birthday parties in new york are expensive-- in fact, they're not even parties, they're just dinner in really nice places. you eat, you say "happy birthday", eat some cake and maybe go sing karaoke or something afterwards. nobody throws real parties anymore.

i never had birthday parties when i was a kid. my parents never celebrated birthdays-- or any holiday really. no pointy hats, no noise-makers, no streamers and confetti. just dinner at a restaurant. no cake, no presents. i thought it was just my family. now though, i'm grown up and live in new york city... and how do people celebrate birthdays here?... dinner! where're the piñatas and balloons? where's the loud music and party games?

we're turning into old farts.