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Bateaux New York Celestial dinner
Photograph: courtesy City Cruises by Hornblower

The best Valentine’s Day date ideas in NYC

Make bae feel extra special by trying one of our amazing and foolproof Valentine’s Day date ideas in NYC

Rossilynne Skena Culgan
Written by
Rossilynne Skena Culgan
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Valentine’s Day in NYC can be a hard date to plan, we've got some foolproof ideas to help you create a dreamy evening together. From dining out in style to catching a show or ordering in from some of the best restaurants in NYC, treat your S.O. to a day to remember for Cupid's holiday. Whether you're on a budget or looking to splurge, there's a litle something on this list for you.

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Valentine’s Day in NYC

Best Valentine’s Day date ideas in NYC

Take a romantic dinner cruise
Photograph: City Cruises

2. Take a romantic dinner cruise

City Cruises New York invites lovebirds to celebrate their love on one of its Valentine's Day cruises running Saturday, February 11 through Tuesday, February 14. 

With various packages and upgrades to choose from, sweethearts can expect a delightful plated or buffet-style meal along with a sweet arrangement, onboard entertainment and a cash bar.

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  • Nightlife
  • Nightlife

A pink glow emanates from Pier 15 where Valentine's grandeur has taken over for Watermark's Pink Pier, open all month in February and March. 

When you arrive, you'll walk through a tunnel of faux florals and then enter into a haven of pink—flowers, twinkly lights, photo opps and decor. This gloriously over-the-top venue drips in seasonal splendor with panoramic views of the skyline. The 10,000-square-foot outdoor bar and restaurant offers a variety of heated glasshouses, where you can reserve semi-private or private seating.

Reservations are available every day of the week, and you can score happy hour specials and off-peak pricing if you visit Monday-Friday.

  • Art
  • Art

In the middle of Times Square, heart-shaped hedgerows invite passersby to meander and take a moment to feel transported in this new pop-up secret garden. 

"Love's h|Edge," a free public art installation, has taken over Duffy Square (46th and Broadway by the Red Steps) and will be on view through February 28. Brooklyn-based Almost Studio created the sculpture, envisioning it as "a pause, a momentary illusion, in your day, in your week, and in your life."

On Valentine’s Day, couples will get engaged, renew their vows and even get married with "Love's h|Edge" as the backdrop. If you want to get in on the V-Day romance, sign up here

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  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Theater
  • Interactive
  • Chelsea

To untimely rip and paraphrase a line from Macbeth: Our eyes are made the fools of the other senses, or else worth all the rest. A multitude of searing sights crowd the spectator's gaze at the bedazzling and uncanny theater installation Sleep No More.

Your sense of space and depth—already compromised by the half mask that audience members must don—is further blurred as you wend through more than 90 discrete spaces, ranging from a cloistral chapel to a vast ballroom floor.

Directors from the U.K. troupe Punchdrunk have orchestrated a true astonishment, turning six warehouse floors and approximately 100,000 square feet into a purgatorial maze that blends images from the Scottish play with ones derived from Hitchcock movies—all liberally doused in a distinctly Stanley Kubrick eau de dislocated menace.

"Sleep No More" one of the most well-known immersive theater experiences in the city, and it'll make a date to remember. Just a heads up that shows run all week on V-Day week but not on the actual holiday itself (Tuesday).

  • Art
  • Art

The color of the year for 2023: Pantone's Viva Magenta, a hue evoking bravery, optimistic celebration and self-expression without restraint—and perfect for the holiday of love.

Now you can immersive yourself in the energy of that purply-pinkish-red tone at ARTECHOUSE's newest technology-driven experiential art experience called MAGENTAVERSE. The multi-sensory exhibit is open in Chelsea through May 29.

While the Immersion Gallery is the main event, don't miss the interactive displays tucked upstairs near the bar. Speaking of the bar, it's got a lengthy list of cocktails—including several in purply pink colors.  

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Looking for other fun things to do on Valentine's Day?

Valentine's Day Cruises with City Cruises
Photograph: Courtesy of City Experiences

Valentine's Day Cruises with City Cruises

City Cruises New York invites lovebirds to celebrate their love on one of its Valentine's Day cruises running Saturday, February 11 through Tuesday, February 14. 

With various packages and upgrades to choose from, sweethearts can expect a delightful plated or buffet-style meal along with a sweet arrangement, onboard entertainment and a cash bar.

  • Art
  • Art

In the middle of Times Square, heart-shaped hedgerows invite passersby to meander and take a moment to feel transported in this new pop-up secret garden. 

"Love's h|Edge," a free public art installation, has taken over Duffy Square (46th and Broadway by the Red Steps) and will be on view through February 28. Brooklyn-based Almost Studio created the sculpture, envisioning it as "a pause, a momentary illusion, in your day, in your week, and in your life."

On Valentine’s Day, couples will get engaged, renew their vows and even get married with "Love's h|Edge" as the backdrop. If you want to get in on the V-Day romance, sign up here.

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  • Restaurants
  • Eating

If you're looking for a spot to get married or renew your vows this year, how about one of NYC's best pizza places? 

Back by popular demand, Brooklyn pizzeria L'Industrie will turn into a pop-up chapel on Valentine's Day where up to 12 couples will be able to tie the knot or renew their vows; you can book your nuptials on OpenTable right here

The "elopement experience" costs a total of $700—a fraction of the price of a more traditional New York wedding—and includes an officiant, a photographer, two pizzas of your choice, a bottle of Champagne or wine and "coordinating assistance to pull all the intimate wedding details together." Vow renewal ceremonies have the same pricetag. 

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  • Nightlife
  • Nightlife

A pink glow emanates from Pier 15 where Valentine's grandeur has taken over for Watermark's Pink Pier, open all month in February and March. 

When you arrive, you'll walk through a tunnel of faux florals and then enter into a haven of pink—flowers, twinkly lights, photo opps and decor. This gloriously over-the-top venue drips in seasonal splendor with panoramic views of the skyline. The 10,000-square-foot outdoor bar and restaurant offers a variety of heated glasshouses, where you can reserve semi-private or private seating.

Reservations are available every day of the week, and you can score happy hour specials and off-peak pricing if you visit Monday-Friday.

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Theater
  • Circuses & magic
  • Midtown EastOpen run

For a truly magical evening, head to Chamber Magic. Steve Cohen, billed as the Millionaires’ Magician, conjures high-class parlor magic in the marble-columned Madison Room at the swank Lotte New York Palace. Audiences must dress to be impressed (cocktail attire is required); tickets start at $125, with an option to pay more for meet-and-greet time and extra tricks with Cohen after the show.

But if you've come to see a classic-style magic act, you get what you pay for. Sporting a tuxedo and bright rust hair, the magician delivers routines that he has buffed to a patent-leather gleam: In addition to his signature act—"Think-a-Drink," involving a kettle that pours liquids by request—highlights include a lulu of levitation trick and a card-trick finale that leaves you feeling like, well, a million bucks.

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Spend Valentine's Day cooking your own gourmet meal at this cooking class hosted by Culinary Conveaux. Conveaux is a relationship education company specializing in optimal relationship and marriage success.

The February 14 class in Harlem will focus on plant-based meals, from crab cakes to mac-and-cheese to savory pastries. Signature cocktails will be flowing all evening, along with memorable conversation facilated through Conveaux Cards. The event's open to couples, singles and duos of any relationship status. 

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