If You’re Looking For Adventure…
Get your heart pumping with a sports-themed adventure. You’ll have a newfound love for your partner once he survives a high-flying trapeze ride. At the Trapeze School of New York, you can learn to fly 23 feet off the ground (newyork.trapezeschool.com)! Prefer to stay closer to earth? Cheer each other on as you climb the 30-foot replica of the Brooklyn Bridge at Brooklyn Boulders (brooklynboulders.com). If competition is what makes the sparks fly, reserve a table at Wang Chen’s Table Tennis Club, where you can bond over an intense ping-pong match (wangchenttc.com). Or, put a little more power behind your swing at The Baseball Center of New York (thebaseballcenter.com). For a more laid-back sports date, bond over a bucket of balls at the driving range at The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers on the Hudson River (chelseapiers.com).
If You Like To Bond Over Arts & Culture…
The city’s museums, art galleries, performance spaces and other cultural venues offer up plenty of opportunities for education, reflection, and yes, romance. Couples who like to get in the groove can learn African dance moves in a beginner’s class at Djoniba Dance Centre in the East Village (djoniba.com). Or, sit back and enjoy free, live music from around the world over dinner and a glass of wine at BAM Café, Brooklyn Academy of Music’s beautiful, starry-ceilinged performance space (performances are on Friday and Saturday evenings) (bam.org). February is a great time to visit the Japan Society, where English speakers can catch a subtitled version of Kenji Misumi’s breakthrough 1962 film, “Destiny’s Son,” running through February 19. Afterward, relax in the institution’s Japanese bamboo garden, replete with a serene waterfall (japansociety.org). Last, if you haven’t been to The Cloisters yet, now’s a great time. While the gardens aren’t in bloom, the building’s winding passageways and underground rooms—filled with statues, furniture, and the famous Unicorn Tapestries— make for a romantic escape from the cold (metmuseum.org/cloisters).
If You Want To Fall In Love Like A Tourist…
Instead of retiring to your apartment for the night, why not hire a sitter and return in the morning? Visitors come from around the world to stay in New York’s hotels, and you can, too. It’s a great way to relax, catch up with each other, and order room service! You can find great deals on city hotels on sites like tripadvisor.com and expedia.com. A few hotels worth noting: the Library Hotel, where each room is adorned with books dedicated to one of the Dewey Decimal System categories—there’s also an onsite reading room, poetry garden, and a Writer’s Den with fireplace; the Mandarin Oriental at the Time Warner Center, where every room features a breathtaking view of Central Park (there’s even an on-site spa!); and The Inn at Irving Place, two converted townhouses featuring elegant rooms adorned with stunning antiques. The hotel is so hush-hush that its name isn’t even on the door (innatirving.com).
If You’d Like To Tickle Your Taste Buds…
Why share just one romantic dinner, when you can take a cooking class and learn to feed each other for a lifetime? For those who are a bit wary of the kitchen, a “One Pot, One Pan” or “Simple Suppers” class at The Social Table (thesocialtable.com) may be just the right fit. More advanced chefs may like an evening class at the Institute of Culinary Education (iceculinary.com), where you can chop your way through any cuisine, from vegetarian cooking to the foods of Imperial Rome. Or, grab an apron and discover the fine art of French pastry in the Valentine’s Day Treats Workshop on February 13 at the French Institute Alliance Fran%uFFFDse, taught by French pastry chef Sylvie Berger (fiaf.org). Finally, escape the city for an afternoon to learn about winemaking with tastings, tours and romantic walks in the vineyards of Long Island (elegantwinetoursli.com).
If The Kids Are Along For The Ride…
If leaving the kids at home is not an option, you can still have a memorable date with the whole family. Revisit some of your favorite childhood games at Dave & Buster’s in Times Square, or grab a drink at the bar while the kids challenge each other to a game of Skeeball or Dance Dance Revolution (daveandbusters.com). If bowling is more your speed, host a match at Bowlmor Lanes in Union Square (bowlmor.com). Or take your cue from “Sleepless in Seattle” and head to the top of the Empire State Building (remember, the kid was there, too—and it was still romantic!) (esbnyc.com). Everyone can experience the magic of the stars at the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium, where science buffs of all ages will be wowed by the show “Journey to the Stars,” narrated by Whoopi Goldberg (amnh.org). Finally, when’s the last time you joined the kids on the ice? Try bundling up the whole family for a trip to Wollman Rink in Central Park. What better way to hold hands with the ones you love the most (wollmanskatingrink.com)?
Or, sit back and enjoy free, live music from around the world over dinner and a glass of wine at BAM Café, Brooklyn Academy of Music’s beautiful, starry-ceilinged performance space (performances are on Friday and Saturday evenings) (bam.org). February is a great time to visit the Japan Society, where English speakers can catch a subtitled version of Kenji Misumi’s breakthrough 1962 film, “Destiny’s Son,” running through February 19. Afterward, relax in the institution’s Japanese bamboo garden, replete with a serene waterfall (japansociety.org). Last, if you haven’t been to The Cloisters yet, now’s a great time. While the gardens aren’t in bloom, the building’s winding passageways and underground rooms—filled with statues, furniture, and the famous Unicorn Tapestries— make for a romantic escape from the cold (metmuseum.org/cloisters).
