17 Unusual Date Ideas to Try in New York City

Do you want a sure way to raise your mate’s heart rate? Join them for a scenic run or free fitness class. Congratulations, you’ve now earned that post-dinner date dessert!

Discover a shared passion (or at the very least, create a great “first date” story) at one of Bryant Park’s unique programs, which include free language classes, photography workshops, and beekeeping talks.

Book two tickets (and earn major cool cred in the process) to a Sofar Sounds show, where a secret lineup of musicians take over unexpected locations around New York City.

Find out if you’re fated to be together at Magic Jewelry, a cult-favorite Chinatown spot providing aura photography, readings, and plenty to ponder over date-night dim sum.

Whether you and your partner are fans of frights, superheroes, or history, New York has a walking tour for you. With a little pre-date research, you can explore a common interest and the city at once.

There’s more to theater in New York City than the Great White Way. Take a gamble on one of the city’s off- or off-off-Broadway shows. (It will either be a pleasant surprise or excellent post-show conversation material.)

See your city in a brand new light by playing tourists for a day. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, ascend the Empire State Building, or tour the Rink at Rockefeller Center. Go on—we won’t tell.

Have you dared to sample Chinatown’s smelliest fruit? Schlepped to south Brooklyn for the most iconic Italian food in New York City? Turn date night into an adventure by exploring New York’s hidden corners.

Roosevelt Island, that is. Hop aboard the Roosevelt Island Tram, which provides stunning aerial views of Manhattan, Queens, and more before depositing riders on Roosevelt Island, the ideal New York City site for a picturesque picnic.

Chances are that you’ve both already meandered around the Met (likely on previous dates). Venture beyond Museum Mile in favor of fresher entertainment, such as the Museum of Sex, the Met Cloisters, or the Brooklyn Museum.

Combining a fitness class, dance party, and intention-setting session, Daybreaker will earn you a second date before most people have even snoozed their morning alarm.

They say the path to a lover’s heart is through their stomach. If that’s the case (and even if it isn’t), Smorgasburg is an ideal destination for your next day date. Satisfy your appetite for amor and adventure with out-there eats such as ramen burgers, churro ice cream sandwiches, and banana coffee.

Find out why city-meets-country entertainment is all the rage right now in New York at elevated escapes such as Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farms and the High Line, as well as “floating food forest” Swale.

It’s a classic for a reason! Reinvigorate a traditional date-night formula with help from dine-in theaters such as Syndicated and Nitehawk Cinema, where gourmet entrées, beers, wines, and liquors, and screenings of your favorite films are all on the menu.

In a food-obsessed city like New York, the hottest ticket in town isn’t to any show, but to one of the many local supper club events. From 17-course dinners to five-figure price tags, your best dinner-date destination yet is one you’ve never heard of.

Style-savvy duos will get a kick (or a pair of kicks) by embarking on a thrift shopping crawl around New York City. Choose a neighborhood such as Williamsburg or Manhattan’s East Village, and let the fashion show—and romance—begin.

A couple who laughs lasts. This date night, put the pressure to be funny on someone else at one of the city’s most side-splitting comedy shows.