Date ideas in NYC: 16 things to do on a date in New York

• Budgetfree
• Best forfirst date
• Time1 to 2 hours
• WhereChelsea and Meatpacking District

The High Line is a park built on an old elevated railway, running above the streets on the West Side. You get gardens, art and views down the avenues, and at the southern end it's a short walk to Little Island, a park on concrete "tulips" floating in the Hudson. Walking side by side keeps things easy, and there's always something to talk about.

Tip: Start near Hudson Yards and walk south so you end at Little Island for sunset. The West Village is next door if you want to turn it into dinner.

• Budgetfree
• Best forfirst date, any season
• WhereBethesda Terrace and Bow Bridge

Central Park is big enough that every visit can be different. For a first date, aim for the classic heart of it: the Mall with its tree-lined path, Bethesda Terrace and Fountain and Bow Bridge over the Lake. Street musicians often play under the terrace arcade, which makes for a nice moment.

Tip: Bring coffee and plan a loop instead of a destination. If it goes well, the Upper West Side or Upper East Side are right there for a drink.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forfirst or second date, any weather
• WhereNinth Avenue, Chelsea

This old biscuit factory is now an indoor food hall with dozens of vendors. Sharing small bites is a low-stakes first date: you choose together, you swap tastes and nobody has to commit to a long dinner. It's right below the High Line, so you can combine the two.

Tip: Each of you picks one thing the other has to try without telling them what it is. Weekday afternoons are calmer than weekends.

• Budgetfree
• Best forromantic, day date
• Timeabout 1 hour
• WhereManhattan to Brooklyn

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan gives you the skyline behind you and Brooklyn ahead. On the other side, DUMBO's cobblestone streets lead down to Brooklyn Bridge Park, where the view of the Manhattan Bridge framed by old warehouses is famous for a reason.

Tip: Walk early in the morning or around sunset to avoid the worst crowds. Grab pizza or ice cream in DUMBO and find a spot by the water.

• Budgetfree
• Best forcheap date, romantic
• WhereWhitehall Terminal, Lower Manhattan

The Staten Island Ferry is free and runs around the clock. The ride passes the Statue of Liberty and gives you a view of Lower Manhattan from the water that tourists pay good money for. It's a commuter boat, which somehow makes it even more charming.

Tip: Stand on the right side going to Staten Island for the best view of the Statue. Most people simply ride straight back, which is the best part anyway.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forromantic, warm months
• WhereLoeb Boathouse, Central Park

Rowing a boat past Bow Bridge with skyscrapers peeking over the trees is a classic New York date, and for good reason. It's a little teamwork, a lot of laughing when you zigzag and a view you'll both remember. Boat rentals usually run from spring to fall.

Tip: Take turns rowing. Late afternoon has the softest light, and weekdays mean shorter lines.

• Budgetfree
• Best forevening, Brooklyn
• WhereWilliamsburg waterfront

Built on the site of the old Domino Sugar Refinery, this park on the East River has hammocks, a raised walkway and a postcard view of the Williamsburg Bridge and Midtown. Watching the skyline light up from here makes a simple evening feel special.

Tip: Bring a snack or pick something up on the way through Williamsburg. Stay until the lights come on across the river.

• Budgetlow
• Best forplayful, short date
• WhereEast 59th Street to Roosevelt Island

This aerial tram floats over the East River next to the Queensboro Bridge and costs the same as a subway ride. A few minutes in the air give you an unusual view of Midtown, and Roosevelt Island itself is quiet and green, with a park at its southern tip.

Tip: Go at dusk and walk to the southern end of the island for a view of the Manhattan skyline across the water.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forrainy day, curious
• WhereFifth Avenue, Upper East Side

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is so big you could visit every weekend for a year and not see it all. For a date, choose a few highlights, like the Temple of Dendur, and let yourselves drift. The rooftop garden, when it's open in the warmer months, adds a view over Central Park.

Tip: Play "museum detectives": each person finds the strangest object in one gallery and the other has to guess why it's there. Check the website for current admission rules.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forthird date, romantic
• Timehalf a day
• WhereFort Tryon Park, Upper Manhattan

Part of the Met, the Cloisters is a museum of medieval art built from pieces of European monasteries, set high above the Hudson. Quiet gardens, stone archways and views of the Palisades make it feel like you've left the city altogether.

Tip: Combine it with a walk through Fort Tryon Park. It's a long subway ride, so make the journey part of the date.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forrainy day, nerdy
• WhereUnion Square and Midtown

The Strand bookstore has been on Broadway near Union Square for decades and is famous for its "18 miles of books." Set a challenge to find each other a book under a small budget. Then head to Grand Central Terminal, look up at the painted ceiling and try the Whispering Gallery near the Oyster Bar: stand in opposite corners and whisper into the wall.

Tip: Write a short note inside the book you buy for your date. It's a souvenir that lasts longer than the rain.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forsecond or third date
• WhereSeventh Avenue South, Greenwich Village

The Village Vanguard has been a jazz institution since the 1930s, a small basement room where legends have recorded live albums. The music carries the evening, so you don't need to fill every silence, and you'll have plenty to talk about afterwards.

Tip: Reserve ahead for popular sets. Afterwards, wander the West Village streets, which are especially pretty at night.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forsecond date, fun
• WhereMacDougal Street and around

New York's comedy clubs are where many famous comedians test new material, and the Comedy Cellar on MacDougal Street is the best known. Laughing together is one of the fastest ways to feel at ease, and an hour of stand-up gives you plenty to quote later.

Tip: Sit away from the front row unless you're both happy to be part of the show. Book in advance for weekend nights.

• Budgetsplurge
• Best forspecial occasion, anniversary
• WhereTheater District, Midtown

Seeing a show on Broadway is the big gesture of New York dating. Lights, music and the buzz of Times Square on the way out make it feel like an occasion, which is perfect for an anniversary or a third date that deserves something more.

Tip: Look into digital lotteries and rush tickets for some shows, or the discount booth in Times Square. Pick a show neither of you has seen.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forsummer, playful
• Timehalf a day
• WhereConey Island, Brooklyn

Take the subway to the end of the line and you'll find a beach, a boardwalk and a historic amusement area with the Wonder Wheel and the wooden Cyclone roller coaster. It's loud, a bit cheesy and exactly the kind of day that produces your favorite photos.

Tip: Ride the Wonder Wheel at sunset and grab a classic hot dog on the boardwalk. The amusement parks are usually open from spring to fall.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forwinter, cozy
• WhereRockefeller Center, Bryant Park, Central Park

In winter there are usually rinks at Rockefeller Center, in Bryant Park and in Central Park. Bryant Park's Winter Village usually adds a holiday market around the rink. Holding hands on the ice is easy to justify, and the department store windows along Fifth Avenue make for a free festive walk afterwards.

Tip: Go on a weekday evening to avoid the longest lines. Hot chocolate afterwards is not optional.