We really try not to boast, but it’s really hard not to gloat about the fabulousness that is Thanksgiving in NYC. From the Macy’s Day Parade to the frenetic and joyous electricity in the air at holiday time, New York City really knows how to throw a turkey — or Tofurky — party. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, you’ll want to make sure that your apartment is ready. Whether this is your first time hosting for the holidays in your NYC apartment or you’ve done it a million times, the info below will make sure that the turkey won’t be the only thing dressed for the holidays.

If you describe your decorating style as: “Absolutely no scarecrow centerpieces allowed!”

Do you tsk-tsk under your breath if someone uses the wrong type of egg cup? Would you cancel a dinner party if you ran low on salad forks? In other words, you like to keep your decorations tasteful. Here are some tips for making your Thanksgiving decor as elegant as possible.

• Autumn Tones: Dress your public rooms in hues, colors, and tones that will remind anyone who walks into your home that fall is here, and it’s the season of bounty and harvest. Gorgeous, soft white drapes lined with linings boasting shimmery gold highlights, wine-colored table linens, russet-orange throw pillows, and warm throws draped over your sofa will help people feel cozy and excited about the season all at once.
• Accessorize with Natural Textures: An aged wooded wine crate filled with fall produce would make a beautifully rustic and autumnal centerpiece. A wide glass vase filled with walnuts, colorful squashes, succulents, pine cones, or deep-red and rust-colored blooms will add a cozy pop to your home. Stores like Pier 1 Imports are filled with beautiful holiday decor.
• Hang Seasonal Wall Art: Paintings or photographs of oak leaves tumbling from branches or the city at dusk are surefire fall scenes that will appeal to even the most curmudgeonly warm-weather lover.

If you describe your decorating style as: “Hey! Don’t forget the scarecrow centerpieces!”

Your holiday style ethos can be summed up in four words: The kitschier, the better. For you, it’s not Thanksgiving until there’s a turkey piñata hanging somewhere in the house. Fun is a must, and kids are welcome to join in creating the decor for the space. If this sounds like your style, here are some ideas for you:

• Plaster Your Walls with Festive Art: Frame Thanksgiving-themed prints inside simple black frames or picture boxes. This way you get an effect that’s both fun and refined — you want a look that’s thanky, not janky.
• Make a T-Day Tree: Who said holiday trees are only for Christmas? Make a Thanksgiving tree that will charm the pants off everyone who sees it. It doesn’t have to — and shouldn’t — look like a Christmas tree. One great idea is to get a tree (or create a tree-like centerpiece) with branches that have lost their leaves, which evokes a prepping-for-winter theme.
• Sweet Treats: That turkey piñata that you know you’re going to get? Fill it with all sorts of yummy fall-themed sweets, including candy corn and some of those special-edition pumpkin flavored chocolates and candies that pop up every year around this time.

Ready to celebrate Thanksgiving in NYC? Whether you have a spacious loft or a tiny studio, you can still host the perfect holiday soiree. And if you’re looking for Thanksgiving entertaining ideas — from playlist essentials to vegetarian-friendly feasting — we’ve got you covered.

Image Source: Flickr/Jon Masters

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