You guys know by now that were always willing to do your dating homework for you. Weve covered you before with actually great date ideas, rooftop dates, and date spots by subway line. So go ahead and crib off this ultimate cheat sheet -- wherever your date lives or works, you can find a fun place for a date near them. (Or make it convenient for you! Or pick the place most directly in-between! Were not going to tell you how to live your life. Except that we kind of are.)Alphabet CityAce BarRemember that great skee-ball scene in Chasing Amy' You can reenact it here, hopefully with fewer surprising revelations! This place makes for a great first date if you want to avoid all of the so-where-did-you-grow-up questions in favor of getting competitive over bar games.AstoriaMuseum of the Moving ImageA movie museum is the kind of museum even non-museum-goers can get into: they curate a great pairing of high and low culture here, so youre pretty much definitely going to find something youre interested in.BoweryThe Bowery BallroomOK, going to a show may not be great for a first date, but if youre on date three, or five, or 17, its a solid plan. Clearly which band youre seeing matters the most, but the venue definitely factors in as well; you wouldnt want to take a date to a show at the antiseptic Barclays Center, but you definitely want to take them to The Bowery Ballroom. Its a fairly intimate space, and besides, if you get bored with the band, you can just head to the bar downstairs.BushwickBoobie TrapTaking your date to a boobs-themed bar might seem counterintuitive, but this punk dive is so playful (and lady-owned) that the second you set foot inside, youll both feel totally relaxed. Plus, its got the trifecta of board games, barbeque, and cheap beer. And you can color scantily clad ladies with crayons while you get your drink on.Carroll GardensLeyendaStar bartender Ivy Mix makes this Brooklyn hotspot the best space in the borough for cocktails. Try the pisco-based Hey Suze (it somehow includes sugar snap peas -- which might not sound yummy, but is actually spectacular). Plus, salted almond chocolate churros, yall.ChelseaThe Golf Club at Chelsea PiersA driving range on the water: its totally perfect for an afternoon weekend date, or you can take advantage of the Sunday Night Special, where you get unlimited balls (heh) and club rental for $25 a pop.ChinatownGo on a crawl of the neighborhood: swing by Malaysia Beef Jerky for the spicy beef jerky (trust us), Aji Ichiban for salted plum candy, Joes Shanghai for soup dumplings, and Apotheke for a cocktail.East HarlemAmor CubanoThere are always bands playing, the bartenders make the best mojito in the city, and the ropa vieja might make you cry. Oh, and dont miss the tres leches cake. Totally worth a trip uptown.East VillageEastVille Comedy ClubMaking your date laugh with you is rarely a bad idea, and EastVille tends to get some pretty great acts in (hi, Janeane Garofalo!). Besides, if you go on a random night and the comics bomb, KGB bar is right upstairs.Financial DistrictThe Dead RabbitThe Dead Rabbit cleans up at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards every year, and for good reason: the cocktails are world-class (some say the best in the world). Its always a good idea to take a date out for the very best the city has to offer, and a cocktail here is a hell of a lot more affordable than the tasting menu at Per Se.Fort GreeneBrooklyn FleaMeander the flea market, where you can check out everything from old records to antique furniture to handmade crafts to locally made snacks. In the winter, head over to Industry City in Sunset Park for Indoor Flea.GreenpointMilk and RosesThis space is so lushly romantic, the garden looks like Daisy Buchanans fever dream. Its basically idyllic, and the food is delicious: simple, fresh, high-quality ingredients that speak for themselves with little interference. Harlem67 Orange StreetGreat music, dim lighting, carefully crafted cocktails, and a range of small plate options. Harlem offers a lot of amazing places to eat, but this is one of the best for a first or second date.Hell's KitchenManhattan Kayak Co.Even if youve never been in a kayak before, these guys will give you a quick clinic to get your skills up to the point where you can paddle around the city. You get kind of an amazing perspective from the water, and a disgustingly cute story to tell people about your early date experience if you crazy kids work out.Lower East SideNurse BettieBecause sometimes you just want to take a girl to a burlesque show on a Wednesday night. The place is tiny, the decor is flirty, the crowd is friendly, and the bartenders offer A+ service. Its a winLong Island CityPenthouse 808Unless youre dating someone who is just too jaded to enjoy a view of the city (left swipe left swipe left swipe), Penthouse 808 is pretty much guaranteed to be a solid hit. Grab some bar bites and appreciate the sunset.Midtown EastLa BibliotecaIts a tequila library, you guys. A library... full of tequila. Instead of books. Yes, please. Plus the bar snacks are delicious, and the happy hour special is one of those high-quality ones that doesnt make you look like a cheapskate. Kind of ideal for an after-work Tinder date.NoMadMuseum of SexFor titillating fun once youve made it to the sleepover stage. Swing by to scope out a history of sex, or take your sweetie to one of the MoSex parties: theres always dancing and super-revealing costumes.SoHoHousing Works Bookstore CafeHousing Works often hosts greatdate-worthy events, but the space on its own is perfect for a coffee date. Plus, dollars spent here go to one of the best charities in the city -- Housing Works supports people living with HIV/AIDS.Upper East SideSteep Rock BoulderingYou can take a class together, or just try out the wall after a quick rock climbing tutorial. Plus, it's open till 11pm during the week, which makes this a surprisingly good after-work date if you didnt have time to hit the gym that day (or if you want to pretend to be someone who hits the gym and notices if they miss a day).Upper West SideAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryA great date idea if youre nervous about running out of conversation -- wander the enormous halls scoping out dinosaur bones, gemstones, and a conservatory full of live butterflies together, and conversation will start to flow within about 45 seconds, promise.Washington HeightsThe CloistersUnless youve been seeing a robot who hates pretty things, a picnic at The Cloisters is a serious slam dunk of a date: the gardens are beautiful, and the building itself is a Medieval mash-up of five different abbeys that were shipped here from Europe, because why not. Its basically as close as you can get to taking your date to France for the afternoon. Pro tip: pour your wine into a Pom bottle before you leave the apartment, and pack opaque cups.West VillageThe Rusty KnotThis place is so lowkey, especially for the neighborhood -- it just doesnt take itself seriously at all, and we mean that as a terribly high compliment. Plus, Tiki drinks are fun, and it has dirt-cheap happy hour specials.WilliamsburgNitehawk CinemaNitehawk offers dinner during all its movies, which is terrific enough, but check out the Live Sound Cinema for a really remarkable experience: musicians perform alongside silent films, which makes for a totally surreal experience.SEE ALSO:11 cities around the world where a 'cheap date' costs a fortuneJoin the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: The scientifically proven way to flirt better
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