As a resident of Central Park West, I’ve grown increasingly frustrated by the crowds that swarm the neighborhood on Thanksgiving eve and on the holiday itself. It’s awfully hard to feel thankful when I can scarcely get in or out of my building. — Pauline V., Upper West Side
As an Upper West Sider myself, I feel your pain. The tradition of watching the balloons being blown up the night before Thanksgiving has grown from being a fun activity for families in the know into something akin to visiting Times Square on New Year’s Eve. And let’s face it: Although no one comes to live in New York City for the peace and quiet, situations such as this one can be trying for even the most steely of among us. So what to do? You can either grin and bear it or you can get the heck out of Dodge for the holiday.
Difficult though it may be for you to keep your cool when it appears that all of America has decamped to your doorstep, remember that this headache occurs but once a year. And if you really want to console yourself, just imagine what living through two weeks of Olympics games was like for residents of London this past summer.
For the past five years, as an Italian living in New York, I’ve gathered a few of my other international friends for my take on an American Thanksgiving dinner. Next door to me is a young couple with no family, and they always seem a little lonely around the holidays. I know it would be nice to extend an offer for them to join, too, but I worry they might not mix with my friends. —Marco D., Carnegie Hill
With apologies to Lesley Gore, it’s your party, and you’ll invite whom you want to. That being said, would it be such a bad thing to get to know your neighbors a bit better? You might be surprised by how well they fit in — especially if you go the extra mile to make sure they feel welcome. Anticipating that you’re going to be busy in the kitchen for a good chunk of the day, you also should enlist one or two other guests to back up your efforts. You might even want to have some party games prepared, which will help break the ice for everyone.
The first celebration of Thanksgiving nearly 400 years ago would have been a flop if the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag had not been able to cast aside cultural differences. And though there might not have been any Italians at that first celebration back in 1621, the way you’ve embraced this most American of traditions is truly in the spirit of the holiday.
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