From dinner and drinks to walks through one of New York City’s fantastic parks, there are countless options when it comes to planning a date night in The Big Apple.
So, whether you’re living in NYC or visiting from out of town with your significant other, here are some great ideas from locals for the best places to go on a date in New York City.
Top New York City Date Ideas According To Locals
Go on a picnic
If you want to skip the restaurant chairs, planning a picnic at one of NYC’s many parks is a great alternative to a restaurant date.
Of course, Central Park is the most obvious option for a picnic destination in New York, but there are lots of lesser-known parks you could consider.
For example, you could head over to Astoria Park in Queens. Or, you might choose to check out the 172-acre Governors Island, located right between Brooklyn and Manhattan.
In terms of food for your NYC picnic, there are endless options. You could grab some ready-to-go meals from one of the plethora of NYC restaurants or street vendors, or you could stock up on charcuterie at Eataly or any other of NYC’s plentiful international markets.
Walk the High Line
The High Line is another public park/greenway/elevated trail in New York that’s great if you and your date are the active types.
Built on top of a 1.45-mile-long section of former elevated railway in Manhattan, the High Line gives you a unique perspective of the city from a different level.
Although it only opened in 2009, the High Line has become an example of modern urban landscape architecture. The park has skilfully converted an unused piece of industrial-era railway into an urban oasis that attracts millions of visitors every year.
Drink beer outside at the Standard Biergarten
The Standard Biergarten is a German-style beer garden conveniently located underneath the High Line.
Despite being outdoors, the beer garden is perfect for a date night any time of the year, as it’s fully heated in the winter.
Of course, the beer is the main attraction, but the Standard also serves up traditional German bar food, including pretzels and sausages.
If you and your date are in the mood for some competition, you can also take advantage of one of the beer garden’s several ping pong tables.
Book a food tour
New York City is one of the best cities in the world for foodies, and what better way to appreciate that than to go on a food tour?
All you have to do is Google “NYC food tour” to pull up tons of different options.
Depending on your mood, you might choose something like a romantic Italian food tour of Little Italy. Or, you might decide to sample all the flavors of Chinatown.
No matter what type of international food you have a craving for or what neighborhood you want to see more of, there’s likely a food tour that’s perfect for you and your date.
Catch a movie (and a view) at the Skyline Drive-in
Going to a movie is a pretty standard date night option, but there’s nothing standard about the Skyline Drive-in.
The Skyline Drive-in offers an experience that you won’t find anywhere else — watching a movie drive-in-style with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline in the background.
If you don’t have a car, don’t sweat it, the Skyline also offers outdoor seating for pedestrians, cyclists, scooterists, and people inclined towards arriving on any other type of wheeled transportation.
Take a sunset cruise
Sunsets are pretty romantic, right? For the best, most romantic view of New York’s skyline at sunset, hop on board a sunset cruise.
There’s something about being on the water as the sun goes down and NYC gets bathed in that magical golden hour light that’s bound to make you and your date cozy up to one another.
You can catch sunset cruises at Chelsea Piers, from where you’ll cruise across New York Harbor and take in views of the city, as well as sights like the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Climb to the top of the Empire State Building
There’s a reason the iconic Empire State Building is one of the top travel destinations in the United States — it’s just plain impressive.
You and your date can recreate classic romantic scenes from Hollywood films like Sleepless in Seattle and An Affair To Remember by heading to the viewing platform on the Empire State Building’s 86th floor.
Seeing New York from so high up gives you a whole different perspective on the city, no matter what time of day you choose to go.
If you go in the evening from Thursday to Sunday, you can even catch live saxophone music in the viewing room.
Explore Chelsea Market
Chelsea Market is considered one of NYC’s most iconic culinary destinations.
You and your date could spend hours here sampling the different culinary offerings and exploring the huge retail space for fresh produce and other goods to take home.
You could even stock up here for a romantic dinner-and-a-movie night at home or at your vacation rental!
