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Usually when you meet someone, whether a dating app or through mutual friends, the first date is typically meeting up for a drink to get to know one another. If you two hit it off, well then, as they say, the rest is history. Dates start to become the norm for you and your crush. New York City offers plenty of fun things to do together as a couple that isn’t your typical dinner date. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy going out on dinner dates– a girl’s gotta eat. However, New York offers so many fun things to do that date ideas are endless. From museums to Broadway Shows to free events in Central Park, dating in New York is easy to do… it’s finding someone to go on the date with you that is the hard part.
Dating can carry a lot of pressure; what to wear, where to go, is there chemistry between you and your date, is your date having fun, and so on. Although evening dates are the norm, there is something to be said for a day date or early evening. There is automatically less pressure because day dates feel and are more casual. I always suggest going on a day date at the beginning of a relationship because this is where you can have fun with someone by just hanging out with them, acting like friends. Here are a few cute and stressless day date ideas to do in NYC.
A fun, casual day date idea is to attend one of the many Smorgasburgs offered in NYC. From Brooklyn to the World Trade Center, head over to the festival and eat your way through the food vendors. Smorgasburgs are a fun way to get to know your potential BF/GF while taste-testing new foods and stuffing your face. And if you are someone like me who has a food intolerance (gluten), going somewhere that offers a variety of foods can satisfy both you and your date. I can’t tell you how stressful it can be to go on a dinner date when you are not sure if you can eat anything on the menu and you don’t want to opt for a salad. Having a variety of foods in a stressfree environment will keep pressure off of your date.
Jane’s Carousel and Time Out Market
Have fun on your date by heading to Dumbo to feel like a kid again. Ride the Jane’s Carousel a few times, it’s only cost $2! You may want to start the date by walking the Brooklyn Bridge then hop on the merry-go-round for an enjoyable time. Having a nostalgic experience together will lighten things up. Afterward, grab dinner and drinks at the new Times Out Market. With 21 different eateries and 3 bars, I am sure you and your date can find something delicious to eat while getting to know each other.
The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers
Listen I am not much of a golf player. I haven’t played golf or have been to the driving range in almost 10 years, but that wouldn’t stop me from enjoying rounds of hitting golf balls. Maybe you yourself are a golf pro and want to impress your date by showing your skills, or this can be a great opportunity for your date to teach you and for you to try something new. After a round or two, you can head into Chelsea to grab dinner and drinks. Or maybe you stay at the pier, The Chelsea Piers offers plenty of activities that you and your date can do.
Want to play games while listening to jazz music? The Fat Cat in West Village is a casual, fun date idea. Have a few drinks and listen to a jazz trio playing while challenging each other to a game of ping pong or foosball. Then see if you are still in a relationship after a loss. It’s a casual, fun time where you can play games and relax. Having an activity to do will automatically bring the fun to the date without having to worry about entertaining your significant other. It will also take away your date jitters and give you something to focus on.