6 Romantic Things to Do in NYC for Couples

Bow Bridge, Central Park

Romantic getaways are one of the best ways to spice up a relationship, and NYC is one of the most romantic cities on the planet. It’s a great place to refresh and renew your relationship in any season.

Despite a reputation of being busy and distracting, there are many romantic spots in New York City where you bring back the euphoric highs of the honeymoon phase.

Here are six ways you can fan the flames with your significant other:

1. Central Park

Central Park is one of the most popular spots in New York City. It’s also one of the top go-to spots for couples to hang out and relieve themselves of the everyday stressors of life.

And you can’t blame them. With lush green scenery that stretches over 843 acres, there’s also so much to do within the magical landscape.

In warm weather, there are free concerts, free Shakespeare in the Park, picnics, boat trips on the Central Park Lake, and quiet walks through shaded paths.

In cold weather, there are two ice skating rinks - the Wollman Rink at the southern end, the Lasker Rink at the northern end, both named for the philanthropists who donated the money to build them.

In between, there are such romantic sites as Strawberry Fields, Belvedere Castle, Bethesda Fountain, and the Bow Bridge.

For many visitors, there’s nothing more romantic than a horse-drawn carriage ride through the dreamy expanse of Central Park.

2. Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Spread across 52 acres, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is one of the most historic sites in the US. But, apart from being iconic, this park also offers romantic scenery.

BBG, as New Yorkers call it, is world-famous for its abundant cherry blossom trees, which bloom in pink and white splendor each spring.

At the holidays, BBG sparkles with Lightscape, returning November 2021 through January 2022. It’s a festive one-mile trail illuminated by thousands of lights, and purely magical.

In any season, stroll hand-in-hand with your lover around the woodlands and ornamental gardens, visit the Steinhardt conservatory, and enjoy dinner at the Yellow Magnolia when you both get tired and hungry.

3. Bond Over Omakase Sushi

Who doesn’t love bonding over meals? Especially a delicacy as exquisite as sushi. If you and your spouse enjoy trying out intercontinental cuisines, then you should visit one of the several Japanese restaurants in New York serving Omakase sushi.

An Omakase meal typically features a series of delicacies selected by the head chef at the restaurant, who creatively puts together the best of what’s on offer for the day. With up to 15 rounds of various varieties of fish, you can enjoy the perfect romantic dinner after a long day at work.

Two well-regarded Omakase restaurants are Nakaji in Chinatown and Sushi Ikumi in SoHo.

It’s not Omakase, but it’s sushi, and all-you-can-eat for one low price. Check out our favorites here.

4. Evening Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge

One of the oldest and most famous bridges in the United States, the Gothic-style Brooklyn Bridge is more than iconic - it’s also an ideal romantic evening experience.

Stretching more than 1500 feet over the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge typically takes about 30 minutes to walk across.

It’s especially popular at sunset, for the view of Lower Manhattan, glimmering and glowing in shades of pink and purple. The view to the north includes the midtown skyline and the equally-iconic Chrysler Building and Empire State Building.

The bridge walk is popular in all seasons, including on a snowy day in winter. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, since the metal grid walkway is not friendly to flip-flops or stilettos.

5. Go to a Speakeasy Bar

Speakeasy bars were an open secret during Prohibition, when bars were not legal,and to gain entrance to one of the secret ones, you had to speak the secret password quietly - or easy - to gain entrance. Hence the name.

These days, of course, adult beverages are legal, but there are still some bars and clubs with Prohibition-style hidden doors, vintage decorations, and an exquisite selection of 1930s cocktails.

We recommend Bo Peep, Angel’s Share, and Attaboy.

We also love The Campbell in Grand Central Terminal, filled with 1930s-style glamour, but modern cocktails.

It was the opulent private office of John W. Campbell, who helped Cornelius Vanderbilt build and run the New York Central railroad and Grand Central Terminal. Even though it was never a speakeasy, the entrance is pretty hard to find, so it does fall into the speakeasy category.

6. Lincoln Center

New York City’s main arts complex offers the romance of opera, dance, concerts an theater. Pick what you love that makes you swoon, whether that’s Beethoven or Balanchine, and it’s here.

This is where the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic and New York State Theater perform in their own opulent buildings. The famous circular fountain in the center of the plaza, with its dancing choreography, is an ideal spot for romantic selfies.

There also are free outdoor performances in warm weather.

Final Romantic Thoughts

So, you don’t need to take a trip to Costa Rica or Mexico when there’s so much romance in New York City.

Find more romantic things to see and do in New York City on Selina.com.

Whether you’re looking for places to spend your honeymoon, vow renewal or just seeking to rekindle the flames of your early relationship, you’ll find it in New York City.

NYCOTC Publisher/Executive Editor Evelyn Kanter is a native New Yorker who has written for the NY Times, NY Daily News, NY Post, New York Magazine, and is a former on-air reporter for WCBS Newsradio 88 and WABC-TV Eyewitness News.