5 Days in New York City for Couples

Some of the greatest love stories happened among New York City’s skyscrapers, and Central Park remains one of the best places to pop the question. We’re not trying to suggest anything of course, but you know, there’s a reason why we wear t-shirts that say “I Love New York.”

Day 1

Get a little goofy in Times Square. It’s super touristy, but it’s also super fun. Shop for souvenirs or watch street performers in the pedestrian-only area. Sit on the stairs of the TKTS booth and look up at where the New Year’s Eve ball drops every year.

Stand in-line at the TKTS booth for discounted, day-of performances, or try your luck at the different Broadway show lotteries (some, like Hamilton, are online, and always worth a shot!).

Take advantage of pre-theater dining discounts along 46th Street, aka Restaurant Row. Most have some brilliant pre-fixe menus. For $25, at Becco you can get unlimited tableside pasta (three different types, changed daily and seasonally), along with a salad, or a traditional Italian antipasti. Molto bene.

Catch your performance, or if you skipped the tickets, slip into a dive bar like Jimmy’s Corner. It’s romantic in its own way, and Jimmy is sure to regale you with tales of his time training professional boxers (including the late Muhammad Ali).

Day 2

Grab a cup of coffee or a lavender hot chocolate at country-chic Maman, in SoHo, where you can sit for hours snacking on French Canadian pastries. Work your way down to City Hall and head over to Worth Street. That’s where you’ll find the New York City Marriage Bureau. Even if you’re not looking to get hitched, watching the happy couples (in outfits ranging from traditional white dresses and black tuxedos, to electric blue gowns and tuxedo t-shirts) is such an easy way to feel joy.

Walk off those warm, fuzzy feelings with a trip over the Brooklyn Bridge. Stop and take as many selfies as you like, and leave room for a smooch or two when you think no one is looking.

Arrive in Downtown Brooklyn. Breeze past the skyscrapers and find your way to the brownstones of Brooklyn Heights. Get a taste of authentic Thai cooking with a waterfront view at Pok Pok, then grab an Ooey Gooey Butter Cake cone from Ample Hills Creamery.

Walk north along the Brooklyn Promenade, a stretch of pavement that brings you along the East River and offers a super romantic view of the city. If you’re still in the mood to chill, take the A or the C train from High Street and get off at Fulton, where you can hang out at the Beekman Beer Garden and Beach Club at South Street Seaport.

Day 3

Explore the eclectic shops around Chelsea and the Meatpacking District. Pack a picnic from goods you picked up at Eataly, then walk along the Highline for some peace, quiet, and sweet views of Manhattan’s West Side. You’ll find places to rest and cool art along the way.

End the evening with some dancing at the top of The Standard Hotel. Legendary for its hedonistic parties, Le Bain also offers one of the best, most unobstructed views of NYC you’ll ever find.

Day 4

Get yourself on the M, R, N, or Q trains: You’re headed to Queens! Make your first stop at the Museum of the Moving Image, a relatively new institution dedicated to all things historic about film and television. You can watch a movie there, or just enjoy the pop culture exhibits that change seasonally.

Have a fantastic Greek meal at E Taverna, where the decor and the dishes are evocative of an old-school Greek tavern in Athens. Hang out in Astoria Park, which offers yet another sparkling view of New York City’s skyline along the East River.

End your day at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, where you can stay for hours working your way through beer steins as big as your head and heaping plates of sausages. Stay for the free concerts or Czech and German festivals, or just to make new friends under the Oktoberfest-style canopies.

Day 5

Have brunch at Russ & Daughters, where their bagel and lox boards are worth the line to get in. Plan out your last day in NYC among other New Yorkers recovering from their partying the night before.

Take the F train and head uptown to Central Park. In the winter, you can go ice skating at the Wollman Ice Rink, and in the summer you can rent a rowboat on the lake. You could spend an entire day exploring the easy trails, or laying out on the Great Lawn and sunbathing, or tossing a disc like the locals.

Enjoy an intimate dinner at the King’s Carriage House. It’s known for its afternoon tea service, but entrées like pan-seared salmon with pistachio crust and roasted duck breast salad make the evening just as special. Travel up to the Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Center and enjoy the best view of the Empire State Building in the entire city for the perfect ending to the start of your urban romance.

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