Don’t worry, it’s not too late to pull out a lovely Valentine’s evening at the last minute.
As a matter of fact, a fun and spontaneous evening is preferred to many partners over the conventional flowers, chocolates, and pre-fixe dinners in crowded restaurants.
New York City is your oyster this Friday night and there’s plenty of pearls that will be missed by troves of couples that choose to stick with a traditional date.
Although the weather is anticipated to be chilly this Valentine’s Day, a dry day and night is in the forecast — which keeps many options open for scenic views, drives, walking short distances from place to place and so many more out of the box ideas for a lovely time.
So just in case you’ve **hypothetically** forgotten that Valentine’s Day is Friday, here is the amNewYork Metro guide to a Valentine’s Day evening of no restaurant reservations, no hassle, and no significant other that feels forgotten!
Hold off on the meal until later in the night
There’s nothing wrong with a quick slice of pizza to hold you two over before having a true meal later on in the evening. Let’s be honest, nothing impresses a hot date like picking a slice from the amNewYork Metro pizza guide.
Given that a majority of NYC couples will be in restaurants and bars from roughly 6-9 p.m., that means plenty of other non-food activities which tend to be crowded on Friday nights will likely be a little more spacious.
This is one of the best times to try to get into a sky scraper’s observation desk, particularly the World Trade Center. While that technically requires tickets bought in advance for a time, there usually isn’t an issue with literally buying them on your phone outside of the tower’s lobby.
If you’re looking for a more active and adventurous night, there’s some options there as well
For couples that have been counting the days until pitchers and catchers report, a Valentine’s Day batting cage session at Chelsea Piers could be very ideal.
(Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
After working up a well-earned appetite, walk up towards Hudson Yards, take a cute photo by the vessel, and enter into the shopping district for some late night and fulfilling food since many restaurants stay open until 10 p.m. or later.
(Alex Mitchell)
As for some fun in the outer boroughs, there’s seldom dates more fun than karaoke in Koreatown or bumper cars on ice at Aviator in South Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field.
This one does require a pre-purchase, but there’s still plenty of open slots for this frozen gem.
This also provides first daters a cute way to share some initial laughs while giving more seasoned ones a healthy way to outlet pent up frustration and hostility towards one another.
After that and playing a few arcade games, take a few minutes to stargaze while inside your warm car in the massive Floyd Bennett Filed parking lot, since the sky is predicted to remain clear this Friday.
Nearby comfort food join Roll n’ Roaster could also make for a great, authentic night cap since it’s open until 1 a.m.
Which brings us to the next part of the guide…
Get cute and cozy over the city’s best late night bites
These make some of the best meals to get to know someone over, especially after a night of fun and laughing.
If you’re looking for something more on the upscale side, try the 24/7 French bouchon L’Express on Park Avenue — it’s romantic and delicious.
For sit-down Chinese food open until 4 a.m. head to 39 Kings Cafe in Flushing, take some green tea to go as well.
Meanwhile down the route of (more) pizza, Bleecker Street Pizza stays open until 2 a.m.
There’s also the classic ever so classic NYC diner
Cozy Soup n’ Burger downtown, Neptune Diner in Astoria, and Kellogg’s Diner in Williamsburg are all classic examples of where a nonchalant, yet romantic late night meal could be enjoyed this Friday.
So if Valentine’s Day was just slightly off your radar this year, don’t fret. There’s plenty of opportunities throughout the city to have an authentic, unique evening that you and your partner will remember very fondly.
