Fun and Intentional Date Ideas in NYC
New York City has so much to do, but going out to dinner or trying a new bar are almost always the go-to for date activites. The same thing can get old after a while (and expensive). Whether it’s a first date or your 20th, you deserve to look forward to it!
Planning intentional dates based on eachother’s interests, whether that’s cooking, comedy, art, running, or coffee, can show consideration and boost your connection. Intentional dates also don’t have to be expensive–free ones can show even more thought!
Here are some ideas to spice things up and make the most of all that the city has to offer–feel free to take what fits your relationship specifically and leave the rest!
Museums
American Museum of Natural History
Art:
The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
Whitney Museum of American Art
MET Date Nights: Visit the MET from 5-9pm on Fridays and Saturdays for romantic date nights with live music and two-for-one drink specials!
Immersive Exhibits:
Exercise
Hiking: Upstate New York (just an hour or two outside of the city has so many great options, like Cold Springs–with cute towns to explore too)
Walking or running around Central Park, East Side Highway, or West Side Highway
Workout class: yoga (OurStudio Wellness sometimes offers couples events), pilates, or even indoor surfing!
Walking the High Line
Shows
Comedy Shows: Comedy Cellar, The Stand
Broadway Shows
Magic Shows: Speakeasy Magik, The Magician
Concerts/Live Music
Outdoors
Farmer’s Markets: Union Square Greenmarket, Rigor Hill Market, Tompkins Square Greenmarket, Chelsea Market, Tribeca Saturday Market
Picnic in Central Park
Thrift store hopping
Nights In
Cooking eachother’s favorite dishes (if you’re feeling up for an extra challenge, you can try an at-home Chopped night!)
Taking turns picking a restaurant (or food at Trader Joes) for an appetizer, entree, dessert, and drink
Game night– your favorite games or you can try out something like We’re Not Really Strangers: Couples Edition
Movie night watching eachother’s all-time favorite movies
Arts & Crafts
Art Cafe: Happy Medium offers reservations at their art cafe and fun workshops!
Food/Drink
Chinatown food crawl
A matcha tour: 12 Matcha, Matcha House, Kijitora, Kettl, Matchaful, Maiko Matcha
Drink Gishiki (Instagram: @drinkgishiki) plans creative events around matcha like matcha & pottery and vision board making!
Speakeasy tour
Bakery hopping
Bagel crawl: Leon’s, Apollo, PopUp, Russ & Daughters, Tompkins Square, Liberty (and much more)
Cooking class: Class Bento offers a variety of options, or Aunt Jake’s Pasta House offers a fun and affordable pasta making experience
Reflection
When choosing intentional dates, it can help to think about some of the following:
What do you feel like is missing in your dates or hasn’t been working?
What do you and your partner like to do for fun?
What might push the two of you out of your comfort zones?
Is there something that one of you have mentioned before that could translate to a date?
What excites you?
What about your partner do you want to learn more about?
What would make you feel closer?
Final Takeaway
Dating and planning dates should be fun, and personalized to you and your partner! If you feel in a dating rut (or want to prevent one), choosing spontaneous and meaningful date activities can really bring the two of you closer, reignite the spark, and rekindle excitement in dating.
If you want to learn more about dating intentionally, check out these blogs or schedule a free consultation with a therapist here at Gluck Psychology Collective.
Thinking About Starting Therapy?
If you’re considering therapy, we’d love to support you.
Submit a contact form or email us at hello@gluckcollective.com to get started.
Feel free to explore our services menu and specialties to see if we click.
At Gluck Psychology Collective, we offer in-person and virtual therapy across NYC for anxiety, burnout, relationships, life transitions, trauma, self-worth, and identity development.
If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Let’s talk about it.
