40th Birthday Party
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Indoor party venue suitable for adults and babies
Sept 2011
My husband is turning 40 in January and I want to throw him
a great birthday party. We just had our first child in
April, he just got his MBA and started a new job, so there's
much to celebrate. A lot of our friends also have babies who
would be between 5 months-2years of age by January - I'm
trying to figure out a venue that would be fun for adults
and also work for babies. Since it's the winter it will need
to be indoors. Assume about 40 adults and 10 babies under 2.
Maybe a kid-friendly restaurant or some kind of indoor
activity center? Our small condo won't cut it...Thanks for
any suggestions! anon
You might consider the fern cottage in kennedy grove park,
el sobrante. Www.ebparks.org or call 8883272767, opt 2 mon
thru fri for more info. It is actually easy to get to and
is used a lot for small parties. East bay parks gal
40th Bday Party Venue
Nov 2009
I'm looking to plan a 40th birthday party in January. Cost is an issue so we're
thinking about having it in a bar/restaurant and providing food but not providing
the alcohol. Is this tacky?
We would like a place in/near Oakland that can hold 60-70 people and that could
support dancing. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!
Party Planning
I had my 40th birthday last December at the Stork Club in Oakland (Telegraph @ 24th
Street). The cost to rent the place was only $100. I supplied the food and the band
and paid for drink tickets (though you could make it a cash bar). About 75 people
showed, I think. The neighborhood is a little sketchy, but the folks who run the
place are accommodating and friendly!
Already 40
How to celebrate husband's 40th birthday?
Feb 2008
My husband is turning 40 in about a month and is feeling a bit
down about it, so I'd like to find a fun and special way to
celebrate. We have an 11-year old son so it should be something
he will enjoy too. I am open to any and all ideas!
Thank you!
Julia
How about sending your hubby, plus some of his closest friends,
brothers, brother-in-laws, whoever his closest circle is, to
something fun? (Along with your son of course). For my
husband's 50th I invited those close friends/relatives, men
only, sent them to a Warrior game on a bus, fed them there,
then had them back at the house here for champagne and cake.
(Well, beer and cake for most!) Now that added up to a lot but
you could scale it back to fit your budget. Going out with his
gang or even just a few close buds could help ease the
transition. Then when he comes home you can tell him how sexy
he is and take it from there. I think most any guy would think
that would be the perfect birthday! Anyway reassure your guy
that things get so much better when you are older, you have so
much more perspective and so much less angst!!! Have fun!!!
anon
Go to the San Francisco In Door Sky Diving!!! you, your husband and your
son can all
do it and boy does it look like fun! check out their website
http://www.iflysfbay.com/
have fun!
A couple years ago my husband turned 40. I wanted to do
something special but felt unsure as he is funny about having
lots of attention paid to him. Nonetheless, I threw a giant
party for him, called old friends, had them call old friends,
invited all our kids friends parents who I knew he was friendly
with at soccer games etc, invited all our nice neighbors, his
and my family, people from our wedding. Then I made all is
favorite foods, I cooked all day the day prior, I bought a
really sexy outfit to wear, all our kids were there with as
many friends as they chose to invite, I made a massive carrot
cake, I bought fun music, I decorated and we had a total
blast. Oh, I did a daytime affair as this is easier for
everyone I think. Anyway, he still looks at the pictures from
that day with fondness whenever they scroll across the
computer. I think it was really nice for him to see how many
people he knows, has known, who love him, who would come out
for his party. It was very affirming for him - and I think men
suffer from this - to know that he had made an impact on the
people around him. It really was fun, and not too expensive -
I mostly bought items from Trader Joes. I think I grilled tons
of tri-tip (manly meat!) and made a huge, real and amazing
caesar salad plus seasonal salads. I think your hubby would be
pleasantly suprised even if he doesn't know he would like it,
to have 30-40 people come to tell him how much he means to them!
Good Luck.
Sarah
I rented a room in a restaurant on Telegraph Hill and invited
absolutely everyone my husband is friends with, and got about
50 people for two hours of drinks and appetizers. It was a
complete surprise on a Friday night after work, and my husband
did a 360 turn and had to catch his breath when he walked in,
and then had a great time. A surprise is really awesome! I told
him we were going out to eat at a little Italian place to
celebrate quietly. Ha!
Have fun
My husband and my brother are trying indoor skydiving this
weekend....You can read more about it at www.iflysfbay.com. It's
a bit of a drive (Union City), but an 11 year old could do it
with him, so it could be a really fun family event.
Good Luck
My husband felt the same way about turning 50. He was moaning and
groaning about not wanting to celebrate. After I teased him with
''well, here's what we're doing when I turn 50'' he became a bit
more interested in planning something fun. We rented a house in
Bodega for a weekend sharing the cost with a group of close
friends, (we have younger children so we included some with kids
their age)Bodega Bay felt like a real getaway, was less expensive
than Sea Ranch but still had all the great views, ocean access,
etc. A good friend and I cooked the main birthday meal and the
rest of the meals were assigned out - everyone chose one meal to
cover for the whole group. Everyone brought a good bottle of
wine or champagne. I had wine glasses engraved with a Happy
Birthday message as a ''goody bag'' for the adults (just google
engraved wine glasses and you'll find some surprisingly good
deals). Everyone had a great time - but most importantly my
husband said he would never forget it. Some of us arrived on
Friday night, others on Saturday. Between the hot tub, the beach,
the amazing views, and the good friends, it was a great weekend.
The rental agency gave us Monday for free when I told them it was
for my husband's birthday so that we wouldn't have to rush out on
Sunday by noon (vacationrentalsusa.com) Just an idea! Good luck
and I hope he changes his mind.
Party Person
Restaurant 40th Birthday party Oakland Berkeley
March 2007
I want to plan a dinner with around 20 people for my 40th birthday at a fun restaurant in Oakland or
Berkeley and wanted a few restaurant recommendations. I definitely want a festive environment and place
where we can take our time with the meal. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks!
Marcy
I suggest you consider Bucci's in Emeryville (on Hollis, north of Powell)
to celebrate
your 40th. Bucci's has a spacious feel, fabulous fresh food, nice wines,
and easy free
parking. One or more of the owners are usually present and they care
about their
customers' satisfaction. My favorite place.
Long time fan of Bucci's
I love Pizzaiolo! It has a large table in the back room that
seats 20+. The food is incredible, the atmosphere is totally
cool and fun, and the decor is wonderful as well. Pizziaolo is
located on Telegraph Ave. in Oakland, across the street from
Genoa Delicatessen.
Pizziaolo fan
Lamorinda Area 40th BDAY Party Place
Jan 2007
Hi! My husband and I are planning my 40th birthday party for
late May/early June. We're looking for a restaurant (prefer
Italian, Mexican, or French) to EITHER host an intimate dinner
for up to 12 couples OR have a very large bash for 20 couples
plus lots of kids (just food, no dj, dancing). I'm looking
something in Orinda/Moraga/Lafayette/Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill
areas that's fun and reasonably priced. Help!
I hosted my husbands 40th BD party at the Lafayette Park Hotel
on Mt. Diablo Blvd. I rented out the library for an intimate
dinner for about 25 people. They will work with you to create
the meal so you can have any cuisine you prefer and they even
let me bring in my own wine (Picked up at Costco!) and the
corkage fee was very reasonable. This was years ago but I still
only hear good things about Lafayette Park Hotel.
Congrats on your hubby turning 40...
JM
March 2006
Any ideas on clubs or similar places to rent for a party with a
band in the Oakland/Berkeley area? Nothing fancy, a place that
can hold 150 people, ideally where we can set up our own bar but
in-place bar is ok too. Also any suggestions for bands that play
music everyone can dance to - thinkcover tunes, songs from
Aretha Franklin, the Committments, Robert Cray etc. Any and all
suggestions gladly taken!
Meri
The Berkeley Yacht Club (and perhaps other local yacht clubs) can be
rented for parties as you describe.
Karen
40th Bday Party Ideas for Husband???
Dec 2005
My husband turns 40 in May. I want to do something fun to
celebrate the event but not a normal party. For example, 50 of
us played croquet at Meadowood for his 30th bday. (That was
before we had kids -- LOL!) He likes golf, wine, sporting
events, is very outgoing. I could do a golf tournament with a
dinner afterwards but don't really want to because a lot of his
friends don't golf and also we've been to maybe 4 of these
already. Maybe a tour of some special wineries with dinner in a
cave afterwards for 20 or so? Any idea how to orchestrate this?
Maybe an event at an A's game but something nicer than a
tailgate ... I don't want to travel as he travels 90% for his
job and it's also a hassle to offload our three kids for a
weekend.
I don't want to spend a fortune but I do want to do something
nice.
What have you seen that is fun and also memorable?
Again, many thanks!
One memorable 40th birthday party that my husband and I were invited to took place on a cruise boat in the Bay - with dinner and dancing. We stayed overnight in a hotel in San Francisco with other party-goers, so that extended the festivities even more. Bonnie
Stay home, make him a nice dinner, and give him a wild night in bed. This is what most men want as a gift for any occasion.
scott
Nov 2005
I am turning 40 in a couple of weeks and would like to plan a fun
40th birthday party. I have a 6 week old baby, and most of my
friends have children under the age of 3. I would like to plan a
party that is FUN for adults and that parents can bring their
babies to. Ideally, I would like to plan something indoors that
is active and different. To give an idea of what I am looking
for, if I knew where I could rent out a place that has a trapeez
I might consider something like that. I'm not necessarily looking
for something kid centered, rather I want to ensure that parents
can bring their kids along without a problem (i.e. A bar at 10:00
pm probably wouldn't work). Any ideas you have would be highly
appreciated!
Mary
I attended a party at Trapeeze Arts in Oakland last year. It was
fun for everyone, although most of the kids there were closer to
teenagers than toddlers.
Susan
We had my mom's 80th at Habitot. It was great actually. The
children could play safely. We had the party after hours and
rented the entire museum. We didn't have to worry about the
kids and the adults all had a good time.
anon
April 2005
I'd like to have a birthday party to celebrate my husband's
40th birthday party in August. I'm thinking fun and casual --
catered bbq, beer and music.
I'd like recos on places that might be good for this type of
party and would accomodate 50 or so people. I looked into the
Redwood Heights Rec center, but it sounds like they're booked
for August and don't allow alcohol.
You could try the Berkeley Yacht Club. They rent it out to people who
aren't members for parties and such. They have a bar, and a kitchen (I
believe you'd have to hire the caterers), as well as an area for bands.
Karen
My husband has a cafe in West Berkeley called Home Cafe (900
Grayson at Seventh Street, near Scharffenberger and Ecole
Bilingue) which he occasionally rents out in the evening for
private parties. It accommodates 50 people comfortably (standing
up, milling around), and there's also a beer bar and back patio.
No room for a dance floor, though, if you're looking for that.
The nice part about the cafe rental is that you get the whole
place for yourself and your friends since the cafe is closed in
the evenings. Check out the cafe during the day, and if you like
it, call Bill at 510-919-7279 for more info.
Clarisse
There's this place called the Congo Lounge above another place
called Pizza Rustic. Pizza Rustica caters a variety of foods
(not only pizza) for parties in the lounge upstairs. It's a fun
little space that not too many people know about... ideal for a
party your size. They lease out the space for a reaonable
amount for private parties with full catering. I think they can
hook you up with music too. I know that they have performances
from time to time.
They've got a full bar with tiki lounge decor... so maybe a
hawaiian shirt/hula skirt kind of party might be fun. The place
is located on 5422 College Avenue in Rockridge. Hope you find
what you're looking for!
Good luck!
Jina :)
There is a new gaming center located at 2570 Bancroft Way
in Berkeley (cross street is Telegraph) that caters to
large birthday parties. I took my little brother for
his birthday and we had 20 kids playing video games all
in the same game at the same time.. It was a ton of fun.
Their website is www.glabonline.com.
I would recommend this place for any private party for
10 year olds and higher as they are reasonably priced
and its alot of fun.
Justin
June 2004
Hello: My husband is going to be 40 in Aug. and I am usually
creative but I am stumped about how to celebrate. Please
recommend something you may have done or think would be nice for
a 40th birthday. Thank you!
stacey
When my husband turned 40, I threw him a great suprise poker
party. I invited about twenty men friends who showed up after
a fancy family dinner. While his friends arrived I put up the
card tables with green cloths, produced the chips, cards,
peanuts, drinks, etc. Everyone seemed to have a great time and
at 11 o'clock I served dessert and coffee. I know I REALLY
pleased my husband.
Janet
I chartered a yacht through a company out of Alameda called
Compass Rose for my husband's 30th birthday. I got one of my
friends to man the boat and to direct all the guests on board
before I arrived with my husband. He thought we were going on a
dinner cruise, which he was excited about as it was, but when he
saw 30 of his friends on the boat, he was just ecstatic. I put
scrapbook pages on all the tables and took polaroids of all the
guests. Throughout the night, they were then able to put their
pictures on their page and write him a birthday message.
Everybody had a blast!
Kelly
Jan. 2003
My partner turns 40 this year, so we'd like to mark the
occasion.
However, cash is very tight this year, so I'm looking for
suggestions on the best cheap party you've every held or
been too.
Must be child friendly, medium-sized crowd, outdoor options
fine (birthday is in the summer). Is potluck too tacky? Cake
and beverages too cheap?
Thanks!
Anon
Why not organize a weekend long group camping party? That way
the party lasts all weekend and folks can come for as long as
they like. You can have group meals and everyone can pitch in
food and drinks. Big Basin and Tilden (as do other camping
places) both have great group camping sites but book soon
because they fill up fast.
allison
I'm a big fan of fun, so here are some party ideas I've used
for my birthday's in the past that I think are pretty cool. They
are pretty cheap too!
1. Bowling. There is the bowling alley in Albany and another
cool bowling alley in Castro Valley. I'm not sure what the
names of either alley are but you could look them up online.
Fun for all and kid friendly. I can't bowl to save my life but I
still like to go bowling with friends.
2. Mini Golf. There is a cool course in Castro Valley, one in
Concord, and I'm sure more are around that I don't know
about.
3.Ice Skating. Lots of rinks around. I like the one in Berkeley
more than the one in Oakland.
4. The Bocci Ball courts in Lake Merritt. You could rent the
bocci ball kit from the park. Also there is a Bocci Ball group
that will teach you and your friends how to play for free if you
contact them in advance!
5.Crazy game and party in your home. Ask your guests to
bring a game they like to play with others like Twister, Uno,
Pin the Tail on the Donkey etc. Get a Pinata (sp?) and fill it
up with goodies. Have a potluck and offer cake and
beverages.
Potlucks ARE NOT TACKY!! They are fun, especially if you
have friends that love to cook, or have the money to buy
really good take out!!
Hope this inspires you or someone else!
beth
Potlucks are never tacky -- they're a wonderful way to bring
people together without a big display of consumerism, any
pressure on guests to bring additional gifts, or any pressure
on you to orchestrate a huge menu. Just make sure you specify
what type of dish folks should bring, or (in my experience)
you'll end up with seventeen salads. I went to a potluck
wedding a couple of years back -- it sounded weird at first,
but it was really one of the most relaxed and happy weddings
I've ever been to. Actually, the location was great, too: a
clubhouse on Panoramic Hwy, just down the road (south) from
Mountain Home Inn. I don't know the name of it, but I bet you
could find out from the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce -- I
feel like it's a mountaineers' club, or something like that.
Alexa
How about taquitos (you could even buy the frozen variety),
guacamole, margaritas and beer with lime and cake? A pinata for
the kids. A variety of hispanic music on the stereo.
Viva la Fiesta!
Last spring for my 30th b-day my husband organized a great party
at our house. He purchased drinks from Costco, my mom made a
huge lazagna anbd a couple other large dishes, there was a
spread of tomatos, basil and fresh mozzarella cheese (also from
Costco). And, he ordered a cake. He didn't plan to have people
bring food but when people asked if they could bring something
(which at least half of the guests did), my husband asked them
to bring food. There was a ton of food, lots of kids and people
had a great time. So, its definitely ok to have a 40th b-day
party at your house and if people bring food, that is even
better. I think there were about 50 people there and it cost us
less than $400!
had a GREAT B-day party
We used to have my daughter's birthday party at Lake Merritt,
at the picnic spot right above the boat house. There are two
(maybe 3) tables with a great view of the lake and a nice
large grassy area for spreading blankets, throwing frisbees,
etc. It's a bit back off the main road, and pretty quiet, not too
much foot traffic either, besides the occasional jogger.
Nearby: Your almost-40 partner and friends and family
might not be interested in going to Fairyland (and can't get in
without a child anyway) but attendees who want to do more
than sit around chatting can walk down the hill to rent a
paddleboat, sail, etc. See http://www.oaklandnet.com/parks/
for more info. They also have a larger boat to take groups for
a whirl around the lake, which was $2/person last time I
went and lasted half an hour or an hour. The bird
sanctuary's a block down, the rotary garden's across the
street, and there are walkways for biking, skating, etc.
You can reserve the tables up there through parks & rec, but
we never did, just had someone show up early that morning
and save it for us.
As far as potluck, how tacky it is depends on the sort of
people you're inviting ;) We always did potluck, provided
condiments, cake, drinks, etc. and it worked out great.
Gwen
A potluck would definitely be tacky. However, if you have a
party in the middle of the afternoon, nobody will expect a meal.
A homemade cake, juice, chips and dip are fine and not too
expensive. People come to the party for the company and not for
the expense of the food. Have it in your house and use your own
dishes to save on the expense of paper plates. Have fun!
anon
I went to a 40th birthday party recently, where everyone met at
a restaurant for dinner. Everyone order their own dinner, some
paid as a group, some paid separate check. Everyone seemed to
enjoy it. There were not enough space for the kids to run
around, but noone seemed to mind (the kids, the parents, other
guest nor the waitresses). The restaurant had a party room,
although it's quite small, but private. Afterwards, we went to
their house for cake, coffee and opening gifts.
p.l.
My husband has a huge family, so I've had to throw my share of
parties on a tight budget.... Two of the best bets I've had are
spaghetti (could work for an italian theme) and nachos. I think
the nachos are actually the cheapest - get a giant bag of
tortilla chips from Costco (about $3) and huge can of nacho
cheese, which you heat in a crock pot, and can even dilute with
water. Everyone seems to like spaghetti and nachos, so you
really can't go wrong with either one.
Hope this helps!
Heather
I threw myself a birthday party for which I asked all comers to
bring 1.) their favorite dish + recipe and 2.) their favorite
piece of music. We spent the night playing everyone's favorite
music, which I recorded onto one tape for a really great mixed
tape (and great memories!!). The recipes went into a scrap
book with signatures and whatever else the person wanted to
write. The food was great, the people relaxed and
conversational with a built-in conversation topic--their
musical tastes. I ended up with music from Early American
Appalachian to hard rock to classical to Zydeco to African to
South American. It was a blast--cheap for all comers, great
for my memories.
Amy
Nov. 2002
I am looking for some great ideas on what to do for a good 40th birthday
party in January. It seems that a lot of ideas are for outside which really
don't work in January and we have a small house which doesn't hold a
lot of people. We would like some ideas that would be fun and
memorable for kids as well as the adults.
kristi
For my mom's 60th birthday party we went bowling and did a 50's
theme and it was GREAT. It was at the bowling alley in Danville.
We had about 60 people and we divided them in teams and assigned
them lanes. We had a tournament and gave prizes to the winners.
Everyone had a button (pin) with a picture of my mom on it and
that gave them access to the Bowling alley bar so they didn't
have to pay for drinks and then the bowling alley tallied the
total for us. We also had 4 Brothers Chinese (also in Danville)
cater the event. The food was not fancy but it was plentiful,
delicious and relatively inexpensive. We also got my mom an old
style 50's bowling shirt with ''It's my B-day'' printed on the
back. Last but not least, we hired an awesome male singing group
to come sing some doo-whop type oldies and everyone loved it. It
was really a fun party. I'd highly recommend it. Feel free to
email me with questions or for referrals to singing group/pin
maker/shirt company/etc...
nina
Why not go bowling? Albany Bowl has food, a bar, and relatively
cheap bowling. If you don't normally go, it could be fun and
nostalgic. If it wasn't in January, I would also recommend going
somewhere like miniature golf. Bring out the inner child!
MizzBee
For my 40th birthday party, I had a dessert potluck. The
invitations said ''you only live once -- eat dessert first!''.
This definitely works as an indoor party (my birthday is also in
January). I didn't have kids at the time, but this seems like
an idea that kids would like too -- although I guess they might
like it a little *too* much -- you might have to keep an eye on
them to make sure they don't overdo it. I still think it's an
idea worth thinking about, especially if you love dessert as
much as I do.
-- dessert lover
11/99
Does anyone know of an affordable restaurant with a private room for a
40th birthday party? Further complication is that we are doing it soon, and
in December.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated....
Restaurant for party - I don't know what your level of "affordable" is but
Santa Fe Bar
and Grill has a beautiful garden room for private parties and their
caterers will work
with you on price and service.
Venezia on University Ave. in Berkeley has a private room, as does Milano
in Emeryville (their restaurant in Oakland on Grand may as well). The
Pelican Inn in Muir Beach (Mill Valley) has a beautiful private room called
the conservatory, but I believe you need to pay to rent it (this room is
larger than those at Venezia and Milano). All three have great food, and I
believe Venezia and Milano are both moderately priced; Pelican Inn is on
the higher end. Good luck!
Try ZZA'S in Oakland on Grand Ave. They have a smallish banquet room for
private affairs. From what I understand the food is very good.
Kensington Bistro which is a very lovely restaurant at Colusa Circle in
Kensington is available for private parties.
525-1530.
A new restaurant on University Avenue in Berkeley next to Wild Oats called
Pomegranate (1500 block, north side) has a private room. Reasonable prices.
I recommend Cafe de la Paz for the 40th birthday. They have a great
room and great food and are very reasonable. I had my 50th birthday
there. They are located across from Chez Panisse.
For the person looking for a restaurant with a private room: Mandarin
Garden is a chinese restaurant in downtown Berkeley. The food is excellent
and they can provide a private room. Just tell Bob Wong, one of the owners
how much you want to spend per person and he will propose a menu.
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