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Your Funky Valentine: Some Alternative Date Ideas
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 5, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 5, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Fellas, if you’re in some sort of relationship and haven’t nailed down the V-Day itinerary yet, it’s about time to start making some quick decisions and, regrettably, commitments. Reservations fill up fast and no matter what she says about ‘not expecting anything special’, we all know that’s a big trap. But it doesn’t mean you have to submit to an overpriced prix fixe dinner at a stuffy, overcrowded restaurant; here are some less predictable ways to impress your date this Love Day. (We suggest starting now by ordering one of these fine Law & Order SVU Valentine's cards.)
Williamsburg’s Monkeytown will soon sell out their deluxe back room, where, for $50 each, you can kick back on thick couches and choose from two different 5-course tasting menus; one chocolate, one non-chocolate. The experience is enhanced by the intimate room’s four huge video screens, where four different films will be projected simultaneously. The event is called “Tainted Love” and features soundtracks mixed live with Monkeytown’s resident DJ, who will also blend in "twisted love songs from your past, present and future." See the menus and the films here; book reservations fast.
At MoMA, Milos Forman will be on hand to introduce his 1965 film Loves of a Blonde. “Forman's breakthrough film, a commentary on the perils of totalitarianism, follows the everyday life and sexual fumbles of a naive teenage girl in a dreary town.” The screening is at 7pm; tickets cost $10. Since you’ll want to get there early to purchase tickets, dinner at The Modern restaurant’s casual Bar Room is a low-fi but refined bet. And if you really want her to think you’re classy, take advantage of MoMA’s 50% discount on their “tours for two”; usually $600 for non-members, for $300 you and your date can take a private, edifying tour through the galleries, with a make-out session in front of The Starry Night all but assured. Call (212) 708-9685.
Admittedly more spectacular than funky, Rockefeller Center’s Top of the Rock is a far-superior alternative to the taller but more touristy Empire State Building. The 360-degree view is breathtaking at night and, since MoMA and Top of the Rock have a joint-ticket purchase deal, this would be a savvy way to top off a night at the museum. Their Valentine’s Day deal includes chocolate and Starbucks coffee between 6pm and 10pm.
For a high-quality chocolate immersion, Park Slope’s The Chocolate Room, which Zagat deems the #1 dessert café in New York City, is offering a three-course chocolate tasting menu with wine pairings. If she’s serious about chocolate, and it's a safe bet she is, look no further. There are three seatings by reservation only at 7pm, 8:30pm and 10pm. The menu boasts a Chocolate Banana Fritter with a Coconut Caramel Banana Milk Shake, Gianduja Chocolate Pudding, Spiced Hazelnut Cookie Crumble, and a Chocolate Pineapple Up-Side-Down Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream. $28 each, call (718) 783-2900 for reservations.
Online dating and party animals Gemini & Scorpio are best known for their “Get Off… Line” singles parties, but their epic Galapagos Valentine’s Day bash is for couples too. With two rooms of dancing, over a dozen performers, a Gong Show tribute, karaoke and silent films projected to a score by a live 1920s jazz orchestra, it sounds like a hell of a throwdown. Costumes are encouraged; the theme is “vintage glamour.” A Charleston/Lindy dance class and champagne toast starts things off at 7:30, and a $5 Valentine's drink special made with Nuovo, a sparkling fruit-infused vodka, will be served all night. Advance tickets are $20; use code GOTM for a discount.
Tagged
bar
dj
events
ideas
law
love
Milos Forman
moma
new york
night
nyc
Order SVU
restaurants
Tainted Love
the modern
valentine's day
williamsburg
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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