with their closest friends from college or their giant extended family, or they want to be home with just their immediate family. It’s tough for people like me who have a small nuclear family and want to fill the house like the olden days.
I think modern invite expectations and evite/paperless post is also a problem. I throw parties with broad invitation lists, so it’s interesting to watch the RSVPs. If too many “randos” RSVP early on, more connected people or people with social capital will all reply no. When 1-2 people who are in key social groups say yes, the rest follow with a yes like sheep. It could be a coincidence but it’s happened too many times. I’ve tried hiding the invite list but then no one says yes.
I think people are really clannish these days and weird about going to a gathering of a broad group of people. They either want to socialize only with their closest friends from college or their giant extended family, or they want to be home with just their immediate family. It’s tough for people like me who have a small nuclear family and want to fill the house like the olden days.
I think modern invite expectations and evite/paperless post is also a problem. I throw parties with broad invitation lists, so it’s interesting to watch the RSVPs. If too many “randos” RSVP early on, more connected people or people with social capital will all reply no. When 1-2 people who are in key social groups say yes, the rest follow with a yes like sheep. It could be a coincidence but it’s happened too many times. I’ve tried hiding the invite list but then no one says yes.
Anonymous
12/24/2025 12:02
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
In the Baltimore area, but we have quarterly neighborhood parties/events
Anonymous
12/24/2025 11:25
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
I think standards have gotten so high in the social media Era that it feels too daunting.
My mom used to throw one of these for the neighbors. Ranging in age from early 30s with kids, to mid 80s. She would serve chex mix, ham pinwheels, homemade cookies and some beer and soda.
In 1999 this was a fine party but nowadays no one would want to go. Hang out with the elderly neighbors? No cocktails or hard liquor? Cheap unimpressive food?
My friend throws a party for just her girlfriends because everyone's husband including hers is so antisocial.
I know you're about to get a bunch of responses from people with "packed social calendars" but those are rich people. I'm speaking as a MC woman, 39.
My mom used to throw one of these for the neighbors. Ranging in age from early 30s with kids, to mid 80s. She would serve chex mix, ham pinwheels, homemade cookies and some beer and soda.
In 1999 this was a fine party but nowadays no one would want to go. Hang out with the elderly neighbors? No cocktails or hard liquor? Cheap unimpressive food?
My friend throws a party for just her girlfriends because everyone's husband including hers is so antisocial.
I know you're about to get a bunch of responses from people with "packed social calendars" but those are rich people. I'm speaking as a MC woman, 39.
Anonymous
12/24/2025 11:15
Subject: Do families host neighborhood parties anymore?
Growing up in MoCo, we probably went to 5-10 neighborhood parties a year.
Now with my own children in MoCo, there has been 2-3 a year — and almost always outdoors.
Did COVID change things so much that people don’t want to have neighborhood parties anymore?
And do most people not want to entertain big groups at home, despite having big houses?
Wondering if this is just our neighborhood or more commonplace now.
Now with my own children in MoCo, there has been 2-3 a year — and almost always outdoors.
Did COVID change things so much that people don’t want to have neighborhood parties anymore?
And do most people not want to entertain big groups at home, despite having big houses?
Wondering if this is just our neighborhood or more commonplace now.