So you used to go to college with your best friend for life, where you’d pull all nighters on Adderall studying, you’d sit together in the dining hall and talk about what guys you thought were cute, and you’d celebrate the weekend with 90s playlist power hours.
Now, you both live in different cities and she’s here this weekend for a visit. Whatever will you do?
Well, the options are pretty ubiquitous. So here’s 8 things bound to happen when your BFFL comes to NYC for a weekend visit.
1. Find her
She doesn’t understand the subway system, so this usually means you have to meet her at Grand Central or Penn Station.
Or you have to explain the subway to her. Maybe she should just take a cab.
[anad]
2. Go out to eat at your favorite restaurant
This means dropping some cash. It’s cool, though, if your friend is coming it probably means you’ve thought ahead, and you have some money to blow.
If not, you’re going to be in trouble, and you should probably not worry about this until your friend leaves on Sunday evening.
You can eat toast for the rest of the week, but tonight is the night to flaunt that amazing restaurant that will show her just how kickass your life in NYC really is.
Some possible suggestions are The Meatball Shop (obviously), Lillie’s in Times Square, or Andaman Thai Food, but if you haven’t been living under a rock and eating strictly in your tiny kitchen, you probably have your own favorite place. Take your friend here.
3. Spend way more money than usual
-->We’ve discussed already how you’ll be bringing your friend to your favorite restaurant. This is a must.
You’ll also need to bring your friend to your favorite bar, you should probably buy her a $10 MetroCard, and buy her some shots.
Friendship is timeless and money isn’t even real-- this is not the weekend to be concerned with budgeting and finances. This is the weekend to think about showing your friend a good effing time.
So yeah, go ahead, buy that latte at Starbucks, take that cab ride, go to the Museum of Natural History and pay the extra $6 to see the Planetarium show.
You won’t regret it, and you’ll have these memories for the rest of your life. So, tell the nagging voice in your head that’s worried about money to f**k off.
4. Not get laid
Who needs to get laid when you get to cuddle with your BFFL?
No one, that’s who. Most of these guys are only interested in one-night-stands anyway.
Yes, I’m aware that’s a sweeping generalization, and never give up hope that you’ll yet find love in this insane city, but your friendship matters way more than the random guys you’ll meet at Penny Farthing at 3 a.m. on a Saturday.
Would you get to reminisce about all your crazy college times in bed with a guy you just met that night? Yeah, thought so. You wouldn’t. And while you’re cuddling in bed with your BFFL, you’ll get to laugh about the time you sat next to the guy you’d given head to in the dining hall the next morning. Good times! All your college memories are glazed in nostalgia that have just gotten funnier and funnier over time. ‘Nuff said.
,5. Act like you cook
Is this a good time to show of your pancake making abilities? Definitely.
Should you pretend you make chocolate chip pancakes with Jack Johnson blasting every Saturday morning? Why not, right?
Might as well make some eggs and that potato that’s been sitting in your fridge for weeks too.
If your friend asks, don’t tell her you usually resort to dry toast or Seamless. Let her think you’re always a master chef on the weekends.
[anad]
6. Not have to worry about making plans
Having your friend visiting pretty much guarantees you’re not going to spend your whole Saturday under a blanket in front of the computer binge-watching X Files on Netflix.
Take her to Central Park, she’d love to see it and the best part is that it’s only a ten-minute walk from your apartment. And you get to pretend that you go all the time.
The best part about having your friend visit is you get to see her get all excited about everything, and you get to see the city you live in every day as if through new eyes.
When she gets super stoked about the live music at Supply House and tells you how lucky you are to live in NYC, it really gives you some perspective about how lucky you actually are to live in NYC.
[anad]
7. Stay out later
Your friend is from a different city, where all the bars close at 2 a.m. She’s astounded by this 4 a.m. closing time.
So, really live it up. Do you usually collapse into your bed with mozzarella sticks and a giant cup of ice water at midnight?
Yeah, me too, but since your BFFL is visiting NYC you need to give her the experience of staying at the bar until the lights turn on at 4, and everyone emerges as if in a daze from a drunken stupor into the light where everything seems way less acceptable.
8. Show off your awesome life
Nothing wrong with a little bragging.
Yes, our city is giant and there is so much to do here.
It’s hard to remember that when we live here all the time, so having your BFFL visit is a great time to remind yourself that they don’t have six different restaurants that just serve different types of amazing grilled cheese in other cities, they don’t have the High Line or vegetarian hotdogs at Crif Dogs or even Katz’s Deli or Veselka. They just don’t.
Feature article image courtesy of Favim.
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