(In fandom words? Be Alexander "I am not throwing away my shot" Hamilton rather than Aaron "Wait For It" Burr.)
What this means for me? I'm playing the lesbian dating fields again, messaging girls on OKCupid (I never used to message girls first before) and the like. I'm ending 2016 single, but I'm hoping if I play my cards right, I'll either end 2017 not-single or I'll be much more assured in my singleness. And while I'm playing, I might as well list dates I'd like to maybe go on.
Now I should specify. This is not a 'best dates in NYC kind of thing'. Not even a little bit. I haven't been on the East Coast near long enough for that. This is just ten that I would like to go on with someone.
As usual, these are in no particular order other than the order I thought of them.
Ride a Ferry
There are two options here.
The Staten Island Ferry is always free, and the ride is about half an hour. It's got some great views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Jersey City, and it goes right past the Statue of Liberty. The real question of this one would be whether my date is the type of gal to get off and turn right back around to head back to Manhattan? Or would she be the type of gal to want to explore Staten Island a little? I admit, I haven't explored Staten Island yet.
The other free ferry option? The IKEA Ferry is free on weekends. Yes, you heard me right. Brooklyn's IKEA has its own ferry that goes from lower Manhattan straight to the front of the store. Now obviously, this is not an option for a more casual date. You don't take someone you just met to an IKEA unless they, like me, have an odd ironic obsession with the place. (I swear every IKEA is a liminal space ruled by fae. All the hallmarks are there - lost time, a bent sense of reality, strange people in strange clothes, oddly alluring food that should not be that alluring...) But if she was down? I'd totally go for this.
Go to a Cheap Museum
Museums are my go-to date. I think they're perfect for dates. And it's not just that I love museums (though you all know I do). Usually they're quiet enough that you two can talk with some relative privacy. You can show off a little if you happen to know a lot about art/history/science/whatever else the topic of the museum might be. You can also just be quiet and hold hands. And if she's the type and photography is allowed, lots of cute photo opportunities!
New York City has enough affordable museums that I could do this type of date many times. And I do kind of plan to. In fact my next upcoming date is at the Brooklyn Museum, which is pay-what-you-wish. (Which means I could literally give them $1 and still be let in.) The Cloisters, pictured above, is another pay-as-you-wish choice, as are The Met, The American Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of the City of New York.
A lot of other museums have specific days that are free or pay-what-you-wish. Still others are cheap. The Morbid Anatomy Museum in Brooklyn will set us back about $8 each, it's delightfully weird, and it has a cafe downstairs. Even my beloved Fraunces Tavern is only $4 with a student ID, though the bar downstairs is significantly pricier. It all depends on what she's interested in!
Go Art Gallery Hopping
It's a similar concept to a museum date, except apparently it's considered way cooler for some reason? As the girl I am currently pursuing is way cooler than me, this is of course an option. Art galleries are always thought-provoking if nothing else, and although I don't always understand modern art, I do often enjoy it. Also, most of the time art galleries are completely free to poke around in!
The Chelsea neighbourhood in Manhattan is perfect for this. Look at this map. This neighbourhood is packed to the brim with art galleries. It's not exactly a secret, everyone knows about it, and perhaps it is a little cliché, but I dunno, it might be kinda fun...
Grand Central Terminal
Look, some tourist attractions in New York really do not live up to the hype. (Personally? I was really disappointed by the High Line.) Grand Central is not one of those. It's main concourse is beautiful, and even I'm kind of charmed by the whispering gallery. There's a small food market that's kind of fun to browse, and since it's winter right now there's also a seasonal holiday market.
But if I'm being honest the sole reason I have this listed is that I'm more than a little obsessed with the Great Northern Food Hall, pictured above. The food here is delicious and, in most cases, under $10. My personal favourite is the mushroom grød, described as a Viking-Age porridge, but closer to a risotto, and way sexier than anything labeled 'porridge' has any right to be. But everything I've tried here is perfection, from their cardamom pastries to their open-faced sandwiches. It's worth risking the tourists for if she's down.
Take In Some Queer/Radical History
New York City is the home of the Stonewall Inn, basically the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement. Stopping here in the morning and then losing the afternoon at somewhere like the Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art or the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (more museums, so sue me!), or maybe even Bluestockings (a radical bookstore/cafe) would be a radical way to spend a few hours, in both senses of the word, especially if she's more politically-minded!
Picnic in Socrates Sculpture Park
Yes, I know, I know, Central Park is the more popular date picnic spot, and we could totally do that as well, but this is a little more unique. Plus, being in Queens, it's got spectacular views of Manhattan. The good thing about Socrates Sculpture Park is that before or after a picnic, you can walk around and check out the often-bizarre sculptures, like the Christopher Walken themed installation above! It's also a relatively small park (though still big enough), so there's no chance of getting lost trying to find each other.
Bonus - since it is in Queens, you could get Greek food in nearby Astoria for your picnic.
Scope Out a Botanic Garden
Confession - I still haven't gone to any yet, and I really gotta get on that, especially since it's winter now so both the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Queens Botanical Garden are free. But if she's botanically-minded I think it could be fun! I've actually never been to a botanic garden and I desperately would love to go, especially with the right person. My plant knowledge is lacking, so this is a good opportunity either for her to show off, or for us to learn together.
Plus! Think of the photo opps! *_*
Explore a Cemetery
I am super into cemeteries. I always have been. And hopefully I can find a girl that either finds them just as interesting as I do, or is willing to put up with it for my sake. Personally, I think that with the right girl, exploring a cemetery could make a wonderful date. If nothing else, it's certainly a conversation starter! And it's not as weird as you might think - many cemeteries were originally designed to be strolled through like parks. It's only very recently that people started finding that weird, as our culture's relationship with death got more and more distant. But that's neither here nor there.
The grave pictured is at Trinity Church Cemetery, and while that is an option (there are some damn interesting graves there other than Hamilton's), it's fairly small. There are better options out of Manhattan. My number-one choice would be Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. It's big and beautiful with a historic pedigree - it's on part of the land where the Battle of Brooklyn took place, and in the 19th century it was the cemetery of choice for New York's wealthy elite! Many of the grave markers are works of art in and of themselves, and it's also got parrots flying around which we could attempt to look for.
Take a Self-Guided Walking Tour Together
The internet is full of them! I confess, this would be an opportunity for me to show off a little, depending on what it was. I was a damn good tour guide, and if we were to do something like a Revolutionary War history in Lower Manhattan thing, I'd be great at presenting the information to her.
But there are options to explore together, too. Something like a self-guided tour of Jewish history in the Lower East Side, or Chinatown history, might be kind of fun, and those two both have the option of going past lots of cheap eateries.
Attend a Secret Science Club Lecture!
This one is unique because it's probably the only one of these I'd be willing to stay out late for. I do not like taking the late bus home, though for the right girl I would. (Or maybe she wants to invite me over to her place after this? Just sayin'...)
Now I haven't done this yet but I desperately want to. Basically, the Secret Science Club is a Brooklyn-based organisation that puts on free-science lectures which are more fun than boring, and often have themed drinks if she's into that. (Personally, I don't drink often, but I do make some exceptions.) I love learning new things, and I hope that I get to date someone who feels the same.
Now again, these are all just ideas. Maybe by next year I'll have completely different ideas for dating someone. But as of now, I can daydream about doing all of these with that one way-too-cool-for-me girl. (Seriously, what does she see in me???)
-Nym-
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