Best Places to Go on a Date This Summer in NYC

We’re here to help you arrange some IRL date ideas to take it to the next level now that you’ve matched with a few cuties and are ready to go beyond messaging. Your besties may have even helped you construct that fantastic dating profile. Because there are still many methods to heat up your upcoming love encounter, even when it is the height of summer. here are the best places to go on a date this season in NYC, including live music beneath the stars, mini golf, disco roller skating in Central Park, and knot-tying workshops along New York Harbor.

Also Read: –Ways to Throw an Unforgettable Bachelorette Party in NYC

Pack a picnic with the help of top local eateries

Throughout summer
Various locations

A park hang out with a picnic is the ideal approach to enjoy the summertime and the urban vibes with your new love. This season, avoid a haphazard assortment of bites and let the experts worry about the specifics. Choose from The Four Seasons Hotel Downtown’s opulent basket of charcuterie and natural sodas, Wythe Hotel and Le Crocodile’s curated French menu, Uva Next Door’s authentic Italian fare, Edy’s Grocer’s customizable picnic basket, Agi’s Counter’s summary set of sandwiches and paprika chips, or Aquavit’s award-winning smörgsbord of favorites.

Price: Varies

Get your groove on and skate to your heart’s content

Throughout summer
Central Park

It’s time to reactivate your skates and demonstrate your best tricks, or just commiserate over your unsteadiness. The DiscOasis and Wollman Rink in Central Park have joined forces to present an immersive roller disco event (think copious amounts of glitter, art installations, and tunes curated by Grammy-winning producer Nile Rogers). If you need to rehearse your moves, sneak in some time during the daily skate programme. When night falls, take your date to “Disco After Dark” for skating pros’ theatrical performances, a separate dance floor, and lawn games. Through the Wollman Rink Access Program, the rink also offers first-come, first-served discounted ticket prices with an IDNYC or New York Public Library Card.

Cost: Tickets start at $19, plus $10 for skate rentals.

Jam out to live music under the stars

Throughout summer
Various locations

However, you can still enjoy live music without having to shout over loud music thanks to initiatives like Ellington in the Park. Rowdy concerts are rarely the best way to meet new people. On Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., enjoy street cuisine while listening to live music performed by regional musicians against the picturesque backdrop of the Hudson River. This summer will see the second iteration of the Music & Dance Festival on Little Island, a hip public park with hills that resembles an island. Enjoy Hudson River views while you rock out to concerts of percussion, R&B, and other genres in the 687-seat amphitheater. The festival showcases performers from all throughout the city, including tap dancer Maurice Chestnut and piano virtuoso Matthew Whitaker. It offers free events in addition to those that require tickets.

Price: Varies

Head to a nautical-themed pop-up with knot tying classes and waterside views

Throughout summer
FiDi

Take a day trip to the coast and enjoy Portside, a waterfront pop-up that recently opened at Brookfield Place’s Waterfront Plaza. The outdoor lounge offers beverages from the French restaurant Tartinery as well as a variety of activities like courses on knot tying and oyster shucking 101. For a particularly romantic evening, stay to enjoy the stunning sunset over New York Harbor.

Cost: Admission is free

Make your date spellbound with a reopened classic restaurant and nearby magic show

Throughout summer
Midtown

The Lambs Club, a historic establishment renowned for its ambiance, has returned and is now managed by renowned chef Michael White (Fiamma Osteria, Altamarea Group). The revamped restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in addition to a pre-theatre menu that includes classic cocktails and meals including crab salad, salmon, and strawberry cake. Once you’ve had your fill, take a short trip over to Lotte New York Palace to see the acclaimed magician Steve Cohen perform in his performance Chamber Magic. The performance takes place in the opulent Madison Room of the Palace and includes mind-reading, conjuring, and magic tricks.

General entry prices begin at $125.

Go for coffee (and candles)

Throughout summer
Nolita

Nothing is more traditional than going on a coffee date occasionally. Furthermore, at the just-opened ENLY, you may not only start a conversation over espresso, matcha, herbal teas from Devoción, and speciality drinks like their eye-catching Lavender Fizz, but the coffee bar and shop also specializes in hand-poured candles created with soy and coconut wax. Take in the exquisite scent flowing through the air in a contemporary setting that offers a relaxing serenity that is sure to do wonders for any first-date anxiety. Be sure to keep an eye on this intimate location because after-hours candle making lessons are anticipated in the future.

Cost: Admission is free

Try your hand at love.

During the summer
Numerous places

Perfect for a summer date, two new mini golf courses have opened. In Williamsburg, the William Vale Hotel opened a nine-hole outdoor mini golf course that features bright artwork by Brooklyn-based artist Jason Naylor. Swingers is a recently opened golf club in the middle of Manhattan with three nine-hole golf courses, gourmet street cuisine, six cocktail bars, and plenty of seats if you’re looking for something a little more retro. The setting is decorated like an English rural golf club from the 1920s, complete with flower gardens and swinging pendulums.

Price: Varies

Take a swing at love

Throughout summer
Various locations

If coffee is too casual and you aren’t quite ready for the magic show, dazzle your loved someone with charcuterie, an unquestionable favorite. Dickson’s Farmstand Meats, a beloved local butcher, has expanded to the lower level of Chelsea Market and now offers a brand-new concept called The Salumi Bar. In addition to a wine list and craft beer selection, the tasting bar offers an interactive experience with build-your-own charcuterie that includes cheese from Saxelby Cheesemongers, house-made cold cooked meats, and other goodies. Explore other locations after Chelsea Market, such as Artists & Fleas for vintage items, Pearl River Mart for Asian-inspired things, and Artechouse for their most recent Life of a Neuron exhibit.

Price: Varies

Keep it cheesy with a DIY charcuterie board

Throughout summer
Chelsea Market

New Yorkers are passionate supporters of their local sports teams. Discuss your fervent enthusiasm for the Staten Island FerryHawks, the newest home team in NYC, on your upcoming date. The baseball professionals, who name SIUH Community Park their home field, recently began their inaugural season with many victories already recorded. Keep up with the team’s schedule to secure tickets to their upcoming home game, and while you’re at the game, enjoy refreshments from neighborhood eateries and breweries.

Cost: Tickets start at $14.

Get cozy and watch a movie outside.

During the summer
Queens

Take your normal movie date to the next level by bringing a blanket, some snacks, and snagging a prime seat in front of the big screen at Hunter’s Point South Park, where the summer movie series CinemaLIC will be screening four films. Choose from top-grossing movies including Black Panther, Skyfall, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Encanto while splitting a side of Belgian fries from Ottomanelli’s, the on-site burger joint. At dusk, films start.

Cost: Admission is free

Score a homerun with Staten Island’s newest home team

Throughout summer
Staten Island

Other than dancing or getting a drink at a bar, there are many other ways to let loose. A two-hour, laid-back painting class filled with jovial music, laughter, and positive energy is called Paint N’ Pour. The programme features an open bar with fittingly named premium drinks such the Sistine Apple and Picasso Punch (rum, pineapple, orange juice, grenadine, and fresh citrus) (vodka, sour apple liqueur, and apples). Additionally, small appetizers like Cauliflower Bites, Shrimp Po’Boy Sliders, and others are on sale.

$50 for each ticket

Cuddle up and catch a flick outdoors

Throughout summer
Queens

Forge a connection over a frosty margarita at the Loreley Beer Garden to get away from the incessant commotion of New York City. With its Margarita Beach Club Saturdays, the Lower East Side bar has been converted into an island paradise for the summer. A variety of celebratory cocktails, including their famous Frosé Flamingos and Margarita Unicorns, which come in unique little floaties, will be served at the oasis, which will be decorated with a flower installation and beach-themed furnishings.

Free admission, although Resy reservations are advised.

Visit the first whiskey distillery in Manhattan since Prohibition.

until July 22
SoHo

It’s always a good idea to have whiskey on hand, and Great Jones Distilling Co. has you prepared. Take your next date on a one-hour tour of the first (legal) whiskey distillery since Prohibition to shake up the normal pub atmosphere. After that, grab a seat in the tasting room and sample the extensive menu of handcrafted dishes and drinks, including the Derby Day (bourbon, lemon, banana, grapefruit, and spiced honey).

Cost: Tickets start at $35.

Luxuriate in a Lower East Side tropical oasis

Through September 11
Lower East Side

Visit the observation deck and immersive experience at SUMMIT One Vanderbilt for a romantic date in the clouds. This experience will take you physically and intellectually above the bustle, complete with glass elevators that offer unmatched views of the city, a multi-sensory walk-through art installation (Air), sky boxes, and an observation deck. Visit Après, an indoor and outdoor bar from Union Square Events, to end your time together before leaving.

Cost: Ticket prices begin at $39