"Celebrity" Ben Aflac was at, this Party (in 2009)!
2
What's a Hipster?
1
Hipsters are a plague.
23
Same think is happening on Torch Lake in Michigan. Folks with no connection to the area be it spiritual or through familial or ownership connections are showing up in droves for what used to be a local holiday celebration and having a big hedonistic party on the lake, leaving pollution, trash and human waste behind on the land and in the water.
19
I'm with Ben Stiller on this, he had good reason to be terrified when lighting "untamed" and "strictly illegal" fireworks by hand. It sounds like the hosts and guests were lucky to have avoided fires and dismemberment. Brooke and Peter, there's plenty going on in the world to warrant those unhappy faces. This ain't nothin'.
22
Why is this a story? What was the problem? You held an event open to the community and the community got bigger than you planned? This is one of the most ridiculously tone deaf, unnecessary, and provincial stories on New York elite counterculture I've ever read in the Times.
59
So how about everybody, like, everybody, comes over to your place for a "party"?
27
of course!!! Everything is FREE, we know it all belongs to us.... Boy are these sons and daughters of the Millennials doomed to dismay when they finally get the bill for the National Debt as in...... you are broke folks and have been for a long time...
13
Shorter summary: Elites throw big party for elites in quaint upstate town, until elite children of other elites show up and crash it. Quelle dommage!
69
I dunno. On one hand, wealthy people snootily complaining about millennials is pretty annoying (all inter-generational sniping is insufferable really). But on the other, this was a private function, and I'm pretty sure no one is cool with having their party (especially when it's been carefully curated) overrun by uninvited strangers. No one, regardless of generation or level of income, would appreciate that. Moreover, older people don't always want to talk to young people. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. Interests change through the different stages of one's life, and shared experiences change. As a person on the cusp of forty, I find that a lot of people in their early twenties can be a bit much (just as I was when I was their age), and while I appreciate their presence under certain circumstances I wouldn't necessarily want them taking over my party. It's not because they suck; it's because we don't have common points of reference or life experience. And I imagine that a lot of people in their fifties and sixties feel the same way about people my age. I think it's possible to see this couple's perspective without turning it into Boomer Vs. Millennial War.
50
@James S of Seattle: I do not find 40 year old people uninteresting providing they are civil and do not ignore nor diss me because I am 60. I also find people 30 years older than me interesting. And young children. So if I know enough about you, like you, and you lived nearby, we would probably have you over for a dinner party with other people we thought you might enjoy meeting.
Aside from bemoaning the passing away of a great patriotic rural 4th of July party (similar parties which occur in every state where legal fireworks are sold or in states where fireworks are illegal but legal just over the border in a nearby state), this is an article about how rudeness can destroy the good things in life.
And how things going viral on social media is not necessarily a good thing. I wish the people who approved of the 2000 party crashers who ruined this affair would look closely at themselves and ask what did those 2000 party crashers contribute to the party? Why did they want to hang about with a bunch of old boomers if they hate old boomers? The fact that the crashers were unaware that the land was private property and a potluck says it all for me.
Aside from bemoaning the passing away of a great patriotic rural 4th of July party (similar parties which occur in every state where legal fireworks are sold or in states where fireworks are illegal but legal just over the border in a nearby state), this is an article about how rudeness can destroy the good things in life.
And how things going viral on social media is not necessarily a good thing. I wish the people who approved of the 2000 party crashers who ruined this affair would look closely at themselves and ask what did those 2000 party crashers contribute to the party? Why did they want to hang about with a bunch of old boomers if they hate old boomers? The fact that the crashers were unaware that the land was private property and a potluck says it all for me.
28
Hmmm...Hailing from Upstate in my youth, I believe this is the same type of 4th of July family parties that go on all throughout the summer in Upstate NY, the White Mountains, and along the coasts of the Atlantic and many Northeast lakes. Some are by locals, some are by out of towners. The difference being:
> They generally don't invite the world under the pretext that mere acquaintanceship equals friendship. That is, "name" people aren't invited for mere social and/or professional cachet, but because you may actually know them.
> They don't allow it to grow to a scale of 300+ of this "party", unless its a high school kegger when mom and dad are away. Most small towns have carnivals in June, July or August for that purpose. You can catch up - or not - as you wish over 2-3 days each year.
> They may have some fireworks, but likely not on the scale described, which were obviously illegal - and dangerous - from the very beginning. That's what you go to town or county firework shows for - just like here in NYC.
In other words, this whole scrums reads like a NY liberal elite's idea of a good "party" out in the country. Not for me. But, to each their own.
> They generally don't invite the world under the pretext that mere acquaintanceship equals friendship. That is, "name" people aren't invited for mere social and/or professional cachet, but because you may actually know them.
> They don't allow it to grow to a scale of 300+ of this "party", unless its a high school kegger when mom and dad are away. Most small towns have carnivals in June, July or August for that purpose. You can catch up - or not - as you wish over 2-3 days each year.
> They may have some fireworks, but likely not on the scale described, which were obviously illegal - and dangerous - from the very beginning. That's what you go to town or county firework shows for - just like here in NYC.
In other words, this whole scrums reads like a NY liberal elite's idea of a good "party" out in the country. Not for me. But, to each their own.
23
I have an idea: continue to have this party, BUT anyone, for one moment, on a cell phone, tablet or god forbid a computer gets immediately evicted. Post this on the invite there won't be a millennial in sight for a country mile, and everyone at the party can talk and enjoy each others company.
23
You seem to be under the impression that only millennials are tied to their phones.
11
Wow. That sounds like a fun time. Particularly for the people enforcing your rules.
How do comments like this get posted?
How do comments like this get posted?
8
You throw a party that you claim is bring one, bring all. A party that you claim is inclusive. Then you get what is coming to you when people take you at your word
11
Free food and fun; I recall an article last year about young men crashing weddings in Afghanistan for a free dinner. It gets to a point where you need to post bouncers at the entry. The free lunch myth isn't over.
11
Delaware County New York is a largely unspoiled paradise and about as un-hip as one can get. In the 1950s we stayed at a farm boarding house: best, meat and potatoes cooking and baking you could imagine, plus a real dairy keeping about 40 beautiful Guernsey cows. An adventuresome friend would go to NY Chinatown before his family came up. After early dinner on July 4, under supervision of his father we would all fire off a whole suitcase of works into a newly hayed meadow.
Pick a town and scan with Google maps, then visit.
Perhaps the demand for farm to table food will revive Delaware County agriculture. I would love to see cows on those green and pleasant hills.
Pick a town and scan with Google maps, then visit.
Perhaps the demand for farm to table food will revive Delaware County agriculture. I would love to see cows on those green and pleasant hills.
14
"With the money they saved by calling off the party this year, Mr. Schjeldahl and Ms. Alderson went to Rome in the spring. They had a good time. "
So glad. Now we get to read this inane article!
So glad. Now we get to read this inane article!
34
I find it interesting that some people responding are fine with crashing a party when someone else has done all the work and must pay the bill. Perhaos those who want to get together with friends ought to do the work and pay for their own party.
Also, the bigger issue is the liability involved. If any of the guests consumed alcoholic beverages and then got into an accident on their way home from the party, the responsibility lies with the property owners.
Having hosted many parties myself, they are a lot of work, a lot of money, and are stressful when guests do not have manners enough to ensure that no damage is done. Also, being responsible for those who over-consume alcoholic beverages is sobering when one realizes that one car accident could cause you tio lose all that you have worked for over the years.
So, yes, if it my party, I have every right to know and choose who is in attendance.
Also, the bigger issue is the liability involved. If any of the guests consumed alcoholic beverages and then got into an accident on their way home from the party, the responsibility lies with the property owners.
Having hosted many parties myself, they are a lot of work, a lot of money, and are stressful when guests do not have manners enough to ensure that no damage is done. Also, being responsible for those who over-consume alcoholic beverages is sobering when one realizes that one car accident could cause you tio lose all that you have worked for over the years.
So, yes, if it my party, I have every right to know and choose who is in attendance.
43
Gee whiz. White people have all the fun.
5
Apparently not.
3
And so we learn there are the ill-mannered among the upper-classes, the moneyed and well-known. Wonder how they handle their knives and forks.
15
When will the times write a sardonic article about the aging Boomer population that shows up to hipster warehouse parties desperately clutching onto their youth. I am really sick of the parade of articles putting down millennials. So what.. some hipsters showed up to a upstate snobs party that had an open invitation on facebook. The same thing happens all the time at hipster parties. Whatever this party was will be forgotten and so will this self righteous couple. Hey Boomers get over yourselves!
13
You can save your indignation for something important. Someone who gets annoyed over an article that says the party's over because too many uninvited came doesn't have enough to do. Pick a cause , any cause. Commit to it.
And by the way, if you host a party and don't want older people, stop announcing it on social media. Practice discretion.
The hipster thing will pass one day. You'll need to find a new thing.
And by the way, if you host a party and don't want older people, stop announcing it on social media. Practice discretion.
The hipster thing will pass one day. You'll need to find a new thing.
30
According to the article, the host couple never uses social media. So your claim that they posted an open invitation is apparently false -- somebody did, but the article says the hosts had no part in that. It seems to me the point really is about scale: anybody can handle some number of crashers, even if they are greedy, invasive and rude. The sheer number of crashers made possible by technology seems to be the point of the piece. And as a boomer who has crashed and been crashed, we knew how to be such charming crashers that we got invited back, to say the least.
36
I used to do a show every year right in our neighborhood. South Carolina is just 3 miles away and I would buy a few hundred dollars worth of the stuff that was illegal in North Carolina. I got away with it for 21 years. It was obvious where we were because I used lots of mortars with huge star bursts.
But it got out of hand. By the end there would be 250 people who drove in and brought their folding chairs. Each year the amount spent grew.
When I finished a show people would just pack up and leave. No one ever offered to help clean up the mess and even left their drink cans and bottles for me to clean up.
I hated to stop it because I enjoyed the show but people took the pleasure out of it.
But it got out of hand. By the end there would be 250 people who drove in and brought their folding chairs. Each year the amount spent grew.
When I finished a show people would just pack up and leave. No one ever offered to help clean up the mess and even left their drink cans and bottles for me to clean up.
I hated to stop it because I enjoyed the show but people took the pleasure out of it.
33
Rich people getting law enforcement to turn a blind eye to their illegal activities get upset when the vast unwashed want to join in the fun.
21
No where in the article does it say the vast unwashed. It says 2000 millenials.
I have young relatives who are millenials. They have thrown inappropriately huge birthday parties for their 1 year old babies and toddlers. I think they are insane. I started RSVPing "no" and they do not invite me anymore, thank God! Because the parties are so huge, the only living great grandparent has also stopped attending though she is still invited.
There is a vast rift between what anyone over 50 thinks is appropriate and civil, versus etiquette among well paid millenials (or even unpaid trust fund millenials). My husband loves to throw parties but each guest list is very carefully selected. If some of the invited guests cannot make it, we do not badger them or throw a hissy fit. We realize they have lives and responsibilities and sometimes health issues ( or financial issues if gifts are involved ) that means they cannot attend.
Also, so far everyone of the brides in that generation has turned into a bridezilla. And one of the grooms turned into a groomzilla. I blame the influence of the internet.
I have young relatives who are millenials. They have thrown inappropriately huge birthday parties for their 1 year old babies and toddlers. I think they are insane. I started RSVPing "no" and they do not invite me anymore, thank God! Because the parties are so huge, the only living great grandparent has also stopped attending though she is still invited.
There is a vast rift between what anyone over 50 thinks is appropriate and civil, versus etiquette among well paid millenials (or even unpaid trust fund millenials). My husband loves to throw parties but each guest list is very carefully selected. If some of the invited guests cannot make it, we do not badger them or throw a hissy fit. We realize they have lives and responsibilities and sometimes health issues ( or financial issues if gifts are involved ) that means they cannot attend.
Also, so far everyone of the brides in that generation has turned into a bridezilla. And one of the grooms turned into a groomzilla. I blame the influence of the internet.
16
This isn't about millenials or "hipsters". It's about bad manners. You don't show up to a stranger's party and home uninvited.
57
I'm not a hipster (too old and from the Midwest, which by definition is uncool). My education into the hipster lifestyle came from a hilarious Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt episode - season 2, episode 2. Two hipsters from Austin are on their way to see malfunctioning Chuckee Cheese dolls reenact an episode of Full House. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out.
6
And the episode is even better when the Austin hipsters go in the local dive restaurant, Titus pretends to be the bouncer to the back alley and the next thing ...
how awful that such a lovely event and tradition was ruined. why does anyone attend parties where they are not themselves invited by the host or where their companions extending the invitation do not know the hosts? this owes more to horrible maners than to a specific generation, though when every generation is young, it tends to put fun ahead of consideration.
23
Take the plunge - close you Facebook and other social media accounts and live a little!
18
Perhaps the party people might be made momentarily happy back in Brooklyn watching pigeons fly around with lights tied to their ankles. But the children are going to need treats, so lets text about that.
6
Pavement ants come to mind.
3
I, too, live in Delaware County, in a Hamlet just over the hill from Bovina where the former hosts of the now-defunct celebration live. I've lived here for 14 years, a transplant from NYC. I've never heard of Schjeldahl or Alderson, and I never knew about their party. Clearly, I wasn't connected to any of the labeled groups/generations cited in the article. More often than not, these days, I'm finding that being oblivious, otherwise occupied and/or not included in mythic social events or a specific demographic profile can be just fine - it leaves room for other things.
31
Strange that a story about an arty party upstate in the Catskills has so much emphatic, querulous, opining from all these Times commenters!
Dismissive and rude, or warmly reminiscent, or just plain old schadenfreude, seems like everyone wants to get a word in on this obscure event! Maybe it's some kind of virtual, vicarious, after the fact way of being part of it?
Dismissive and rude, or warmly reminiscent, or just plain old schadenfreude, seems like everyone wants to get a word in on this obscure event! Maybe it's some kind of virtual, vicarious, after the fact way of being part of it?
7
No. There are categories of comments.
There are the invenerate party crashers who think this article is unfair to them and are dissing the hosts as whiners for discontinuing an annual party.
There are older people like me who who dislike the people who did not know the hosts and posted on Facebook an open invitation on to hordes of strangers to party crash last year. (Some of my generation showed up at Woodstock but the vast majority did not.) So the behavior in the article appalls us. (We are curmudgeons.)
There are the envious ones who missed out.
There are the ones who do not see why the NYT printed this story at all--to them it is not news worthy. (An item about a New York state couple who had big 4th of July parties that eventually turned into a bigger mistake--printed the day before the 4th of July.) (Perhaps to warn potential party crashers who do not know the host couple to NOT show up this year.)
There are people who view the couple as elitists and they hate elitists.
There was a comment by someone who viewed this as a white party article, who assumed that not a single African American had ever attended. (Something unknown.)
There are probably several more reasons why people are commenting.
Take your pick.
It does have more human interest than many other topics.
There are the invenerate party crashers who think this article is unfair to them and are dissing the hosts as whiners for discontinuing an annual party.
There are older people like me who who dislike the people who did not know the hosts and posted on Facebook an open invitation on to hordes of strangers to party crash last year. (Some of my generation showed up at Woodstock but the vast majority did not.) So the behavior in the article appalls us. (We are curmudgeons.)
There are the envious ones who missed out.
There are the ones who do not see why the NYT printed this story at all--to them it is not news worthy. (An item about a New York state couple who had big 4th of July parties that eventually turned into a bigger mistake--printed the day before the 4th of July.) (Perhaps to warn potential party crashers who do not know the host couple to NOT show up this year.)
There are people who view the couple as elitists and they hate elitists.
There was a comment by someone who viewed this as a white party article, who assumed that not a single African American had ever attended. (Something unknown.)
There are probably several more reasons why people are commenting.
Take your pick.
It does have more human interest than many other topics.
11
Let me add to the larger social ambient in this country. There needs to be a new book on the behaviors necessary to be good house guests and how to be good guests at a variety of parties. Even a simple but through list please! Life is not a frat party.
Speaking of lists, my "do not invite again" tally is growing. Damage done by wet towels, coaster-free dripping glasses, feet on tables, and beyond (too gross to mention here) has limits. These are not millennials but college educated adults with grown children whose behavior was unpredictable prior to invitations. Who raised them?!?
Given my invited guests experiences not to mention the Twitter/Internet over familiarity, I am not surprised by outcome in this article. I will say a friend who hosts a similar upstate event controls it by charging a hefty fee for food on top of pot luck dishes.
Speaking of lists, my "do not invite again" tally is growing. Damage done by wet towels, coaster-free dripping glasses, feet on tables, and beyond (too gross to mention here) has limits. These are not millennials but college educated adults with grown children whose behavior was unpredictable prior to invitations. Who raised them?!?
Given my invited guests experiences not to mention the Twitter/Internet over familiarity, I am not surprised by outcome in this article. I will say a friend who hosts a similar upstate event controls it by charging a hefty fee for food on top of pot luck dishes.
15
I don't even show up to parties I am invited to. I don't know what to make of this, other than it seems like a major pain in the neck for the hosts.
17
I guess Peter and Brook have reached the age where they want the whippersnappers to get off their lawn.
14
This whole issue could have been cleaned up with a simple velvet rope and a couple of local volunteer firemen acting as bouncers. Lack the required bona fides? Hit the road punk.
Let's face it, half of the county would sign up for the opportunity to reject a couple of thousand uninvited fauxhemian interlopers back to their overpriced Williamsburg hovels.
Let's face it, half of the county would sign up for the opportunity to reject a couple of thousand uninvited fauxhemian interlopers back to their overpriced Williamsburg hovels.
13
I lived on 13th between A and B during the squatter years. The NYPD finally got the squatters out via a massive action that involved a helicopter. You longtimers might have seen the full page picture on the cover of the News or Post -- can't remember which. A temporary tiny Precinct house was set up on the sidewalk in front of the empty buildings and was manned around the clock to prevent the squatters getting back in.
On the night of the 4th of July, while the cops were watching the Macy's fireworks, the squatters sneaked past them and reoccupied the building.
Now THAT's a party!
On the night of the 4th of July, while the cops were watching the Macy's fireworks, the squatters sneaked past them and reoccupied the building.
Now THAT's a party!
16
Ahhhh, it's time for people's favorite pastime: Hipster hating. Let's put aside for a moment that that word has long outlived its usefulness as a descriptor of any type of person, what is this anger really about? The majority writing here never attended what sounds like a great party (many are probably pissed their social media circles failed to clue them into it before now.) So what is the big revelation here: that people want authentic experiences? Everyone always has and will. They seem harder to come by in a world (and, particularly, in a place like New York) that the Boomers left us, scrubbed of its grime and grit and run by corporations. Sure, there's a lot of idiots in any generation: but something tells me if the phenomenon known as Woodstock was reported today, it would read a lot like this instead of a what it was, and what it sounds like this event became: the desire of a lot of people to be a part of something beautiful and real. Before reflexively blaming hipsters for all of the worlds problems, stop and ask yourself: is their desire, their enthusiasm, their excitement to be a part of something really that different than any other generations? Maybe the problem is the world we are building is lacking more of these kinds of unbridled, slightly chaotic, dangerous and genuine experiences that we should be striving to build more of them, rather than moan about how many people want to be a part.
9
Look at the ages of the hosts. Now look at the ages of those who invited themselves (300 hipsters from Bushwick). That should be the proof anyone needs.
The hipster generation is known for not only not taking responsibility for the mess they cause, but also trying to redirect blame onto others. "But moooom, everyone else was doing it!"
The hipster generation is known for not only not taking responsibility for the mess they cause, but also trying to redirect blame onto others. "But moooom, everyone else was doing it!"
19
Spoken like a true authentic hipster. You've probably never actually thrown a party of your own making, never footed the bill for one, never created a special event for people you care about simply because you care about them intimately. You spend your extended childhood expecting to cash in on others' parties your whole life. Everything for everybody, eh? Well that's been done before, in the sixties, and we were called hippies, your apparent forefathers and foremothers, and it didn't work as a lifestyle then either. Eventually one has to grow up and realize that the party costs money and time, and it's for the party giver's invitees, not every infantile mooch who can stumble across the address.
23
"the world the Boomers left us". Pot, meet kettle.
1
Everything about this article is rarified pretension. The lush bohemian soiree ruined by the sight of 300 millennials "coming down the driveway." The hostess proclaims: "I nearly died." Now they sulk in Rome lamenting their kinder, more granola way of life. Gina Bellafante, a tail end baby boomer, has made this couple and their Rip Van Winkle miniature golf course - which is hidden their "many acres of mountainous land" sound truly odious.
27
So probably you won't be showing up, anywhere? Please?
19
How is it pretentious to not want your party crashed by hundreds of uninvited people? It costs time and money to host a party of every size and level of formality. You buy food, drink and other supplies for the number of people you invited so if if a whole bunch of party crashers show up you don't have enough for your invited guests. You host a party with your hard earned money and seen how you feel if a whole bunch of people you don't know show up and proceed to show poor manners and trash your place.
13
In his book he invited anyone to come and bring a dish, #1.
The writer salivates over every detail of the couple's granola-elite life, #2.
"Millennials" are dismissed as a plague, #3.
It is too bad their lovely gathering became to hot to handle. But I won't cry tears for them and I won't bash an entire generation while I dab my eyes.
The writer salivates over every detail of the couple's granola-elite life, #2.
"Millennials" are dismissed as a plague, #3.
It is too bad their lovely gathering became to hot to handle. But I won't cry tears for them and I won't bash an entire generation while I dab my eyes.
4
Boy Howdy, us white folks sure have a lot of problems, especially, it would seem, on weekends and holidays.
15
I had the same thing happen to our fourth of July fireworks party on a smaller scale. Probably 150 people. Towards the end people who I didn't know who came with friends took a tour of my house and never said anything to me when I was in the living room. We had the same deal with bottle rockets for kids and some kids were taking them home and also taking stuff reserved for the after dark show. It's a shame because I used to have a really good time.
15
So did any of the hipsters bring food for the potluck? Or, was that not mentioned in the tweets?
23
So, these folks actually put come one come all in their book and then were surprised to find it was taken as if sincere as that spread across the Internet? Millennials in general are a quite sincere bunch - they wouldn't have realized that came with the caveat "only if you're cool enough and have had time to establish a brilliant portfolio." Many of the millennials dismissed here will be nobodies. Some of them will be the next decades' Hawkings, Gandhis, and Safires, with the story of these parties in their collective portfolios. This could have turned into a mentor opportunity. This could have transformed to require invitations in hand rather than an insincere invitation in a book. Fuss over word from the book spreading to the web, as if that means the people who speak to people who read your book are lesser creatures? That just earns an eye roll and a what on earth did you expect - my problem isn't with closing but the attitude of it. This could certainly with all rights close down. But whatever it does it's hypocritical and short sighted to imply that guests invited (as the world was in that book) simply aren't up to snuff when the primary difference is that the young ones have not yet had time to blossom before being dismissed as trash. Congratulations, you're officially those folks you used to say not to trust over thirty.
15
"Millennials in general are a quite sincere bunch"? Which ones are you hanging out with?
The ones I know are grumpy, narcissistic, selfish and stupid,almost impossibly boring and seemingly angry that the world doesn't end up treating them like a character in a television commercial.
The ones I know are grumpy, narcissistic, selfish and stupid,almost impossibly boring and seemingly angry that the world doesn't end up treating them like a character in a television commercial.
20
a reply to denver . . . i too am over thirty by a while now and find this social media behavior appalling . . . as a resident of dallas texas where it is still considered only good manners to not "show up" unannounced i nor would any person i know consider this in good taste . . . sorry if this is too "southern" . . . and i lived through the sixties . . . live with that . . . i prefer the quiet read now and may be the most boring person to respond here . . . my neighbors enjoy this behavior as well . . . thanks for your time . . .
William Wilson dallas texas dallas press club 1981
William Wilson dallas texas dallas press club 1981
10
Tell me, why is your hipster generation so defensive about any (and every) possible slight?
11
Waiting for Portland's Nude Bike Ride, just concluded, to suffer similar fate. Only solution to these fun-while-it-lasted events is major corporate sponsorship and Ticketmaster.
7
I just went to our local library Tuesday, here in Williamsburg. I tried to check out Scheldahl's "Let's See" and was given it as a gift by the staff, as it was no longer in the catalog due to "age." (It was published in 2008.) In his introduction, I noticed that he referred to this party, and invited every reader: "bring a dish," he concludes. Now I learn that the party is over. I guess time works in different ways in NYC. An 8-year-old book is put out to pasture, and a party is destroyed in one year when 2,000 people arrive after discovering it online...
I am very grateful for the art criticism, and hope that the happy, generous couple finds fireworks to gaze on (and set off) in Rome.
I am very grateful for the art criticism, and hope that the happy, generous couple finds fireworks to gaze on (and set off) in Rome.
23
Young fools - way too many of them!
12
Old hipsters get out-hipstered by new hipsters. I hope there was enough Pabst Blue Ribbon to go around, so everyone could enjoy the fireworks ironically.
45
Reminds me of this wonderful comic piece by J. P. McEvoy ("From Host to Guest in One Generation") published in the North American Review in 1937:
https://www.unz.org/Pub/NorthAmericanRev-1937q3-00039?View=PDF
(a passage: "I forgot the guest room we put in the children's wing for the children's guests. So now we had two guest rooms and in some mysterious way that became known all over New York state. From there it spread rapidly west until in almost any town you went you could see little groups of people gathered on the sidewalk, and if you drew closer you would hear them say, 'You know the Mc- Evoys live up in the Catskills and have some guest rooms. Why don't we drop in on them on our way east this year?'")
https://www.unz.org/Pub/NorthAmericanRev-1937q3-00039?View=PDF
(a passage: "I forgot the guest room we put in the children's wing for the children's guests. So now we had two guest rooms and in some mysterious way that became known all over New York state. From there it spread rapidly west until in almost any town you went you could see little groups of people gathered on the sidewalk, and if you drew closer you would hear them say, 'You know the Mc- Evoys live up in the Catskills and have some guest rooms. Why don't we drop in on them on our way east this year?'")
8
Come on. Millenials didn't invent party crashing. They have just made it more efficient.
77
Facebook and texting made party crashing more efficient, not Millenials.
19
And what generation uses Facebook the most - Boomers.
1
Here’s what I do when things like this come to an end. I tell myself ‘it was fun while it lasted.’
Back in the day my son had the (obligatory?) post-punk hardcore screamo band with a violent name and a penchant for Bush-bashing. They had the myspace page where they were ‘unsigned’ and looking for ‘gigs.’ They posted photos of themselves in dirty alleyways and abandoned buildings.
After some ‘success,’ meaning they once made $100 at the East End Café (split four ways, get the picture?), my son began to organize ‘basement shows,’ a thing then. He would invite bands to appear and play for free in our walk-out downstairs. By the last show, 8 bands showed up (picture 8 drum kits on my lawn waiting to set up), one from Atlanta (we lived in Maryland) with a horn section. I don’t think I’d ever seen a slide trombone in a punk band before.
By the last show, we were inundated by over 200 teenagers – the boys in black t-shirts (Sex Pistols, The Ramones) and the girls all looking like Amy Winehouse (eyeliner, beehives). My immediate neighbors were pretty cool, but neighbors up the road called the cops because of the traffic, which included parents in minivans dropping their kids off.
When one dad from Baltimore (not near us) came to pick up his daughter, he asked to meet me. I asked how they knew about it and he said it was all over social media. He said he was initially unsure about dropping her off, but he could see a lot of books through the window and figured we had to be OK.
Back in the day my son had the (obligatory?) post-punk hardcore screamo band with a violent name and a penchant for Bush-bashing. They had the myspace page where they were ‘unsigned’ and looking for ‘gigs.’ They posted photos of themselves in dirty alleyways and abandoned buildings.
After some ‘success,’ meaning they once made $100 at the East End Café (split four ways, get the picture?), my son began to organize ‘basement shows,’ a thing then. He would invite bands to appear and play for free in our walk-out downstairs. By the last show, 8 bands showed up (picture 8 drum kits on my lawn waiting to set up), one from Atlanta (we lived in Maryland) with a horn section. I don’t think I’d ever seen a slide trombone in a punk band before.
By the last show, we were inundated by over 200 teenagers – the boys in black t-shirts (Sex Pistols, The Ramones) and the girls all looking like Amy Winehouse (eyeliner, beehives). My immediate neighbors were pretty cool, but neighbors up the road called the cops because of the traffic, which included parents in minivans dropping their kids off.
When one dad from Baltimore (not near us) came to pick up his daughter, he asked to meet me. I asked how they knew about it and he said it was all over social media. He said he was initially unsure about dropping her off, but he could see a lot of books through the window and figured we had to be OK.
41
"He said he was initially unsure about dropping her off, but he could see a lot of books through the window and figured we had to be OK."
Glad to see I'm not alone in judging people by their libraries (or lack thereof). It's never let me down yet!
Glad to see I'm not alone in judging people by their libraries (or lack thereof). It's never let me down yet!
6
It reminds me of a micro-version of the illegal immigration problem.
15
Am I missing something? This was on all accounts an illegal gathering. How dare someone crash my illegal party.
3
The party itself wasn't illegal...the use of fireworks was/is...
7
The Love Parade and Wigstock both come to mind. I remember our last Wigstock. My husband and I were bedecked in giant wigs topped with a huge plastic bubble. Inside the bubble was a rotating twinkling castle surrounded by clouds. All made with contraptions and materials from long gone shops on Canal Street and other quirky downtown supply shops. The funny thing being that by that point nobody was participating in the festival. 2% were in costumes - Just a bunch of slack-jawed gawkers. Social media is cancer.
26
Oh no! The hipsters ruined your party!
I'm 43. Almost every millennial I've met has been polite and friendly. They're a better generation than mine and certainly less self-involved than Boomers. I think they'll be the ones who actually fix some of the problems that we've left them with. They're already fixing our cities, including plenty of rust belt places like Detroit and St Louis- not just Brooklyn.
I'm 43. Almost every millennial I've met has been polite and friendly. They're a better generation than mine and certainly less self-involved than Boomers. I think they'll be the ones who actually fix some of the problems that we've left them with. They're already fixing our cities, including plenty of rust belt places like Detroit and St Louis- not just Brooklyn.
20
So you've met all Millenials such that you can attest to their character, that's quite the workload.
The idea that generations leave problems for following generations is a cultural myth developed to give credence to the solipsistic notion that, whatever is going on now is especially difficult compared to past times. As one becomes more thoroughly versed in history of this world (through reading) that narrow & naive view clarifies itself to be the myth that it is.
The idea that generations leave problems for following generations is a cultural myth developed to give credence to the solipsistic notion that, whatever is going on now is especially difficult compared to past times. As one becomes more thoroughly versed in history of this world (through reading) that narrow & naive view clarifies itself to be the myth that it is.
10
Who are you??? What does age or generation have to do with being part of a hoard of tone-deaf freeloaders rudely showing up at someone's PRIVATE home for a party to which they are not invited? Bad manners justified by stupidity and entitlement without portfolio knows no generation, as evinced by your comment. Where the boomers messed up is in raising children who grew up to be rude and clueless adults.
21
While I agree that "this time" is no worse then the "other times", I disagree that a generation cant pass along problems, solely of their making...as a generation. And The Boomers are one such generation. In the course of "their running things," they have dismantled nearly all the hard-won employee, and consumer protections of their forebears. They have run rough-shod over the markets, decimated the very working classes they were born into and raised in by their hard-working, self-sacrificing parents. All in the name of their being cool and setting up a commercial means to buy ones cool off the rack. "Hey look, Im a Harley rebel, I wear overpriced Harley gear from head to toe!" Or whatever The Boomer thinks will make them appear cool...cool like he/she never was in their young adulthood.
The Boomers have left behind several messes, that contrary to the other posters comments the Millennials are not actually fixing. Brooklyn didnt get "fixed", nor any other blighted neighborhood that was gentrified. Creating untenable real estate prices is not a real fix, at least not a long term one. Market/economy Bubbles...is one such thing The Boomers have been very good at, and have handed down.
The Boomers have left behind several messes, that contrary to the other posters comments the Millennials are not actually fixing. Brooklyn didnt get "fixed", nor any other blighted neighborhood that was gentrified. Creating untenable real estate prices is not a real fix, at least not a long term one. Market/economy Bubbles...is one such thing The Boomers have been very good at, and have handed down.
7
Just remember kids, sharing is not caring. The next time you find something or someplace that you dearly love, please do yourself a favor and keep it to yourself, otherwise it'll be overrun with social media butterflies — oops, I mean social media locusts.
35
Hmmm, I'm having trouble rectifying the lament over an "intimate" July 4th party getting too big to continue with the image of a movie star getting asked to do the honors. I'm no publicist, but having Ben Stiller light your fireworks isn't the most discreet party planning.
25
I'd be surprised if they knew who Ben Stiller was
4
I sympathize with Peter and Brooke. For many years, before I moved from Manhattan to upstate NY, I hosted a Christmas Eve party at my one bedroom East Village apartment. Somehow I managed to wine and dine as many as 40 to 50 people. Eventually word got around and guests would show up and bring friends, whether invited or not. When I realized it had become too much I knew the only thing to do was to go out that evening. And this was before the era of social media. I hope two people on the front porch will be enough to deter the hoards.
55
Now the hosts are perfectly poised to have Garrison Keillor over for a quiet twilight supper. They can share stories about the relinquished hordes. Or choose not to mention them at all. Probably the latter.
6
When I was young, if older folks let you in on their "spot" it was a sign of your maturity and you honored it. You didn't tell everyone because you knew not everyone was ready to be "down".
As Steve in Florida said "Can no one keep a good thing on the down low?" Nope. Because that one cool Millennial you wouldn't mind hanging out with will tell spread the word like wild fire online. No understanding of discretion at all.
Too many now go out just to be seen or say they were there, not to enjoy what the event was about.
For example, DJ Spinna does a Wonderful party each year. All the music was based on anything written or touched by Stevie Wonder. I went to the 2nd one in lil' W.12th. It was intimate, funky and lovely. By the time they were doing the 15th party there were T-shirts, it was in a warehouse in Red Hook and WAY too many hipsters standing around trying to be seen. No one even danced.
Similarly, The Sundae Sermon with DJ Stormin' Norman in Harlem; held in a small park and use to be every 2 weeks. You could bring your kids, food, lawn chairs and just chill. Now, there's too many people, no one knows where the new venue is. The city is giving them crap cause the crowds (though peaceful) and the time (3-7pm on Sundays) are now considered bothersome for the new hipster residents who live in Harlem.
Yet, you are seeing more young, White faces every year in the crowd - a sign of the eventual demise of some great free music event. Seems you can't hide a good thing.
As Steve in Florida said "Can no one keep a good thing on the down low?" Nope. Because that one cool Millennial you wouldn't mind hanging out with will tell spread the word like wild fire online. No understanding of discretion at all.
Too many now go out just to be seen or say they were there, not to enjoy what the event was about.
For example, DJ Spinna does a Wonderful party each year. All the music was based on anything written or touched by Stevie Wonder. I went to the 2nd one in lil' W.12th. It was intimate, funky and lovely. By the time they were doing the 15th party there were T-shirts, it was in a warehouse in Red Hook and WAY too many hipsters standing around trying to be seen. No one even danced.
Similarly, The Sundae Sermon with DJ Stormin' Norman in Harlem; held in a small park and use to be every 2 weeks. You could bring your kids, food, lawn chairs and just chill. Now, there's too many people, no one knows where the new venue is. The city is giving them crap cause the crowds (though peaceful) and the time (3-7pm on Sundays) are now considered bothersome for the new hipster residents who live in Harlem.
Yet, you are seeing more young, White faces every year in the crowd - a sign of the eventual demise of some great free music event. Seems you can't hide a good thing.
17
The demise of the great free music thing is brought on by the arrival of a bunch of white faces. How refreshing and forward-thinking.
6
No, White people who don't know anything about the music - they are there to be seen. Totally different from folks who appreciate what they are listening to.
It's the equivalent of old folks being at Burning Man because they heard it was "cool".
Just, no. Go sit down.
It's the equivalent of old folks being at Burning Man because they heard it was "cool".
Just, no. Go sit down.
7
reply to phnstticpeg . . . i lived through the sixties . . . so, I have no desire to go anywhere near your burning man nor . . . you may politely "stick it" and i will sit down thank you
William Wilson dallas texas dallas press club 1981
William Wilson dallas texas dallas press club 1981
2
Has anyone else noticed that there are just too many people? Yogi Berra's "No one goes there any more - it's too crowded" notwithstanding, the world just has too many of us unremarkable humans and too few other more decent species.
48
Have you discussed this with your parents?
9
It's a little too late to discuss such things with one's parents, but not, apparently, to ask beside-the-point questions.
5
Yeah. People have noticed. Been noticing it for like a hundred years. I'm not going to have children or take care of any others'. Anything else?
2
I wonder how much of their property was damaged or stolen over the years.
16
Going to a party when not invited ("crashing") is rude. Going when you don't even know the hosts is worse. Inviting others to crash with you (via social media or the old fashioned way by word of mouth) is even worse. And, finally, thinking the property is a state or local park? Please. Never mind the generational gaps, the people showing up like that were boors.
81
Sometimes the Times is just insufferable. I read that whole article expecting something of relevance and interest to my life to show up eventually. Instead I just got the run down on how someone's annual party was ruined by crashers, as mundane a story as you can get.
I know it can be confusing to Times staff, but dropping a few celebrity names in the course of writing an article doesn't make it relevant. There's nothing interesting or surprising about this story. I know it's trying to take some new media angle for the party crashing, but really this sort of thing isn't new and it isn't important.
Find me some actual news. Leave these sorts of stories to their proper venue, the annual holiday card or the family bcc email forward. There's no need to share them with a larger audience.
I know it can be confusing to Times staff, but dropping a few celebrity names in the course of writing an article doesn't make it relevant. There's nothing interesting or surprising about this story. I know it's trying to take some new media angle for the party crashing, but really this sort of thing isn't new and it isn't important.
Find me some actual news. Leave these sorts of stories to their proper venue, the annual holiday card or the family bcc email forward. There's no need to share them with a larger audience.
38
Yet you read it
9
It's the New York Tines - it occasionally features articles relevant to New Yorkers. For several reasons, this story was relevant to me. When a story doesn't appeal to me I simply move on and leave it for others to enjoy.
8
Yeah, read the headline...and you didn't have to read the entire article to get it. I didn't have to read your not entirely, either - the first line pretty much says it all.
9
Any party eventually must end, which adds to its poignant pleasure. A comment below referenced Gatsby which I, too recalled while reading this.
I lived at 55 St Marks in the late 70s-early 80s. Parties all over the city were word of mouth invitations - if you heard about it you were invited. I recall a particularly fun regular Saturday night in Washington Heights and another in a Bronx high-rise. I sometimes wonder what happened to these parties and these people - well I know some of the partiers have died.
When I left for our pocket of nowhere on eastern LI in the mid eighties I found the same social life here, and gratefully enjoyed it until very recently. Most of the original "if you hear about it, you're invited" party hosts have died, moved, or lost everything to Hurricane Sandy. And as I age, I'm satisfied with a book, a glass of wine and a view of fireworks from my own damaged back porch.
I reminisce mostly to illustrate that the social tradition described here isn't unique. The point the reporter illuminates for me is that an exponentially massive number of partiers "hears about" events now through social media, which pushes the party population past viability for hosts who aren't Gatsbys and could end this warm social tradition for good.
I lived at 55 St Marks in the late 70s-early 80s. Parties all over the city were word of mouth invitations - if you heard about it you were invited. I recall a particularly fun regular Saturday night in Washington Heights and another in a Bronx high-rise. I sometimes wonder what happened to these parties and these people - well I know some of the partiers have died.
When I left for our pocket of nowhere on eastern LI in the mid eighties I found the same social life here, and gratefully enjoyed it until very recently. Most of the original "if you hear about it, you're invited" party hosts have died, moved, or lost everything to Hurricane Sandy. And as I age, I'm satisfied with a book, a glass of wine and a view of fireworks from my own damaged back porch.
I reminisce mostly to illustrate that the social tradition described here isn't unique. The point the reporter illuminates for me is that an exponentially massive number of partiers "hears about" events now through social media, which pushes the party population past viability for hosts who aren't Gatsbys and could end this warm social tradition for good.
100
Great comment and observations.
15
Exactly. There have always been crashers and friends-of-friends-of-friends in attendance. That is part of the fun of hosting and attending a party. Particularly with an outdoor, potluck party on several hundred acres, a guest could be forgiven for just showing up to a party for which they did not receive a direct invitation. It's the social media that has made throwing such a party a risky enterprise.
I also think that this article shows that there are herds of people, derided as hipsters, who live in a state of suspended youth into their mid-life. I do not look down on these people. I wonder how many of them would rather be settled in and attending fireworks in their own communities with some semblance of a more grown-up life. I think that while it can be fun to live in Bushwick for a spell, it's probably far nicer to be in Delaware County in the summertime.
Yes, millenials are self centered; but most young people are. But I think that there are living in a very challenging world. Maybe it's my bias, but I don't necessarily view these people as crashers so much as lost souls.
I also think that this article shows that there are herds of people, derided as hipsters, who live in a state of suspended youth into their mid-life. I do not look down on these people. I wonder how many of them would rather be settled in and attending fireworks in their own communities with some semblance of a more grown-up life. I think that while it can be fun to live in Bushwick for a spell, it's probably far nicer to be in Delaware County in the summertime.
Yes, millenials are self centered; but most young people are. But I think that there are living in a very challenging world. Maybe it's my bias, but I don't necessarily view these people as crashers so much as lost souls.
11
I feel compelled to comment on the cynical and sometimes rude comments that fail to appreciate that these people hosted a fabulous party for years and really turned no one away - welcomed just about everyone. That is a profoundly generous and community-spirited thing to do. So just APPRECIATE that. Yes, it grew beyond their physical (and probably financial) ability to continue. And their time of bottomless hospitality had to come to an end. Be thankful, and start planning YOUR fabulous party - and put out the welcome mat.
67
Those who crash parties do so because of an innate lack of personal creativity to present their own affair.
2
There must be a mistake. Couldn't have been hipsters. No one hip would be caught dead at a party everyone knows about...
15
For whatever the good intentions, it's a house party without necessary house rules. It sounds like they wanted it more on an intimate level, they wanted the chance to meet-and-greet anyone who came, they wanted to be in control.
It comes the next part, the name dropping and celebrities showed up, and it all sounded fantastic. Word of the party got out. The host didn't seem to complain about celebrities showing up unannounced. Did the host know these celebrities? I doubt it.
And then, a large crowd of nobody showed up, now the host has problems. They wanted the party to be inclusive, they say? But it's only those who are "in the know" is most welcomed. Celebrity who didn't know anybody? No problem. Millennials who didn't know anybody? Sorry, the party didn't want you.
Is that pretty much it? I might sound cynical but it doesn't sound inclusive at all. And I'm not even a millennial, nor do I care about parties.
It comes the next part, the name dropping and celebrities showed up, and it all sounded fantastic. Word of the party got out. The host didn't seem to complain about celebrities showing up unannounced. Did the host know these celebrities? I doubt it.
And then, a large crowd of nobody showed up, now the host has problems. They wanted the party to be inclusive, they say? But it's only those who are "in the know" is most welcomed. Celebrity who didn't know anybody? No problem. Millennials who didn't know anybody? Sorry, the party didn't want you.
Is that pretty much it? I might sound cynical but it doesn't sound inclusive at all. And I'm not even a millennial, nor do I care about parties.
10
Still, tiddle, you do sound rather like you feel "left out".
1
@TEW, Sorry to disappoint you, no sour grape for me. I never even heard of this party, so there's nothing to be "left out" about.
3
What a lovely, multifaceted creation. The scene might have been the work of Seurat, had he been a 21st Century photographer rather than a 19th Century painter. The couple crafted something truly their own and shared it widely. The only sadness is that it came to an end. Things do, with or without the help of social media. It surely will live on in the memories of countless people who attended over the years, for whom it has already become legendary. For a work to endure long enough to evoke its own nostalgia is a milestone that too few of us ever reach. Nicely done.
10
I was going to Bovina before the "cool" people came up and ruined it. It was lovely and peaceful and real. Now it's artisanal and fake. Boring as heck now. Wouldn't go near the place. As for Ben Stiller - if his parents weren't in the biz he'd be serving coffee at Starbucks. No talent went far!
18
What is Bovina? For us hipster challenged adults.
3
Bovina was a farm town. Now hipster and "artsy" cool.
We learned the hard way as my son was a party thrower during high school that we had to have serious security at all entry points and inside. Due to social media more people than can be accommodated always show up. They also are rule breakers who must be policed once inside. His career doing this ended when over 2000 young people arrived for one of his parties. Security could keep the overage out, but law enforcement could not handle the traffic. I am certain there is a whole lot more to this story than a extra people-- where did they park, what did they bring, what was their condition (this is the black out generation). Believe me behind this sweet story is something ugly and scary.
15
This story reminds me of a 4th of July party that my husband and I used to throw every year in our little village of Mountainville, NJ. In the beginning it was great fun for the neighbors and members of the community, friends and family to come together, parade down Main Street with no spectators because we were all in the parade, end in our backyard for a BBQ, BYOB and a side dish and finish with a completely illegal fireworks show that finished just before the police had time to show up.
The same thing happened, word got around, people we didn't know just started showing up and it became "expected" that we would do this each year. No one else ever offered to take on doing the party. In the end, it got to be too much work, too much money for us to commit to doing it every year. It was sad to end it. But a great thing for us and our children to grow up with. Great memories for us and the community.
I'm glad that the people who commented and had actually attended this party thanked this couple. When you open up your home and property for something like that every year, it sure is nice to be appreciated for it and not have it come to be expected that you will do it every year.
The same thing happened, word got around, people we didn't know just started showing up and it became "expected" that we would do this each year. No one else ever offered to take on doing the party. In the end, it got to be too much work, too much money for us to commit to doing it every year. It was sad to end it. But a great thing for us and our children to grow up with. Great memories for us and the community.
I'm glad that the people who commented and had actually attended this party thanked this couple. When you open up your home and property for something like that every year, it sure is nice to be appreciated for it and not have it come to be expected that you will do it every year.
24
I went to the July 4 festivities at the gracious Schjeldahl-Alderson's for several years with some friends who were invited. It was always a wonderful gathering of people who loved and respected what was being offered - good food, good company, and spectacular fireworks with a roaring bonfire that enchanted all who attended. Everyone made or brought something, the children enjoyed themselves, the networkers networked in gorgeous surroundings and the local community mingled with the visitors easily.
I couldn't join my friends for last two years but the stories I heard about what was happening were disheartening. Last year my friends left early because the atmosphere had become hostile, something that was so shocking as to be nearly unbelievable. Forget the crowds, which itself was unbelievable.
So...a great thanks to the Peter and Brooke for having given so many of us so much pleasure over the years. I'm sure you were gracious to the end. Those of us who came to the celebrations will never forget them or your generosity in opening your home to us. The party of legend indeed!
I couldn't join my friends for last two years but the stories I heard about what was happening were disheartening. Last year my friends left early because the atmosphere had become hostile, something that was so shocking as to be nearly unbelievable. Forget the crowds, which itself was unbelievable.
So...a great thanks to the Peter and Brooke for having given so many of us so much pleasure over the years. I'm sure you were gracious to the end. Those of us who came to the celebrations will never forget them or your generosity in opening your home to us. The party of legend indeed!
82
A lot of this could be solved if they gave out multiple tickets to friends instead of allowing soley word-of-mouth invitation. The world changes. People have to constantly change with it.
4
Tickets? And disappointed, pleading throngs at the gate no doubt. -A proposal entirely outside of the spirit of such an event.
Soul crushing, in my opinion. I'm sure one that is shared by many.
Soul crushing, in my opinion. I'm sure one that is shared by many.
4
I am in the same boat. It's been three years. I informed all guests this weekend that the party's over. I'm not too old, I'm not too tired. I just recognize that it isn't any fun.
26
Wasn't social media responsible for the excess of uninvited hipsters at Woodstock and Watkins Glen? Our evolving technology promises that the only constant will be the accelerating pace of change - social, economic, political.
4
Did you just compare the meaningful anti-Vietnam and free speech movement of the '60s to the current movement where people just want to get an awesome photo for their Instagram feed to impress others?
25
Social media? In 1969 (Woodstock) and 1973 (Watkins Glen)? And, there were no hipsters in those days. We were hippies. A big difference. Big.
10
Buddhists tell us to live in the moment but "social" media encourages us to live in the next moment so people are living their lives on speed-dial!
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, hold for 15 seconds and exhale!
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, hold for 15 seconds and exhale!
11
Just wait until word gets out and strangers start showing up to play miniature golf.
29
The NYT treats the demise of this "party of legend" with such reverence while it mocks the killing of the owner of Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn. I remember when the NYT had a real Metro section that was worth reading. I rely on NPR for my local news coverage these days.
11
Very, very, very well said.
1
Agree that the Times has fallen into a quest for "relevance" that can be a bit cringe inducing, tho less pitiful than Slate. Oh but NPR oh my goodness, milk toast in a bubble of vanilla sauce... I listened for years but can only take it in small doses now. Maybe should try the BBC , a little more self aware? There's a market for questioning, insightful news that seems as yet unaddressed!
7
Strapping fireworks to a tree? That sounds like an incredibly foolish way to start a brush fire. It's probably a good idea these foolish people shut down their party.
14
For all you confused Hipsters out there, the story is inferring that you're a lot like the nematodes in SpongeBob!
9
There's nothing different about "kids today"; it's the technology that's changed. It speeds up every cycle, including this age-old one: the party that grows out of control. Nothing lasts forever, and they had an especially long run.
27
Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I think the parties began around the same time I was asking myself, how do you pronounce Schjeldahl.
6
It's pronounced "shell dall".
You're welcome.
You're welcome.
1
Can no one keep a good thing on the down low?
17
Ok maybe this was an article segueing from a popular party
to millennial bashing but it opens a larger question. How
can anything be cool or undiscovered anymore if anyone
and everyone can post about it?
to millennial bashing but it opens a larger question. How
can anything be cool or undiscovered anymore if anyone
and everyone can post about it?
23
Yesterday I was sitting in a Starbucks and became surrounded by a group of people I discovered was a Meetup Group. Eventually I just registered and joined in. They now have my email and know who I am and we can connect in different locations. I think this is better than having to know a fiend of a friend to go to a party and then not having any contact after. Social media is better.
11
It is definitely better than going with the "Fiend of a friend." Even though you did meet at Starbucks.
11
You are right Danny, I always felt isolated in the old ways of parties and socialization. The way new generation does it now is much better, much inclusive. But the dinosaurs will give war before the go.
3
Better than what?
7
I live in Little Rock, Arkansas. Would someone please explain these "hipsters" of which you speak?
24
very amusing...
Im from NY and I cant even describe it. You dont want to know.
3
"hipsters": boring, self-centered, narcissistic and annoying!
1
So a case where Yogi Berra was right when he said "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."
36
This is why we can't have nice things.
86
All things come to an end and the end here was predictable. It wasn't because of the hipsters/millennials, it was because social communication has rapidly changed and had it existed in its current form twenty-five years ago, the results would have been the same.
Nothing to see here, move along.
Nothing to see here, move along.
10
Social media has taken the surprise and privacy out of everything. Everything is just a viral moment, waiting to happen.
35
When I first read Chinua Achebe's "Things fall apart," I was not fully aware of Achebe's insight and understanding of social centripetal forces at work. Of course, this party sounds like chaos with a modicum of control by design.
Springsteen offered a melancholy addendum to "Everything dies, baby that's a fact" with "But maybe everything that dies someday comes back," likely in another place, time and form.
Springsteen offered a melancholy addendum to "Everything dies, baby that's a fact" with "But maybe everything that dies someday comes back," likely in another place, time and form.
12
So... the young hipsters ruined the old hipsters party? The irony lands with a party-killing blow.
39
Hipsters and hippies are two very different groups of people. (If you don't know that, maybe this isn't the article on which you should be commenting.)
4
I can't even get two people to show up at a party.
78
Free food, free pot, free booze... you'll have plenty of friends.
7
Except they probably won't turn out to be your friends.
7
Please, social media has been around for years already and it didn't ruin this party suddenly. These people have been having it for over 30 years, the population has increased and the original invitees are the parents and even grand parents of those very hipsters who now stand accused of crashing. The gracious hosts are getting on in years, it is a lot of work and maybe not so much fun any more given the expense and all the preparations. They started this epic party, don't blame the kids for wanting in on it too.
11
Well a nearby swimming hole went from having about 10 ppl there at a time to 1,000 a day last year, merely due to Instagram shots. It's notw overwhelmed with garbage and human waste and my need to be closed to all. So it's a pretty stark difference--not at all a normal, steady evolution.
36
Same people that get a tattoo to show their individuality because everyone is doing it.
45
All you crotchety boomers complaining about millennials need to look in the mirror - they're YOUR kids.
23
Grandkids.
6
I'm not a crotchety baby boomer! My kids are spoiled rotten millennials who went off to college and were brainwashed! Suddenly there's this belief that technology is the cure for everything and social events are governed, indeed created by technology such as the cell phone, texting, tweeting and blogging. Millennials don't understand what being social or having friends and neighbors truly means.
I'm a baby boomer! My friends and I made our own entertainment. We played board games on the front porch. We rode our bikes all over the neighborhood in packs. We had pick-up games all year round. We went to the movies together and knocked on each other's doors especially the door to the kitchen from the back porch. We went to the beach and drive-ins. We WALKED to school together. Or rode in mom's convertible! Our 5 children are millennial monsters! They are technology terrorists! They are insociable socialists that think that using technology and texting is the same as knowing your friends and neighbors and classmates.
My neighbor just knocked on my front door! Imagine that! A real neighbor! Millennials, our favorite technology monsters don't know what a front door is, least of all knocking on one! And I am NOT crotchety! Harrumph!
I'm a baby boomer! My friends and I made our own entertainment. We played board games on the front porch. We rode our bikes all over the neighborhood in packs. We had pick-up games all year round. We went to the movies together and knocked on each other's doors especially the door to the kitchen from the back porch. We went to the beach and drive-ins. We WALKED to school together. Or rode in mom's convertible! Our 5 children are millennial monsters! They are technology terrorists! They are insociable socialists that think that using technology and texting is the same as knowing your friends and neighbors and classmates.
My neighbor just knocked on my front door! Imagine that! A real neighbor! Millennials, our favorite technology monsters don't know what a front door is, least of all knocking on one! And I am NOT crotchety! Harrumph!
16
They are mostly GenXrs kids.
4
Boroughing Creatures can ruin almost anything instantaneously, all the while looking around for someone else to blame. It's part of a quality that led to the creation of the term that something can be (un)done "in a New York Minute."
13
newsflash: this sort of thing happened before social media. before the internet, even. bittersweet effect of knowing how (and caring) to throw a good party.
8
It's funny that the article never considers the alternate explanation that the hosts got too old and decided to tell the kids to get off their lawn.
33
Definitely nothing better to do with that time and money than Rome and mini golf. The city and world is doing just fine!
7
One tip: use private groups on FB, other social media.
5
It is after midnight and the fireworks continue to blast off in upper DC. I had been fantasizing about being in the country, but maybe it's not quiet anywhere.
11
Definitely not any better in the rural areas. And here we have gunshots all day long
5
I'm a bit confused. My husband and I were invited to this party by some friends a few years ago. Our only connection to the hosts was the fact that we've read many of Mr. Scheldahl's pieces in various publications. I'm pretty certain that the friends who invited us hadn't even done that. They certainly didn't know them.
We didn't go. But I'm sure all would have been fine if we had. So basically you could show up at this party uninvited, as long as you were told about it by the "right" people--people who act as de facto gatekeepers.
So people showed up who weren't part of their crowd. So they weren't in the know. It really all sounds like a big misunderstanding--young people thinking they were attending a different kind of party.
I definitely get why the hosts decided to wrap the whole thing up, but I think the class and generational critique is uncalled for here.
We didn't go. But I'm sure all would have been fine if we had. So basically you could show up at this party uninvited, as long as you were told about it by the "right" people--people who act as de facto gatekeepers.
So people showed up who weren't part of their crowd. So they weren't in the know. It really all sounds like a big misunderstanding--young people thinking they were attending a different kind of party.
I definitely get why the hosts decided to wrap the whole thing up, but I think the class and generational critique is uncalled for here.
123
Really Amy? If you were to have a dinner party for some close friends would you be upset if your whole neighborhood showed up?
15
"...So basically you could show up at this party uninvited..."
Why would anyone think that?
Why would anyone think that?
7
This was a great story. I must be living in the weeds because I still don't entirely understand exactly what a hipster is or does. Do they all wear fedoras? And if so, why? Are they rich pretending to be poor? Or? And why exactly would hipsters go to upstate NY? Are hipsters everywhere or only in Brooklyn. I don't think I know of any in my neighborhood or town. I suppose I shouldn't let them know or will they come and ruin it here? So confused about their bad manners too. Are they all oblivious and entitled? How long has hipsterism been on the radar screen for. What do they do for jobs? And lastly do they breed? Wonder if their kids will be square conservatives?
25
Some are "trustafarians", some are just beard "farmers" with "stingy brim" hats, and others are just posers, emulating others, just to be the same, but "different". As we used to say."it's a New York thing...." All I know is that they've proliferated in my "Hipsterhaven on the Hudson." Actually it's like the uniform up here, on the weekends.....the "new" Wiilliamsburg!
10
For the record, you can get on social media to prevent a crowd, too. Sounds to me like they just got too old.
8
Everything has a beginning and an end. Traditions that last too long become dislocated, tiresome, hollow, drained of the original inspiration. The trick is knowing how to let go, how to celebrate the demise before it's too late, and how to begin again. Such is life, full of wonder and grace. Congratulations to the hosts; they've cleared the garden!
72
So true. I gave an elaborate Christmas dinner for 35 years that began as an annual reunion for a small group of friends, then as couples formed, included spouses, then friends of friends until there were 50 to 60 people attending. The house was packed. There were people attending I didn't know. Finally I realized I was getting too old to do the incredible amount of work this event required. Either the dinner would deteriorate or it would kill me. That year, instead of invitations, I sent a note saying it was time to file the event with treasured memories. "To everything there is a season." The long series of Christmas dinners ended on a high note instead of deteriorating to something people regretted, recalling better times. As George M. Cohen wrote "always leave them laughing when you say goodby."
18
I hate to harsh your mellow; but apps and tweets and Instagram usher in the end of "life".
Yesteryear rounding a corner and being surprised by truth and beauty was an experience forever in our minds.
Now you tweet it, selfie it, post it on Instagram... And suddenly you commodify that experience. And even worse, everyone else map quests your spot and high tails it to that spot of truth and beauty.
Sad. But true.
Yesteryear rounding a corner and being surprised by truth and beauty was an experience forever in our minds.
Now you tweet it, selfie it, post it on Instagram... And suddenly you commodify that experience. And even worse, everyone else map quests your spot and high tails it to that spot of truth and beauty.
Sad. But true.
22
Thanks Brooke and Peter. We haven't attended the party for a number of years, but it was really unforgettable. As was the Memorial Day party where we could test different fireworks and vote on what would go into the show latter that summer!
14
These hipsters... everything must be artisanal and curated to past muster with them.
8
I am a GenXer. We are doomed to be forever squeezed between these two larger groups (the Boomers, whose musical tastes somehow continue to oppress many decades later, and the Millenials, who have given us large Amish beards and even more sanctimony than the Boomers).
I say this is poetic justice, which, fittingly, can be enjoyed for about 5 minutes.
I say this is poetic justice, which, fittingly, can be enjoyed for about 5 minutes.
27
But hey, we Xers gave the world ironic air quotes. "Awesome."
5
And the cycle continues as we Xers view it all with an air of detached cynicism. Yawn, been there, done that, could have instagramed it but why bother?
6
Funny how people feel so deeply aggrieved when old white folks get there feelings hurt by appropriation, but not when whole communities of color do.
9
How can I make this about me?
22
Haaa. That's what you're doing. I simply drew a parallel you're uncomfortable with.
2
I was wondering whose party that was last year! I remember waking up in the living room. Someone had thrown up in my shoe which I had removed and set near the sofa. I don't think it was me!
9
Good lord... and anyone wonders why they ended the era?
4
You think this is bad? In the mid-70s I backpacked around the world for several years, enjoying pristine beaches, quaint towns and exotic cultures. Today everything I visited is either lined with hotels, choked by ever increasing glass rectangles called skyscraper office buildings or condos, totally connected by the Internet and cable TV to the point I can watch the same TV shows I see in NY while on the other side of the world, or too dangerous because of Islamist terror groups operating in the area.
18
Peter S: another type who's built his career selling hip and exclusiveness to the mahsses. You reap what you sow.
7
Can you explain as to just how writing about art for publications as widely-read as the Village Voice and the New Yorker is selling "exclusiveness"? It looks more like communicating with pretty broad segments of the general public to me. I'm curious, too, as to whether you would say it's preferable for committed populists to write about art instead? Most criticism driven by ideology isn't very good.
8
Well, if social media doesn't kill something off, it'll be the first NY Times article in the Leisure section about a great new undiscovered (fill in the blank). The first line of tourist buses or packaged trips including airfare appear at the previously undiscovered (fill in the blank) within three days of the article.
17
Indeed. Having family there, I've witnessed the impact of NYT's 'discovery' of Kailua, HI. It has been profound, and unbelievably quick.
4
It's a version of Groucho Marx' famous saying about clubs. It just took a little more time to realize it, and of how utterly trivial their enterprise.
4
In '97 I crashed a Bar Mitzvah. I thought it would be fun to eat and drink for free. By the end of the evening I was not only doing the hora for a kid I didn't know but I ended up sitting next to the Rabbi who convinced me to study Torah and be Bar Mitzvah. And I did study, became a Bar Mitzvah and married one of the invited guests a few years later. Who knew crashing a function could be so life changing.
20
I for one think that we in this nation should start the ban of this menace of fire works, which adds to air and environmental pollution. There are far and more amicable, festive and decent ways of celebrating and enjoying our independence day.
10
Dude, keep it to yourself. We have a Constitutional Right to bear fireworks on Independence Day, as well as the Social Obligation and the Long Heritage angles.
5
Glad you said that. It's fortunate that no one ever was hurt or worse.
This annual event has been legendary in our community! For years we thought of going, but never managed to make our way to Brooke's and Peter's shindig, as we knew how jammed the celebration had become. And so now, to recall Yogi Berra's alleged observation, "No one goes there anymore. It's too crowded." Yet we still appreciate Brooke and Peter, who we see roaming our hills and being good neighbors. I miss the charming little shop that Brooke had set up in Andes for several years. I always appreciate the vibrant commentary on art offered by Peter. So thanks, you two, for the fun and congrats on your well-deserved Roman holiday.
67
Sounds to me like the reviled hipsters and the weekenders who blithely invade the small towns whenever it suits them deserve each other. Alas, poor Bovina!
10
As always, Gen X on the sidelines. We didn't start the party. We didn't ruin it either. Nobody cares enough to blame us or extol us. I miss the 90's.
45
So, there was once a fun party and then it got too big and the hosts couldn't hold it anymore. The only thing separating this from being a garden variety story that could have been applied to any number of house parties or festivals in the 80s or 90s is the hackneyed blaming of social media and a bunch of crotchety older folks finding another excuse to rant about Millennials, not that they needed one.
8
This is news?
54
In the era of Trump it sure is welcome.
13
Indeed it is. A small bit of the human condition. A passing away of a grand traditional July 4th celebration. You must have found it interesting enough to have read it
26
As usual, hipsters ruin everything.
95
This is one of the downsides of social media, I have heard many stories similar to this one.
35
Is this the same Brooke Alderson who was in a couple of James Bridges movies in the 80s? She's a terrific actress -- did wonders with the small "best friend" role in the great Mike's Murder.
16
Yes, she is. We worked together in "A Fine Mess" directed by Blake Edwards.
5
I was into ruining other people's celebrations before it was cool.
121
It might be more enlightening for the folks to look up Mr. Schjeldal's written work about art in the world, than casting aspersions about various forms of "partying."
It is unlikely that the worst of the "hipster" or "hip hop" culture are ever going to get called out in any way that will cancel their particular ridiculousness.
But people are, sort of, hanging out waiting.
It is unlikely that the worst of the "hipster" or "hip hop" culture are ever going to get called out in any way that will cancel their particular ridiculousness.
But people are, sort of, hanging out waiting.
17
Fascinating, the word in the back of my mind while reading this piece.
Sadness, at the end of a party I didn't know about until it was over.
Human, the strength and positive feeling that comes from belonging.
Sadness, at the end of a party I didn't know about until it was over.
Human, the strength and positive feeling that comes from belonging.
17
Of course 300 hipsters showed up. They are all carbon copies of one another, what one does they all do.
43
"I Gotta Be Me" is not on their jukebox...
16
Just looking for fun authentic experiences in a world that has nearly erased them from existence.
4
I went once a few years ago, by chance, not planned. They knew how to throw a party. Success ruined it, like a many other great parties. I was surprised at the cross section of people, all sorts, the total public was there with no exclusions.. high and low like the article stated. And it was total anarchy, also like any good party. I felt a warm fuzzy Patriotic feeling, caught me off-guard..and it was not one to feel bad about it at all.
37
I've read through every comment so far and it's hard to believe that all of them are not being generated by some computer program or aliens. Hipsters, GenXers, whatever's. Get over yourselves and go out and get some oxygen.
45
So, 2000! people show up at your 4th of July party when you're expecting
300, and you decide you've had enough. Then, you get to read that you're
an old baby boomer who's ruined everything, because you own some
lovely property that you bought 40 years ago, when it was worth not
that much. Really, seriously?
300, and you decide you've had enough. Then, you get to read that you're
an old baby boomer who's ruined everything, because you own some
lovely property that you bought 40 years ago, when it was worth not
that much. Really, seriously?
42
I didn't think the article sounded critical of the hosts at all. Who can blame someone for not holding a party if they know 2,000 people will show up?
106
Elizabeth...I was actually referring to some of the
comments, and not the article, and should have made
that point more clearly.
comments, and not the article, and should have made
that point more clearly.
7
It sounds like Sue Miller's weekend plan was just upended. Seriously??
4
I went to this party twice - six years ago and two years ago. Thank you to Brooke and Peter for lots of great memories! Unfortunately, I understand their decision. Coming back after a four-year absence, it was painfully clear how this wonderful, quirky tradition would end.
As a relative latecomer/party-crasher myself though, let me submit that the attitude, vibe & behavior of these most recent arrivals was more painful than their numbers.
Uninvited or loosely-invited guests can be a blast, IF they're merry, gracious and happy to go with the flow. All I remember from two years ago was being surrounded by a bunch of surly, unimpressed, rude little brats.
I'm 38, by the way, if that helps with this whole generational blame game.
As a relative latecomer/party-crasher myself though, let me submit that the attitude, vibe & behavior of these most recent arrivals was more painful than their numbers.
Uninvited or loosely-invited guests can be a blast, IF they're merry, gracious and happy to go with the flow. All I remember from two years ago was being surrounded by a bunch of surly, unimpressed, rude little brats.
I'm 38, by the way, if that helps with this whole generational blame game.
153
Were you invited...either time?
1
Thank you for some real-world, beyond-the-conjecture-of-this-surly-comment-section, perspective.
10
Having attended this party for many years, including last year, I was amazed that it always went off without a glitch despite the size of the crowd and the lack of any visible signs of security, cops or the fire department. It was indeed special not only for the delicious food, beautiful setting and phenomenal fireworks display, but for the fact that everyone was welcome. I applaud Brooke and Peter's decision to end the tradition rather than to try to keep it going by restricting access. It just wouldn't have been the same.
71
If 2000 people show up, how would they restrict access?
Woodstock wasn't a free concert until people without tickets pushed the fence down.
Woodstock wasn't a free concert until people without tickets pushed the fence down.
6
I hope the kid finally got his lighter.
38
Please. No need to flee the city. All you need are a few friends, beer, a three-bean salad, jello casserole and the NYC night sky as backdrop on July 4th.
27
Or go really minimalist: a bottle of wine and a stereo with headphones or a good book.
7
I don't believe it. I think it's still on and the attendees from the New York Times are trying to help them reclaim it.
I hope they succeed. Something beautiful like that should continue.
I hope they succeed. Something beautiful like that should continue.
19
In that case, I'm going again!
2
Shoot me a text if it's on!
6
Twitter ruined our party, too!
In '97 we all moved into our building down here on Baxter Street - six fls w/ ten lofts. We each renovated our lofts and collectively we had a big roof w/ great 360 degree views. We covered the 3000 sq ft with Astroturf and it was great for BBQ's... For about 15 years we had get-togethers all summer long, with the 4th of July being the big one, usually with 100-200 people attending. It was perfect: everyone in the building (all artists) invited some friends, so it was always a wonderful mix of people... never an issue at all.
Then one night Twitter seemed to reach some kind of critical mass or momentum - It ruined everything. Hundreds and hundreds of people showed up... Mostly younger people that seemed to be coming from Williamsburg. They didn't know anyone - they just got a tweet from a friend, that heard about it from another tweet...
It was out of control... some drunk guys thought it was cool to test their aim by dropping beer bottles down on to the skylight of the building on one side of us. And with the roof on the other side just a couple feet below ours... someone decided that the bathroom in an under-construction & unfinished apartment would be good to use... (Of course they had to break-in to use it). Word got out quickly (probably tweets) and there was a line for that bathroom.
So, Twitter got us two lawsuits from the neighboring buildings and we haven't had a party since.
In '97 we all moved into our building down here on Baxter Street - six fls w/ ten lofts. We each renovated our lofts and collectively we had a big roof w/ great 360 degree views. We covered the 3000 sq ft with Astroturf and it was great for BBQ's... For about 15 years we had get-togethers all summer long, with the 4th of July being the big one, usually with 100-200 people attending. It was perfect: everyone in the building (all artists) invited some friends, so it was always a wonderful mix of people... never an issue at all.
Then one night Twitter seemed to reach some kind of critical mass or momentum - It ruined everything. Hundreds and hundreds of people showed up... Mostly younger people that seemed to be coming from Williamsburg. They didn't know anyone - they just got a tweet from a friend, that heard about it from another tweet...
It was out of control... some drunk guys thought it was cool to test their aim by dropping beer bottles down on to the skylight of the building on one side of us. And with the roof on the other side just a couple feet below ours... someone decided that the bathroom in an under-construction & unfinished apartment would be good to use... (Of course they had to break-in to use it). Word got out quickly (probably tweets) and there was a line for that bathroom.
So, Twitter got us two lawsuits from the neighboring buildings and we haven't had a party since.
194
It's amazing that social media has made civility obsolete. What kinds of people barge into other people's homes, knowing no one, but announcing their presence with their boorish behavior. Have we done such a poor job raising our kids? Guess so.
167
Sounds very wise.
6
Anyone remember the song: "if your going to San Francisco: (wear flowers in your hair")?
After the mindless and idiotic articles in the 60's about "The Hippies" in SF who had, to the eyes of all straight reporters, found the answer to life and discovered the actual remnants of the Garden Of Eden in Haight- Ashbery,
it was thought in this pre "smart" phone era to try and keep the inflow of loose kids to peaceful thoughts with a song. Unfortuntealy, it didn't work then, any more than it works now. The SF "Hippies" or heads or whatever, were destroyed by their own good publicity and pretty much all left the area by '70. All the really great visual arts-the Underground comix of the era, and the now incredibly valuable acid rock era music posters, from Ballrooms now gone and forgotten, are housing for geekdom's millionaires, not a one of whom ever used a silver dime to get an hours parking space for a sunbath.
The Era ate itself and the leavings had the stink and smoke of cocaine in the pipe. No one cared for LSD or even the Businessman's high: DMT, anymore.
So too, the open nature of the "smart" phones eat up and spit out their young after thoroughly masticating them. THe era will be left a slimy mess with it's participants skin degrading from all the saliva of the beast with a million mouths , but not a single atom's weight of brains.
It may soon become fashionable to send letters and not to carry phones-unless carefully hidden & without batteries to give'em away.
After the mindless and idiotic articles in the 60's about "The Hippies" in SF who had, to the eyes of all straight reporters, found the answer to life and discovered the actual remnants of the Garden Of Eden in Haight- Ashbery,
it was thought in this pre "smart" phone era to try and keep the inflow of loose kids to peaceful thoughts with a song. Unfortuntealy, it didn't work then, any more than it works now. The SF "Hippies" or heads or whatever, were destroyed by their own good publicity and pretty much all left the area by '70. All the really great visual arts-the Underground comix of the era, and the now incredibly valuable acid rock era music posters, from Ballrooms now gone and forgotten, are housing for geekdom's millionaires, not a one of whom ever used a silver dime to get an hours parking space for a sunbath.
The Era ate itself and the leavings had the stink and smoke of cocaine in the pipe. No one cared for LSD or even the Businessman's high: DMT, anymore.
So too, the open nature of the "smart" phones eat up and spit out their young after thoroughly masticating them. THe era will be left a slimy mess with it's participants skin degrading from all the saliva of the beast with a million mouths , but not a single atom's weight of brains.
It may soon become fashionable to send letters and not to carry phones-unless carefully hidden & without batteries to give'em away.
5
The article states that the event would regularly draw "Friends of friends" in the good old days. Wasn't the event just a victim of its own success. Pinning the blame on social media and hipsters seems cheap.
26
Yes, they estimate there were "300" hipsters. So there were 1700 others. Maybe this event would have become overgrown anyway.
2
I live in a loft building in Greenpoint with an unparalleled view of the fireworks. At one point during the festivities a young couple parked itself right in front of my previously unobstructed view and proceeded to take selfies with the fireworks as a backdrop. They also took video of some of the display, watching it excitedly on their phone as it unfolded across the entire sky before them. During the moments when I wasn't contemplating murder, I wished their brains could be examined, on the spot, as a boon to medical science.
115
Uh, where'd ya say this place was? A park? They got wifi here? Lotta old people so probably not. But the food is awesome.
10
We had a similar, if slightly scaled down experience with our "Welcome to Springtime Daquiri Derby, Horseshoe Hurl and Cross Country Croquet Shootout" on the Del Mar Mesa north of San Diego. We and our circle of friends were dirt bag climbers, skiers, surfers, kayakers and outdoorniks in the 80's. If we hadn't, tongue-in-cheek, mailed an invitation to the Society Editor of the San Diego Union (which he accepted) the party might still be a cult classic. But the editor's full page write-ups, every year for nearly a decade, meant that we soon were surrounded by complete (but jolly) strangers.
22
I read stories like this, read the comments and hate the human race. 1st world problems. Stop griping folks.
21
Are we only supposed towords out second and third world problems? You sound quite saintly.
5
All the attendees from all the years the party was held now have an authentic NYC tale to tell each 4th of July from here on out. The uninvited noted in the article can claim uninvited status, which these bad mannered bores can use to impress their bad mannered friends: "I once ruined a 25 year tradition by crashing a party with 1,700 other people." "What? You don't believe me? Look I have a copy of the article in my wallet."
28
The bad mannered ones never have the self awareness to realize you are describing them.
96
Rather "I have a copy of the article on my iPhone."
3
This generation does, but they have perfected the art of throwing blame back on the victim.
2
It's interesting - though not at all surprising - that there is more defiance and entitlement being expressed in comments by the demographic in question than there is embarrassment and apology.
193
It's boring and predictable that the true demographic in question has ignorant views of younger people that are circularly reinforced by even the most mundane stories. I'm a Millennial, have never lived in New York, and not apologizing or expressing anything on behalf of people whom I have no association. I guess that makes me "entitled" though. (Certainly, in your eyes, more entitled than some people who threw a fit when their openly public party wasn't bringing in celebrities or WASPy editors of publications teetering on obsolescence, but young people who had the audacity to do the same thing as other before them). If you want to play this game though, when you start apologizing and expressing embarrassment for the Boomers who ruined my country, maybe we'll talk about some house party.
3
Brava, Vanessa. You nailed it.
7
Great point.
2
"People weren't invited to Gatsby's house, they just showed up, and usually left without even seeing the host".
That's exactly what I thought of when I read this.
That's exactly what I thought of when I read this.
173
Sometimes it is a good day to read the Times. A day where I can find an article or two that makes me feel good about life in general. This is one of those articles.
22
Isn't this what's happening at Burning Man? Except it's the rich guys who are spoiling it for the Hippies.
56
The generational finger pointing is boring. But rude is just rude.
52
Baby boomers! They made their fortunes during an era of unprecedented prosperity, cashed out, and were able to buy the coveted upstate home of "many acres" while the current generation of "hipsters" can barely afford a Bushwick crash pad and only dream of posh trips to Rome.
22
Sounds like Peter and Brooke carved out a nice life for themselves. Good for them.
61
So because they made a life, their job now is to entertain hordes of strangers? Entitled anyone?
71
Jeeze! Quit whining you brat and do what Brooke and Peter did 30 some odd years ago. Find some cheap land in upstate New York and BUY IT! As far as a trip to Rome? Grow up and earn it. I had a "Brushwick crash pad" I could barely afford in the '70s too. It was a block away from Brooke and Peter's on Berkeley Place. Look forward to some gooky kid putting shade on you in a few decades, Doug.
26
Way way way cool. But now you tell me...
9
(sigh) This just makes me sad all over. Back when we lived in nearby Andes, my husband Brian and I looked forward to this party every year. To us it was just the best yearly local potluck picnic ever! I've always been a vocal cheerleader for social media, but it really does sometimes feel like it's become a creepy virus, or some sort of invasive vine - coiling and reaching and spreading until it blocks out the sun and kills everything. Brooke and Peter were such gracious and welcoming hosts. It bugs me to no end that rude strangers just plowed all over their space. Well, it truly was fun while it lasted. The very best kind of upstate Summer fun and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for it.
107
Rome in the spring. What could be better? Sounds like it all worked out.
18
Call some place paradise.....kiss it good-bye.... (the Eagles)
25
SHeeesh. What a bunch of savages among the commenters. I wanted to say "Thanks" to Ms. Bellafante for sharing the story of this annual fete. It made me smile and think how much fun it would have been to attend one. That is nice when much of what I read in the Times makes me want to hide in a corner.
49
Guess I must be old. Who shows up to a party at a private house where they haven't been invited and don't even know who the host is? Sad to hear this event got ruined by those unclear on the concept.
198
Did you read the article? The univited thought it was a public park.
8
Plus, think back on the "house" parties of the late 80s in NYC.
4
And who drives 3 hours each way to a party way upstate where they don't know anyone? That's not hip - it's just lame.
27
Best funny comments ever. Glad to see we are having a little fun this holiday weekend, even if the legendary party had to end.
18
Anything made and cherished and tended among intelligent humans eventually trickles down as a stupid product to the idiotic among us.
I stopped paying attention to fireworks a number of years ago.
Still read Schjedahl, though. Occasionally.
I stopped paying attention to fireworks a number of years ago.
Still read Schjedahl, though. Occasionally.
22
It is a good, thing that the (fireworks party) ended in Delaware, before one of the Hipsters invited celebrity Ben Aflac (star of many Boston "Genre" Films, and 2002's "GIGLI"--terrible movie!)
12
I might take this note more seriously if I knew who Ben Aflac was. Any relation to Matt Demon?
56
Ben Aflac is a duck.
46
I can understand, your confusion (because they are almost indistinguishable , from each other) and that's "notwithstanding" Marky MARK Whalberg!
5
We attended several years ago, invited by a neighbor. One of the best moments-- in addition to the enormous potluck, astounding fireworks, and really lovely gathering of kind and interesting people--was the entire party singing the Star Spangled Banner while red paper lanterns floated into the sky at the start of the firework show. It was a beautiful display of patriotism (not jingoism) that I return to time and again when I reflect on the ways we connect and celebrate all that is good in this country. Thank you Peter and Brooke (and everyone who lit fireworks and brought a covered dish) for a magical gathering that will stay in many hearts and minds.
182
thanks for explaining the difference between jingoism and patriotism, just what we hipsters needed to know on the 4th of July.
#1 what exactly is a hipster... same as beat poet or say dirty hippie at woodstock? This hipster term is thrown around way to loosely. I am laughing here as burning man friends say the same darn thing (disclosure: I went back in 1996). 'Great party til THEY showed up!' Its life folks --> People like a good party. Be thankful a bunch of fraternity boys didn't show up.
25
It's usually defined as someone who's interested in or participates in current arts and music scenes.
2
As far as I am concerned a "hiptser" is usually a male with some measure of facial hair and a serious lack of any useful skills but a whole lot of attitude about that lack.
23
A hipster is someone who tells people he went to burning man in 1996.
17
It's nothing new. There have always been party crashers. The difference is when the crashers outnumber the invitees. Too many people have come to think of themselves as entitled to do what they wish, and owe not even a "thank you" to those that they're taking advantage of.
85
Being rude and spoiling a fun event through bad behavior is neither generational nor hip-based nor Internet-driven. The tone of many comments here (and the subtext of the article) is that "young hipsters with web access" spoiled this gracious, generous gathering is short-sighted.
Look, some people are rude. Some people are socially clumsy. And yes, they ruin things sometimes - particularly in crowds. Stop venting shallow cultural prejudices in order to explain bad behavior. It can come from any demographic.
Look, some people are rude. Some people are socially clumsy. And yes, they ruin things sometimes - particularly in crowds. Stop venting shallow cultural prejudices in order to explain bad behavior. It can come from any demographic.
24
...except that in this particular example, it was EXACTLY that demographic. That's the point. There is no subtext in this article. It just is.
132
uh...couldn't they have just manned the doors (or try to hire people to do so) in order to keep the strangers out of the party?
8
Doors? Did you even read the story?
Doors?
Doors?
67
Electric fencing would have been more appropriate. The party was outdoors.
12
A few "locals" with shotguns would've done the trick! Just standing by....
1
Why are commenters pitted against each other? Must every subject become a controversy?
It was simply a victim of social media, akin to high school parties of old that started out manageably until people spread the word and by midnight the crowd grew big enough that the cops arrived to break it up. In this case, midnight came 25 years later.
It was simply a victim of social media, akin to high school parties of old that started out manageably until people spread the word and by midnight the crowd grew big enough that the cops arrived to break it up. In this case, midnight came 25 years later.
255
on point--it ain't a good gathering unless it has to be abandoned--
4
The most ringing endorsement I can think of is "It was great while it lasted."
10
It's not a party until you wake up the next morning on the lawn.
2
I was talking with the host and hostess at a similar party when a young man approached and introduced himself as the son of long-time friends of the hosts. The three of them commented sadly on the demise of the fellow’s parents. The hosts ended the conversation on an interesting note, informing the young man that he was standing on the very dock upon which he was conceived.
208
How this isn't a pick, I have no idea. Best comment, hands down.
24
It isn't a pick because it has absolutely nothing to do with this story.
3
Elitism at (one of its never-ending) worst(s). Can you say "self-indulgent", boys and girls.
No really. Imagine this "libertarian" gala conducted by someone not at the cultural high end of society (or who is not a Mafia don). Say a rapper (code, code, code.) Would the authorities have been so indulgent? (Rhetorical question, that.) Of course, if one chooses to shoot endangered species on one's private estate or stage "game" hunts of tame animals on a secluded Texas ranch, that is one's right. It's not only taxes that only we little people pay.
No really. Imagine this "libertarian" gala conducted by someone not at the cultural high end of society (or who is not a Mafia don). Say a rapper (code, code, code.) Would the authorities have been so indulgent? (Rhetorical question, that.) Of course, if one chooses to shoot endangered species on one's private estate or stage "game" hunts of tame animals on a secluded Texas ranch, that is one's right. It's not only taxes that only we little people pay.
47
Sign. So much sourness, so little time.
33
Since this is an article about parties, I think it's fair to point out that you must be a LOT of fun at them.
34
We have become a nation of whiners. You never knew any of this was going on, but upon reading about it, you instantly became disgusted and outraged and cast it in racial terms.
Go out and make your own friends, throw your own party, live your own life and stop WHINING about the choices other people made in their lives.
Go out and make your own friends, throw your own party, live your own life and stop WHINING about the choices other people made in their lives.
41
I assume all these people would show up other weekends to help the hosts mow grass, pull out poison ivy, paint the shed, move furniture, put in the docks, etc.
"If you own a cottage or pick-up truck, you will never have a weekend free."
"If you own a cottage or pick-up truck, you will never have a weekend free."
30
I would not consider a blanket condemnation of millennials in order or warranted. Every generation has its sub-sets which garner the outsize attention but are neither indicative or representative of the larger group. Millennials I know (not one myself) are serious sober considerate people. They would not so much show up uninvited and unannounced as they would jump off of a cliff without a parachute (or bungee cord). It was said of the Xers that their motto was work hard, party hard. For the millennials it appears to be work hard, party later -clubs are closing in droves. As to the demise of the subject annual event here; nothing lasts forever.
79
Millenials are not necessarily hipsters; hipsters are not necessarily Millenials.
45
"clubs are closing in droves"
Wow. Good to know. Maybe three years from now it'll happen here. Because, you know, when it gets to stupid in NYC it's going to get stupid everywhere else.
Just a side note from where I 'm at-
People are opening "night clubs" every day around here. People show up and get into screaming matches with each other and barely refrain from murdering themselves. It's entertainment. Hasn't gone out of fashion here, yet.
Any questions about who the people are who are doing this?
Look up Macolm X.
Wow. Good to know. Maybe three years from now it'll happen here. Because, you know, when it gets to stupid in NYC it's going to get stupid everywhere else.
Just a side note from where I 'm at-
People are opening "night clubs" every day around here. People show up and get into screaming matches with each other and barely refrain from murdering themselves. It's entertainment. Hasn't gone out of fashion here, yet.
Any questions about who the people are who are doing this?
Look up Macolm X.
That could also be because the social life of millenials is so electronically mediated.
People find their phones more interesting and less uncomfortable than other people. Clubs are hit and miss. Boring nights, Good nights, Legendary nights.
People find their phones more interesting and less uncomfortable than other people. Clubs are hit and miss. Boring nights, Good nights, Legendary nights.
3
Thanks to Brooke and Peter for years of a great party and fireworks! Don't blame them for stopping after the scene last year. Maybe the local community can offer up their locations so the party can be moved to a different place every year to keep the crowds away!
29
One stereotypical generation of New Yorkers vs. another, but the new one has social media. That. Is the only difference.
57
So, Mr. Siegel, you stereotypically stereotype NYers, without a trace of irony?
Let me educate you.
The people throwing the party have lived in NYC for at least 45 years, according to the article. So have most of the guests, it likewise appears. Many are likely native NYers from the sound of the article.
On the other hand, mlllenials and hipsters have famously arrived in NYC from "flyover states" within the past 10 years or so.
So, it is not really one generation of NYers as it is a bunch of newbies without a clue what it is to be a NYer, fresh out of college who think the city is an extension of their frat or sorority house and who lemming-like do whatever the latest social media trend tells them to do.
That is why there are so many resentful comments.
Let me educate you.
The people throwing the party have lived in NYC for at least 45 years, according to the article. So have most of the guests, it likewise appears. Many are likely native NYers from the sound of the article.
On the other hand, mlllenials and hipsters have famously arrived in NYC from "flyover states" within the past 10 years or so.
So, it is not really one generation of NYers as it is a bunch of newbies without a clue what it is to be a NYer, fresh out of college who think the city is an extension of their frat or sorority house and who lemming-like do whatever the latest social media trend tells them to do.
That is why there are so many resentful comments.
39
So typical of New Yorkers to disparage the "flyover states."
10
Ageism among hipsters goes both ways. The hippies call the youngsters yuppies, the Williamsburghers think the hippies are stuck in the past. Same as it ever was.
29
You got that right. Humans. We are so predictable. The generational battles carry on.
2
My husband and I would like to thank Brooke and Peter for giving Bovina and the adjacent communities the best fireworks show ever to exist. It gave all of us a chance to mingle and catch up with neighbors and friends, and share in the creativeness of Peter and his crew.
As they say. "All things must come to an end", I would add" thanks for making it happen in the first place!"
As they say. "All things must come to an end", I would add" thanks for making it happen in the first place!"
308
Hmmmm.....I'm going anyway. Bernie or Bust!!!!
61
Brilliant!
5
So aging hipsters can't tolerate younger ones. Probably too much of a painful reminder of their lost youths.
65
It's not that we can't tolerate them...it's just that we can't tolerate thousands of them showing up uninvited on our doorstep who have no connection or respect whatsoever for those of us who aren't hipsters from Brooklyn.
165
Did you even read the article?
39
So, you would be OK with 2,000 of them showing up at your door? Have at it.
143
my generation is just the worst! first we ruined brooklyn, and then we ruined the region's best 4th of july party. how dare we move into affordable neighborhoods and use new media technology to meet up with our generational peers?
surely baby boomers never did anything so tacky in soho or the village. i've certainly never heard any stories about hordes of uninvited 60s-era young people showing up in a rural upstate town before! definitely not in millbrook or bethel or woodstock. no sir! no way!
surely baby boomers never did anything so tacky in soho or the village. i've certainly never heard any stories about hordes of uninvited 60s-era young people showing up in a rural upstate town before! definitely not in millbrook or bethel or woodstock. no sir! no way!
356
The poor olds.
8
" we move into affordable neighborhoods"
And displaced a generation of working-class NYers in the process, forcing up the rents to unaffordable levels. But what do you care? After all, it's all about YOU!
" baby boomers never did anything so tacky in soho or the village."
Correct, we didn't. However, we did create new neighborhoods from a dying manufacturing district like SoHo, without displacing a single working family.
"uninvited 60s-era young people showing up in a rural upstate"
Go your facts straight. We WERE invited. Ask Max Yazgur.
Furthermore, we paid for our tickets to Woodstock. The earlier, invited, people to this fireworks brought food.
Hipsters did nothing but freeload this event and then destroyed it, like they have destroyed N. Bklyn and now Montauk.
And displaced a generation of working-class NYers in the process, forcing up the rents to unaffordable levels. But what do you care? After all, it's all about YOU!
" baby boomers never did anything so tacky in soho or the village."
Correct, we didn't. However, we did create new neighborhoods from a dying manufacturing district like SoHo, without displacing a single working family.
"uninvited 60s-era young people showing up in a rural upstate"
Go your facts straight. We WERE invited. Ask Max Yazgur.
Furthermore, we paid for our tickets to Woodstock. The earlier, invited, people to this fireworks brought food.
Hipsters did nothing but freeload this event and then destroyed it, like they have destroyed N. Bklyn and now Montauk.
389
Well, not so fast there... with Woodstock, there were thousands of gate crashers who tore down the fences and completely overwhelmed the concert area (and miles and miles of roads) and its already woefully meager facilities (including medical facilities), turning a lot of the area into a gigantic cesspit.
17
Get off my lawn. Literally.
170
You should have published this story earlier so thousands of people had time to make other plans.
106
Once again, when the hipster millenials get wind of something good, the good goes away
262
Tell us again, grandpa, how you're from REAL Brooklyn and how everything was perfect back in the old days.
13
Like Brooklyn....sigh.....
6
My dad grew up in Bushwick in the 1930s and 1940s. He couldn't wait to get away. So funny that Brooklyn is hip, now.
3
I grew up in the City back when Fireworks were legal, and a kid could buy sparklers at every candy store, soda fountain, and junk store. We have been Nanny Stated into a boring mediocrity in the stupid attempt to make the idea of living idiot proof. We kill millions of unborn kids every year with abortions, and then won't let them grow up with firecrackers and sparklers because they might hurt themselves. What a perverse world New York State has become.
19
Actually, there were 138,370 abortions in New York State in 2011 and 1.1 million nationwide (source: Guttmacher Institute). We do not "kill millions of unborn kids every year with abortions."
39
Wow. That took a turn.
27
And you walked 10 miles in the snow (or sticker burrs) to school along with the millions of the other boomers whose mothers were forced to bear them when fired from their WWII jobs so the men could work. And other irrelevancies. How did abortion get mixed with a great party story? Oh, I'm from Texas - I understand the leaps of logic made by legislators - and the Supreme Court response. Party wherever your feet are planted! It's all about choices
26
Wow, so sad. It's easy to hate hipsters because they are so shallow and vain but when they do lasting damage like this, ugh, don't get me started.
The difficulty with omnipresent social media is that it is continually inspiring people to have 'authentic' experiences that they can record for the world. At the same time it makes having authentic experiences almost impossible since if you know about it so does every other jerk with a cell phone.
Most people succumbed to bragging about their experiences pre-social media, but now it has become the central focus of many peoples' lives, where even the most most mundane events are recorded and shared. Keeping something under wraps is pretty much impossible and the only way to keep a good thing from being overwhelmed by hipster goofballs or soccer moms trying to make sure their kids get a "real experience" is to limit access to a fixed number of actual invitees.
I guess we'll survive this, but it does seem like we have lost something enormous, all of us.
The difficulty with omnipresent social media is that it is continually inspiring people to have 'authentic' experiences that they can record for the world. At the same time it makes having authentic experiences almost impossible since if you know about it so does every other jerk with a cell phone.
Most people succumbed to bragging about their experiences pre-social media, but now it has become the central focus of many peoples' lives, where even the most most mundane events are recorded and shared. Keeping something under wraps is pretty much impossible and the only way to keep a good thing from being overwhelmed by hipster goofballs or soccer moms trying to make sure their kids get a "real experience" is to limit access to a fixed number of actual invitees.
I guess we'll survive this, but it does seem like we have lost something enormous, all of us.
245
Isn't it fun to put labels on people like "millennials" and "baby boomers" and "elites" and "hipsters" and so on, defining THEM by reference to a hollow caricature, and then assigning THEM the role of hero or villain as we see fit.... Makes it so much easier for a features article writer (or commentator thereto, or blog post, or political campaign, etc) to capture attention, page views, votes, what have you, by constructing a narrative tapping into lazy tropes and predetermined biases...
"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."
"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."
54
In days of olde when I was being taught my manners, it was an unforgivable faux pas to show up at a party to which you were not invited. No exceptions.
33
Sounds like someone's been accused of being a hipster a few times too many. If you live in SF, wear skinny jeans and chukkas, have a lumberjack beard and are now or have ever been the possessor of a fedora then you are indeed a hipster.
I'm sorry, I don't make the rules, you hipsters came up with this look all on your own. In all seriousness, please stop ruining everything by showing up with your cell phones and documenting life for your pathetic Instagram sites -no one's paying any attention anyway!
I was *this* close to swinging an invite to an epic 4th of July party and you guys had to swarm it!
I'm sorry, I don't make the rules, you hipsters came up with this look all on your own. In all seriousness, please stop ruining everything by showing up with your cell phones and documenting life for your pathetic Instagram sites -no one's paying any attention anyway!
I was *this* close to swinging an invite to an epic 4th of July party and you guys had to swarm it!
25
A perfect symbol of social media: A bunch of clueless wannabes joining a party to which they were not invited.
428
To any Hipsters reading this: You've ruined north Bklyn now you've ruined this.
Thanks for nothing.
Thanks for nothing.
106
Thanks for so many memorable nights of magic. Looking forward to miniature golf….Donna
20
I wanna go!
13
Don't they know that to a Millennial everything is 'free'?
117
Hence, Bernie Sanders.
2
Hipsters ruin everything.
69
LOL - My type of people!
6