10 creative date ideas

A friend of mine just asked me to come up with a list of creative and fun date ideas for him and his wife...so I figured I'd post this list for all of my readers to enjoy since (if I do say so myself) this is a pretty great list!  Here you go...


1.)  Skating and dinner The Standard hotel has opened up a small skating rink!  You can rent skates there, get on the ice and maybe even take a walk along the highline after.  If you can go for sunset would be AWESOME!  Then grab dinner at the Biergarten (they serve beer and sausages) OR make a reservation at the Standard Grill (I’ve eaten there and really enjoyed the food and the scene).
The Standard Ice Rink
848 Washington Street, at West 13th street
212.645.4646
$12 for adults, $6 for children and $3 skate rentals.
On-on-one instructors are $25 for 30 minutes; skates included

2.)   Bowling:  So this doesn’t sound creative at all BUT this Brooklyn Bowl place is supposed to be AMAZING!  They play awesome music while you bowl and the food and drinks that they serve are by Blue Ribbon (Adam and I LOVE this restaurant!!). http://www.brooklynbowl.com/bowl

OR this sounds pretty awesome too!  Deep fried Twinkies...woah!!  HA!!!
Floyd It only takes two to play bocce, and the 40-foot clay court devoted to the Italian version of bowling is the main draw at this vast bourbon bar. Players waiting their turn can sink into antique couches and order the Crap-a-copia (an assorted six-pack of beer, $13) and a spread of Kentucky Beer Cheese and crackers ($4). Or pick up potpies ($11) and deep-fried Twinkies ($3.50) from neighboring Chip Shop (129 Atlantic Ave between Clinton and Henry Sts, Brooklyn Heights; 718-855-7774, chipshopnyc.com). 131 Atlantic Ave between Henry and Clinton Sts, Brooklyn Heights (718-858-5810, floydny.com)

3.)   Cooking class:  So I’ve taken classes at ICE.  It’s AMAZING there but not necessarily romantic...maybe you could call to see if they could do a private cooking class or something?  That would be cool! http://rec.iceculinary.com/

4.)  This place sounds really interesting and romantic! The Bar Next Door at La Lanterna Vittorio (Greenwich Village) Bar / Lounge, Jazz
129 MacDougal St, Basement (btwn W 3rd St & W 4th St), West side of street; 212.529.5945 Notes: Small jazz lounge in the basement of La Lanterna Vittorio, features live jazz sets every night of the week, cozy and intimate space with a small bar, tables for two and banquettes lining the wall, full menu available from the restaurant upstairs, order a dessert and/or some wine and enjoy the music, How to find it: Walk down the stairs in front of La Lanterna to the basement level room, but if there is no access, ask the host/ess inside how to get down there through the restaurant.

5.)   Jimmy Fallon Show – this would be SO COOL!!  Here’s the link for tickets...You need to call and you can try to get tickets for up to one month in advance...I just called to see if I could get tix...they said they are sold out for now but if you call on Monday they will be opening up seats for the second week of May!! http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/about/tickets/

6.)  Bingo - This sounds absolutely hilarious!!  I must go to this place...brilliant idea! Dirty bingo and a late-night bistro Erect penises and the big O aren’t fodder for winning patterns at most church-basement gambling parlors. Too bad for them: At Provençal restaurant Paradou’s Dirty Bingo soirée (8 Little W 12th St between Ninth and Tenth Aves; 212-463-8345; Tue 23 8pm, $4 per game), these racy variations—along with saucy prizes from high-end erotica boutique Kiki de Montparnasse—spice up the lucky-balls pastime. Pairs of cards run $4 per game, while $5 champagne-cocktail specials ensure that you won’t blow your wad too early. A late-night supper awaits at Gansevoort 69 (69 Gansevoort St between Greenwich and Washington Sts; 212-989-5779), a street away. Chow down on the bistro-comfort food like mac & cheese ($9) or the seared Tuna LT sandwich ($13).

7.)   Comedy show – Adam and I sometimes go to the shows at this place and LOVE it!  The comedians are hysterical!  You could go to Minetta Tavern for dinner before or after...a VERY cool spot right down the street.  You need a res for both places... http://www.comedycellar.com/
http://www.minettatavernny.com/

8.)  I kinda love the dance idea even though she already suggested it...so manybe you could make it totally funky like this idea...off the walk – sounds so fun! Tango and Pakistani food We could go on about how tango inspires la pasión in the unlikeliest of folks, but we all know it’s true. For an eve packed with serious cheek-to-cheek action, try Lafayette Grill & Bar’s Monday night sessions (54–56 Franklin St between Broadway and Lafayette St; 212-732-5600, lafayettegrillandbar.net; 7pm–1am, $10), which include an hour-long beginner’s lesson and four-and-a-half hours of deejayed tunes. After your Buenos Aires–style hoedown, cool your heels at subcontinental spot Pakistan Tea House (176 Church St between Duane and Reade Sts; 212-240-9800) five streets away. Though it’s only a counter and a smattering of tables, it’s a must for foodies. Display your culinary prowess by asking for mango lassis ($6), baked-to-order naan ($2 for two pieces) and chicken curry ($14 for two). Then linger over paper cups of chai ($2 for two) and rasmulai ($5 for two)—a milky cheese pudding—before further astonishing your sweetie by easily conjuring up a cab.

9.)  As for the boat idea...this sounds like a GREAT way to go! Grey Dog’s Coffee and Downtown Boathouse Breakfast is to morning as protection is to sex: You wouldn’t dare get going without it, would you? Jump-start an early date with brunch in the West Village at the cozy Grey Dog’s Coffee (90 University Pl between 11th and 12th Sts; 212-414-4739, thegreydog.com). Carbo-load to your heart’s content with the bagel-and-lox platter ($10.95) or the challah French toast served with fresh fruit ($9.75). Avoid slipping into a food coma by walking to the Downtown Boathouse at Pier 40 (hudsonriverpark.org) and becoming one with the Hudson—and your date—in a kayak. The aqua-loving staff offers free paddling tutorials (complete with paddles and boat). If you’re lucky, you can convince them to hum the Love Boat theme as you and your date drift away.

10.)  Mini golf – this sounds super cute! Mini golf and a beer garden on Randalls Island If you want a typical summer date in the city, you can hit up an outdoor concert or take in a rooftop movie, but more-daring daters should head to Randalls Island (hear us out before you laugh). Walk across the footbridge from East 103rd Street to the Golf Center (1 Randalls Island; 212-427-5689, randallsislandgolfcenter.com), where you can putt-putt around for only $6 per game. The course is tougher than it looks—with rock caves and nearly impossible angles—so bring your A-game. You’ll have worked up an appetite (golf really is a sport!), so refuel with lager and burgers (just $13 for both) at the Beer Garden and Bar. The nearby batting cages provide a free snack-time show as patrons take their best shots. It’s a date straight out of suburbia, without the tunnel traffic.



*Note I turned to Time Out New York online for several of these ideas.  A great resource for what to do, where to eat, etc., in New York City!