I graduated right around the time Covid hit, and I feel like that wrecked my social life irreparably. I have 4-5 close friends I can hang out with every other week or so (nobody wants to hang out 1 to 1 every day), but all my friend groups dissipated. Some moved away, some moved on, some just stopped moving at all. I feel miserable and every couple of nights I have dreams of a Third Place where I can just go and make friends with strangers. It's been like 3 years since I went to a club, houseparty, or even a larger get-together (5+ people) outside of birthday drinks, and it's heartbreaking.
Ask HN: Where are all the parties?
31–40 of 440 posts
Re: Ask HN: Where are all the parties?
#32We had a party this summer, my wife turned 50 and we wanted to host a party in our house for all our friends. We thought it would be a blast but there were problems. First problem, we don't really have that many friends. Back in the day, it felt natural to invite anyone you remotely knew but today, not so much. So, only those that we had some kind of deeper relationship got on the list, in total maybe 30 people or so…
This was a really thoughtful response, thanks for sharing it.
As a 35 year old who's just had his first kids this makes me sad to read, it really feels like I'm past the age of good parties now.
Pre-covid we were having raucous times every weekend and now there's too much responsibility to imagine that again. And I'm probably getting towards the age where it'd be a bit sad to still do that anyway.
FWIW one place I've lived that seems to care little about age in the party scene is Madrid. Plenty of nights you're just as likely to be partying with 60 year olds as 25 year olds.
Re: Ask HN: Where are all the parties?
#33It’s fairly simple…
As people get older,
1. they have more responsibilities/obligations and less free time
2. as well as, they also grow into having new interests besides partying, so they use their (limited) free time differently.
Re: Ask HN: Where are all the parties?
#34I would strongly recommend people who are looking for more music and dance in their life to check out the vr clubbing scene. I've been on it almost constantly for the last 3 months and love having partying back in my life again from the comfort of my own home. (I don't want to say it's a perfect replacement but for me it's good enough to scratch the itch) See my prior posts for more info.
I invite anyone who wants to go to VR parties to come to my mansion in the Metaverse. Enjoy the professionally designed modern architecture as you mingle amongst other guests and have VR drinks (while enjoying your own beverage at home), and watch our preprogrammed live entertainment. Sometimes we go out on the yacht too. Tell the bouncer up front you’re with Hackernews for VIP status.
Re: Ask HN: Where are all the parties?
#35- The Covid hysteria was brutal in destroying what was left of the social fabric. - People have become more and more anti social since the introduction of the smart phone. - Intense schooling has made people apathetic to life and reluctant towards taking any initiative. - Wealthy individuals don't need to host parties to impress their communities anymore. - Sex soliciting apps like Tinder makes parties a place where…
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Re: Ask HN: Where are all the parties?
#36I feel the 19th century societal norms (as documented by Austen and Tolstoy etc) are often derided and laughed at for their formalism and rigidness, but while recognizing the many problems there I do also see lot of upsides too. I wonder if we could apply something from that without having those downsides.
Re: Ask HN: Where are all the parties?
#37Personally, I am no longer in the mood to party.
As I approach 60, living a single life, battling lung cancer, with friends and family around me ill and dying or already dead, it feels like there isn't much left to celebrate.
There probably won't even be any sort of party when I'm six feet under. No celebration of a life endured. The world moves on as we all suffer eternal oblivion.
Re: Ask HN: Where are all the parties?
#38We had a party this summer, my wife turned 50 and we wanted to host a party in our house for all our friends. We thought it would be a blast but there were problems. First problem, we don't really have that many friends. Back in the day, it felt natural to invite anyone you remotely knew but today, not so much. So, only those that we had some kind of deeper relationship got on the list, in total maybe 30 people or so…
This was a really thoughtful response, thanks for sharing it. As a 35 year old who's just had his first kids this makes me sad to read, it really feels like I'm past the age of good parties now. Pre-covid we were having raucous times every weekend and now there's too much responsibility to imagine that again. And I'm probably getting towards the age where it'd be a bit sad to still do that anyway. FWIW one place I've…
> ...care little about age in the party scene is Madrid. Plenty of nights you're just as likely to be partying with 60 year olds as 25 year olds.
Same in Ireland. Funnily enough the party scene there also includes many Spaniards of all ages, as well as an overrepresentation of Greeks and Italians.
Wherever I go in Europe, if I go to a party I know it's likely I'll meet someone from one of those four countries there.
Re: Ask HN: Where are all the parties?
#39All of the above. There were always more parties 10 years ago.
Re: Ask HN: Where are all the parties?
#40I faced the same issue and decided to solve it by making an app. The issue mainly boils down to not knowing who is free when and when they want to party. So I made an app where people can input when they are free during the week, and it auto suggests plans.
You can check it out at : https://www.bl1p.app