After a long summer week of
shuttling the kids to summer camp, starting your back-to-school shopping and
braving the triple digit heat, let’s face it—you need a date night. But what to
do? You’ve been to your neighborhood Italian place eight times this month and
you can’t decide on what movie to see, even after a coin flip. Thus, we’ve
gathered a few summery date night ideas to get you out of the house—and out of
the “dinner-and-a-movie” rut—and off on a new adventure with your main squeeze.
So book the babysitter and pull out your favorite pair of shoes, it’s date
night!
playgrounds and need to feel jazzy again? With amazing views of
at
offers Upstarts! on Monday nights: two sets a night, at
musicians perform with jazz veterans. With a discounted cover of $20 and a
minimum food/drink of $10 per table, you never know who may show up to
perform…past Monday performances have seen Wynton Marsalis (who graced the New York Family cover in November of 2009)
and Stevie Wonder take the stage.
Another
jazzy idea; channel your inner “Glee” (your kids aren’t there to be embarrassed,
after all!) and head to one of the city’s cabaret clubs that encourages the audience’s sing-along participation.
Two of our favorite cabaret sing-along joints are The Duplex
For Two: You have
watched “All My Children” since you were eight and minored in anatomy. Your
honey is a World War II buff and can quote every episode of “The Simpsons.” Put
these talents to use Wednesday nights at Trivia Night. Compete for prizes and
bragging rights at Common
Ground (check out the mouth-watering menu by executive chef Carolynn Spence, formerly
of Blue Smoke and The Spotted Pig) or Cornerstone Tavern.
couple or two? Tap into your inner Robert Langdon
(the protagonist from “The Da Vinci Code”) and contact Watson Adventures. The
company plans scavenger hunts indoors at museums or outdoors at places like the
the Met or The High Line at Sunset Scavenger Hunt and have a blast
testing your wits and solving clues.
together. The
of
wine tasting to basic knife skills to making ice cream.
Our favorites include Beyond Phat Thai: Great Thai Noodle and Rice
Dishes, Making and Decorating Birthday Cakes, and Barbecue and Wine: Matching
Grapes and Smoke.
driving range and hit a few on the four-level facility looking out onto the
$25, you get 147 balls (90 during peak hours) and practice for this weekend’s
round of 18. If one of you doesn’t play, turn it into a private lesson and; you
both may learn to love the game. A bite at Chelsea Brewing Company
is a “par-fect” end to the night.
have a picnic with children, it’s such a relaxing and pleasurable treat to have
an end-of-day-into-night picnic without them we encourage you to go for it
without the least bit of guilt. Even if convenience impels you to buy
pre-made sandwiches, just go for it. Here’s our list of choice picnic spots to move things
along.
Take A Stroll: It used to be that the
most romantic place for an evening stroll in the city was the promenade in
with its big open view of
downtown skyline. But ever since The High Line has opened, we’re not so sure
anymore. So have dinner in the Meatpacking District (at favorites like Spice Market or Pastis), and leave time for
a stroll on the High Line, which doesn’t close until
p.m.
doesn’t matter if you can or can’t when you check out one of these groovin’
free events. From July 28th to August 15th, Lincoln
Center will host its annual Out of Doors festival, featuring tons of free
musical, dance and theatrical performances to enjoy. On August 7th at
of the globe trotting trio the Balkan Beat Box ( who combine Balkan-Mediterranean
traditions, punk intensity and elements of electronica, jazz and hip hop to
achieve their global sound) and the marching band Mucca Pazza. After breaking a sweat, keep it going with
some hot eats at Dinosaur BBQ or Rack & Soul.
you haven’t played since college. All the more reason to grab a paddle at SPIN
York
owned by Academy Award winner (and fellow New York mom) Susan Sarandon, this
table tennis club is open to non-members and offers 16 tables, a restaurant,
and a bar. (Just a note: we’ve seen in the gossip columns that it’s sometimes
closed for swanky private events, so be sure to call ahead.)
Go Cruising: There’s nothing like a breezy, evening trip around the harbor to make you remember the beauty of our city. Statue Tours offers very reasonably priced tickets to its scenic, one-hour Liberty Harbor Tour. There are departure times throughout the day, but we recommenced the 7 p.m. trip so you can see the sunset above the city skyline. The cruise affords breathtaking views of sites like Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, Governors Island, Ground Zero and the Battery, and an hour-long audio tour of the city’s rich history.
F, N, or Q train all of the way to the last stop (Coney Island/Stillwell
Avenue) and watch the Brooklyn Cyclones take the field. Easy to get to and easy
on the wallet (only $16 for a field box seat). Check the team’s main
web site for this season’s schedule.
Movies Under The Stars: It’s no coincidence that the city is exploding with free outdoor movie nights in
wonderful settings like Bryant Park or Brooklyn Bridge Park; it’s a wonderful
experience (like a drive-in on grass). We compiled a list for families here,
but just go to the listings and pick the adult nights of your choice, and be sure to get there early! One more special tip on this front: if you haven’t heard Netflix sponsors outdoor movie nights set in hoods where the movies being
screened were originally shot. Two local (and free!) screenings we’re especially excited about? “On The Waterfront” in Hoboken on August 20th and “The Godfather Part II” in Little Italy on August 27th.
strike your fancy? Log onto the new ticket site Goldstar; with discount
tickets and reviews of all kinds of events, its listings are bound to inspire a
night of fun.
