Best activities for a date in New York
Something to do first, then dinner to talk about it.
150 spots · Jump to the list
Doing something together beats sitting across a table, at least to start: a shared activity gives you something to react to, and it takes the pressure off the conversation. This list runs the whole range — a gallery or a show, a kayak or a climbing wall, a comedy set, the zoo — and every one of them sets up dinner afterwards. Check hours and booking before you go; the popular ones sell out on weekends.
This guide ranks 150 activities in New York, from East Village / LES to Midtown Manhattan and Astoria / Long Island City. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Blade
4.5(25)Williamsburg · $$$$
Brooklyn Crab’s Reed Park
4.5(23)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill · $$
Creative Little Garden
4.5(23)East Village / LES · $
Greenacre Park
4.5(19)Midtown Manhattan · $
Central Park
4.5(15)Midtown Manhattan · $
Gutter Bar
4.5(13)Williamsburg · $$
SingleCut Beersmiths QNS
4.5(11)Astoria / Long Island City · $
Kingston Hall
4.5(11)East Village / LES · $$
Central Park Bow Bridge
4.5(11)Upper West Side · $
Siam Thai Express
4.5(10)Astoria / Long Island City
Union Square Park
4.5(4)Flatiron / Gramercy · $
SUMMIT One
4.5(4)Midtown Manhattan · $$
New York Historical Society
4.5(4)Upper West Side · $
Intrepid Museum
4.4(25)Midtown Manhattan · $$
Vander Ende-Onderdonk House
4.4(24)Bushwick / Ridgewood
Tsion Café
4.4(24)Harlem · $$
Brooklyn Botanical Garden
4.4(24)Park Slope / Gowanus · $
Angel Orensanz Center
4.4(19)East Village / LES
Bouldering Project Brooklyn
4.4(15)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill · $$
sourmouse
4.4(8)East Village / LES · $$
Astoria Park
4.4(7)Astoria / Long Island City · $
The Lotus Garden
4.4(5)Upper West Side · $
Art Laboratory Wine Bar
4.4(5)East Village / LES · $$
ART Rooftop Bar at Arlo Midtown
4.4(5)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Showing 49–72 of 150 spots
Good to know
- What's the best activity in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Blade in Williamsburg, rated 4.5 out of 5. Brooklyn Crab’s Reed Park and Creative Little Garden round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best activities?
- East Village / LES (5), Midtown Manhattan (5) and Astoria / Long Island City (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable activities in New York?
- Yes — Brooklyn Crab’s Reed Park, Creative Little Garden and Greenacre Park are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a night out: something to do, then dinner, then nightcap. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.