The best summer date ideas in NYC

Grabbing a tiny boat and rowing around the lake in Central Park has to be the OG of New York romance. A classic date if ever there was one, this waterbound adventure from the Loeb Boathouse will set you back $12 for the first hour, $2.50 each additional 15 minutes (with a $20 cash deposit). True players can opt for a ride on a gondola commandeered by Andres Garcia, $30 per half hour, and hit the Boathouse Restaurant afterward.

Nothing says summer romance like perfect magaritas, tacos and a beloved movie on a balmy evening—and in this respect, Habana Outpost in Fort Greene has you covered. Movies being screened for free this year include Top Gun (July 5), Purple Rain (Aug 9) and Jackie Brown (Oct 11).

There are so many reasons to amble from Manhattan to Brooklyn on New York's prettiest bridge—from the breathtaking view to the fact that you can ride the horses at Jane's Carousel at Brooklyn Bridge Park, then stuff your face with pizza from Grimaldi's. In fact, we challenge you to think of a reason why not to walk the bridge!

Twinkling stars, the sweet smell of wildflowers in the evening and a bunch of astronomers with massive telescopes? Sounds like a dream date to us. Every Tuesday evening in warm weather, you can look at the stars through one of those 'scopes, chat with astronomers about the planets and stars, then gaze up at the night sky (or into each other's eyes) on one of the High Line recliners. Oh, and stargazing is completely free.

Roses may be the most romantic flower, but they're so much sweeter when you get to take in the sights and smells in as pretty a spot as the Cranford Rose Garden. There are (literally) tens of thousands of roses here, whether climbing wildly up trellises or in neat flower beds. There's even a special bower where you can take each other's photograph (and proclaim your love on Instagram). Note: June is rose month, so expect the garden to be particularly spectacular.

If food be the, er, food of love—then let's go to Smorgasburg! The ever-popular outdoor munchfest continues this summer, with Saturdays in East River State Park and Sundays in Brooklyn Bridge Park, with a newly opened pop-up outpost at Coney Island. Love at first bite?

Could there be a New Yorkier summer date? If you take your sweetie to the baseball at MCU Park, you get to watch the game and see the sun set over the sea, while the rides at Luna Park twinkle around you. Aww.

…or set up just outside the fence! Either way you get to enjoy the pretty lights in those beautiful trees and the sound of very loud, awesome music around you. And yes, a toast to all you wine sneakers. Find our list of the 10 best SummerStage shows right here.

Working up a sweat with someone you're crazy about rules, and biking to the beach will get you guys all hot under the collar perfectly—then you can arrive at the beach, jump in the freezing cold sea and eat some ice cream. Or whatever it is you were thinking about on the ride out… Check out our roundup of the best beaches in New York, including Rockaway Beach, and decide your destination.

We all know that the Manhattan skyline is a thing of wonder—but there are some views of it that are more majestic, sweeping and romantic than others. This is one of them. The Brooklyn Heights promenade has flashed its winning views in Annie Hall and Moonstruck, and you can gaze out at the Statue of Liberty, or just take in the fancy townhouses in this Historic Preservation District.