Do you want to throw a party that’s sexy, glamorous, sleek and fun? Do you want to pay tribute to your favorite city? A city theme party may just be the party theme that’s meant for you. With the popularity of Sex and the City, Friends and other TV shows that include the city the shows are located in, it’s no wonder the cities become like characters themselves. There’s just such a great appreciation for the culture and lifestyle these cities offer. Here are some suggestions on throwing a sophisticated city theme party.

Snazzy City Invitations

Invite your guests for a night out in the city by going to your nearest bookstore and buying postcards of your city’s most famous sights. Write the details of the party on the postcard and send it to your guests. If the invitations are going to be hand-delivered, you can make your own “stamp” by placing little stickers on the stamp box. For example, if you live in New York, you can put on “I Love New York” stickers in lieu of a real stamp.

Another great invitation idea is to print out your favorite pictures of the city in bulk and use them as invitation. You can even make it more personalized if the host or the picture of whoever you’re throwing the party for is in the picture, preferably in a famous city landmark.

You can also print out a miniature map of the city itself and mark where the party is going to be with a big red circle. Put the details of the party at the back of the card.

Urban Cool Party Decorations

For inspiration on decorating for your city theme party, think about the things you love most about the city. A lot of things that’ll come in mind include the hubbub, the cars, the skyscrapers, the fancy restaurants, the parks, and of course, the city sophistication. So how are you going to translate all that?

Start outdoors. Yellow light lanterns and Christmas lights do so much to give your outdoors a magical feeling. It also recalls the tiny pinpricks of light that you see when viewing a city from afar. You can also buy decorative gas lamps and place themall along the walk leading up to your house. It’s such a romantic idea! If you want to bring this magical feeling indoors, you can make your space look more intimate by hanging up dark curtains with more Christmas lights. If your home boasts a view of the city, though, take full advantage by having the curtains cleared away to give way to the view.

Red and white tablecloth

Votive candles

Red roses

To give your party a real glitzy feeling, why not use silver and gold balloons and streamers? Your tables can also channel those romantic Italian restaurants by having red and white checkered cloth, votive candles and roses. Use your best tableware and utensils. Get interesting candles for more illumination such as candles in tiny high heels, margarita glasses or miniature versions of famous landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate Bridge or the Eiffel Tower.

You can also post up a backdrop of a city skyline. This will be a good look, although slightly campy, but your guests will really get a kick out of it.

Play jazz or big band music for your party: Frank Sinatra, Billy Holiday and Sammy Davis Jr. You can also hire an actual jazz trio if you like. Your party, while going for the sophisticated look and feel, doesn’t have to be uptight or stuffy (see Top Ten Jazz Artists of all time). Encourage your guests to mingle, talk and dance.

City Escapade: Games and Activities

There are so many things you can do in a city, and the same should go for your party. Whether it be a little twirl on the dance floor, chatting it up, or having silly parlor games, these activities are sure to make your guests enjoy the party more.

• Around the World Pictorial. Have a fun and silly time with your friends by taking pictures “around the world.” It’s fairly simple: set up an LCD projector to project on a blank white wall, and have it flash different city scenes or cityscapes. You can also have a variety of cityscape backdrops set around your house, which can serve as background for your impromptu around-the-world tour. Print out these pictures before the party ends, and hand out as souvenirs for your guests.
• City Trivia. You think you know all there is to know about the cities you love? Compile a list of city trivia using the Internet or your own stock knowledge. Separate into two to four teams and let the knowledge trivia begin.
• Name that Drink. Cities all around the world have bars, and now is the perfect time to test your drinking and tasting skills. Participants have to be blindfolded and will be asked to drink a number of cocktail drinks. They have to guess what cocktail drink they’ve had correctly or get disqualified. Whoever the winner is will have drunk a lot of drinks by the end of the game, so make sure that he or she gets sobered up properly before going home.




Name that Drink

Guys playing poker games

• Charades. A popular game using only a timer and a willingness to look silly, you can customize this round of charades by having the items to be acted out to be relating to anything to the city and its history.
• Poker. Major cities aren’t complete without their own gambling locale. Have a casual and friendly game of poker or blackjack. Set up a table specifically for this purpose. (Learn how to play poker)
• Baby, If You Love Me. City romance come and go, but the memories remain forever. In this game, guests have to sit in a circle with an “It” sitting in the middle. The “It” must go around and face guests one by one, asking, “Baby if you love me, why don’t you smile?” The “It” should make sure he or she said it in the funniest and campiest manner in an effort to make the person in the circle smile or laugh. The person who the question is directed to must make an effort not to laugh or smile and reply, “Baby, I love you but I just can’t smile.” Anyone who fails to do this with a straight face will be the next “It” and this will continue until the person with the straightest face remains. The last one standing will be declared the winner.

After the party, pop in DVDs of TV shows or movies that are set in your favorite cities. Why not see Paris J’etaime, An Affair to Remember or Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Watching these movies will make you and your guests see how beautiful and great the cities are.

Authentic City Food

No city experience is complete without sampling its food. The best thing you can do for a city theme party is to serve quintessential city food, famous menu items from different cities around the world. Have a New York leaning by Italian food like spaghetti with meatballs, pizza and calzone. You can go New Orleans by serving gumbo, jambalaya and other creole cooking. Los Angeles food can boast its Mexican influences, so why not serve tacos, nachos and burritos? The choices are endless, and your guests will have a tour of the city right on your buffet table.

Don’t forget to serve beer, non-alcoholic drinks and hard alcoholic drinks. Serve martinis, cosmopolitans and those lovely ladies’ drinks that are so popular these days. Since you’re going to have alcohol, assign one of your trusted friends to be the one to keep the car keys to prevent your guests from driving home inebriated. Otherwise, you’re all set for your sleek city theme party. Just put on your best heels and get ready to party.

Watch this New york party