Guide · Date ideas · New York City
Date Ideas in NYC, Ranked by What Two People Pay
One of the best dates in New York costs nothing: the Staten Island Ferry at sunset, with the Statue of Liberty out one side and the skyline behind you. The other 16 ideas here climb by what two people pay, with the hours and what still works when it's cold.
We're a restaurant, so you'd expect this list to be all dinner. It isn't. These are things to do before or after you eat, and you can pick any restaurant you like. Prices are for two adults, before tax.
The ladder, cheapest first
$0 for two
- $0Staten Island Ferry at sunset
A 25-minute boat ride past the Statue of Liberty, with the skyline behind you. Get off, walk around the terminal and ride back.
- $0Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
About 23 minutes at an easy pace. Start on the Brooklyn side so you walk toward the skyline.
- $0The Whitney on a Friday night
The whole museum is free. You can talk, nobody has to sit still, and you can leave whenever you want.
- $0The Morgan on a Friday night
J. Pierpont Morgan's private library, with walls of books up to the ceiling. It's the kind of room that makes people lower their voices.
- $0The High Line at dusk
A park on an old raised rail line, about 1.45 miles long, with the sun going down over the river at the north end.
- $0Sunset on Pier 84
A long pier with a lawn at W 44th St, pointing out into the Hudson. It's on our side of town, about 7 minutes from our door.
- $0Midnight Moment in Times Square
For three minutes, more than 92 screens from W 41st to W 49th St stop selling you things and show the same artwork. A good last stop.
Under $25 for two
- $10A boat on the East River
NYC Ferry is the cheapest way onto the water that isn't free. Ride one way, walk around the far side and find your way back.
- $12The Roosevelt Island Tram
A red cable car over the East River from E 60th St, with the Queensboro Bridge right beside you. It only takes a few minutes, and it costs a standard MTA fare, $3 each way.
- $20Climb the Vessel
The honeycomb stair sculpture at Hudson Yards, reopened in March 2026 with steel mesh. It's silly and it's tall, and the photos come out well. About 18 minutes from us.
$25 to $75 for two
- $37.44Ice skating in Bryant Park
The rink is free. You're paying for rental skates, from $18.72 to $64.48 depending on the time. Bring your own and this is a $0 date.
- $60The Met on a Friday or Saturday night
Open until 9pm those two nights. A museum this big gives you plenty to talk about, and you can see a lot of it without planning anything.
$75 and up for two
- $76The Intrepid
An aircraft carrier, a space shuttle and a submarine. It's a good answer if neither of you wants to dress up. About 6 minutes from our door.
- $88Edge at sunset
An open-air deck on the 100th floor with a glass floor. Their site posts today's hours and sunset. Book 14 days ahead and the Advance Saver starts at $34 instead of $42.
It depends on the show
- VariesBroadway from the TKTS lineUp to 50% off, with an $8 fee per ticket in the board price
Same-day seats and next-day matinees. You won't choose the show until you see the board, which is half the fun or none of it.
- VariesNYC Broadway Week50% off each ticket, two or more
NYC Tourism's 2-for-1 deal comes back in winter 2027. All tickets are half price, fees included. Dates weren't posted when we checked.
- VariesCircle Line at nightSee their site
The Harbor Lights cruise leaves from Pier 83, about 8 minutes from us. There's a bar on board, and in winter it leaves earlier.
Prices and hours from each operator, linked on each name, checked November 2026. The tram takes a standard MTA fare, according to its operator. Food, drinks and tips aren't included.
Which one for which date
A first date
Keep it short and give yourself an exit. A free Friday night at the Whitney is close to ideal: the art gives you something to talk about, nobody's across a table from you staring, and you can leave after 40 minutes without anyone getting hurt. If it's going well, you're a short walk from dinner. If it's not, you're a short walk from the subway.
Avoid a dinner reservation with a stranger, a boat you can't get off, and anything that takes three hours. That rules out the Statue of Liberty, which is really an all-day trip.
A cold night
Pick something with a roof, or a place to warm up right after. The ferry has indoor seats. Bryant Park's rink is open until 10pm, and you're supposed to be cold there. The Met is open until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. How cold are we talking? A normal January evening feels like 28°F, and our weather table has every month.
A rainy afternoon
Pick one big museum and stay. MoMA, The Met and the Intrepid can all fill an afternoon. Or go to a matinee: the TKTS booth at W 47th Street sells next-day matinee seats too, so you can plan it the day before.
A late night
Late options are fewer than you'd think. Grand Central stays open until about 2am, and it has a Whispering Gallery, where two people in opposite corners can hear each other clearly. Midnight Moment plays at 11:57pm, and the Staten Island Ferry runs all night. The Brooklyn Bridge is open at all hours, and it's much quieter than at 5pm.
A date with no money
Stack the free ones. Walk the High Line north from Gansevoort Street and watch the sun set from its top end or from Pier 84. If it's a Friday, start at the Whitney, right by the High Line's south end, once it goes free at 5pm. Our free guide lists something for every day.
Something a little different
The Intrepid if neither of you wants to dress up. The Vessel if you want a silly photo. The Cloisters, at the far north of the island, if you want to feel like you left the city. It's closed Wednesdays and closes at 4:30pm in winter, so it's a daytime date.
A date on our side of town
If you're near Hell's Kitchen, three things sit within a short walk of each other. Start at the Intrepid (about 6 min from our door), walk to Pier 84 for the sunset (about 7 min), or go on to Pier 83 for a Circle Line night cruise (about 8 min). Then get dinner. Our neighborhood guide has more.
What won't work
- Dinner on the Times Square plazas. It's loud and crowded, and you'll spend the whole time looking for each other. Look at the lights for 20 minutes, then walk west.
- An observation deck in low cloud. If you can't see the top of the tall buildings from the street, you won't see the street from the top.
- Assuming a museum's open. The Met closes on Wednesdays, the Whitney on Tuesdays. Our live board shows what's open at this minute.
- Planning a whole night on foot in January. Manhattan is long, and the wind off the river is real. Get a cab for the second half.
If you do want dinner on a roof
We're one option, and not for every date. Cantina Rooftop has a live DJ every night we're open, so it's loud. If you want to hear every word your date says, it's not your place. If you'd like the room to do some of the work, it might be. We're at 605 W 48th Street, and the glass roof is closed and heated when it's cold.
Tuesday to Thursday 5pm to 11pm (last reservation 10pm), Friday 5pm to 3am, Saturday 12pm to 3am and Sunday 12pm to 9:30pm. Closed Mondays. Tables for two book online. On Tuesdays, Taco Tuesday runs $25 per person for 90 minutes, by reservation.
Date idea questions
What's a good cheap date in NYC?
The Staten Island Ferry at sunset costs nothing and it passes the Statue of Liberty. The Whitney is free on Fridays from 5 to 10pm. The Roosevelt Island Tram is about $12 for two, there and back.
What's a good first date in NYC?
Something short, with a way out. A museum on a free Friday night works well: you always have something to talk about, and you can leave whenever you like. Save the three-hour dinner for the second date.
What can you do on a date in NYC when it's cold?
Stay in: a museum at night, a Broadway show, or the boat, because the Staten Island Ferry has indoor seating. If you want to be outside, skate at Bryant Park, which runs to February 28. Then warm up over dinner.
What's romantic to do in NYC at night?
The ferry at night, because you get the whole lit skyline from the water for nothing. Then, if you're still out at 11:57pm, the screens of Times Square all play the same artwork for three minutes.
What can couples do in NYC on a rainy day?
The Met, MoMA and the Whitney are all big enough to fill an afternoon. So is the Intrepid. A matinee is a good answer too: TKTS has next-day matinee seats at up to 50% off.
What date ideas in NYC don't involve drinking?
Most of this list. Museums, the tram, the ferry, skating, the bridge and a Broadway show don't need a drink at all. Most of them are better earlier in the day anyway.
Do I need to book ahead for a date in NYC?
For the Morgan on a Friday, yes, reserve first. Bryant Park asks everyone to reserve a skating time, and Edge sells timed tickets, so book sunset a few days out. The ferry, the bridge, the High Line and the piers need nothing at all.
