Manhattan: The Island

Hi Friends,  I’ve missed you.  A lot.  Have I mentioned that you are pretty?  Like really really pretty?  Its true.  Ask anyone.  (PS sorry I’ve been missing in action)

A little known fact – Manhattan is an island.  Not just an island in the sense that New Yorkers are unlike any other group of people in the world, but also in the sense that it is almost impossible to get any of my friends to cross the east river to come to Brooklyn.  That being said, I think that the East River is one of the most underutilized date destinations in New York City, and its pretty inexpensive! 

This would be more of a weekend date and the length of it really depends up on how you feel about your date.  If you are really into them then this could be an amazing day long adventure – if you are still getting to know the other person take the bits that you think would be the most fun for you two!

Start your date by getting on the East River Ferry, http://www.nywaterway.com/ERF-Home.aspx it departs from Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn – find the terminal that works best for you and your date to depart from and hop on!  Take the ferry for the low price of 4 bucks to Governors Island.  Where depending up on how much time you have you can rent bikes http://govisland.com/html/visit/biking.shtml

Or play miniature golf http://newyork.figmentproject.org/long-term-exhibitions/2011figment-minigolf/

Or just relax with a drink and take in the amazing view http://www.watertaxibeach.com/governors_island

When you are finished taking in all of the sites that Governors Island has to offer (the grounds honestly looks like an East Coast liberal arts college!)  You can hop back onto the East River Ferry and either go back to where you began your date, enjoying the beautiful views of Manhattan Island on your way there, or you could extend your date by stopping at the Fulton Ferry Pier and have dinner there. 

Grimaldi’s is the classic choice, for incredible New York pizza that “made the Brooklyn Bridge famous.”  The pizza is fantastic, but the lines are usually really long.  If you are like me and become hangry after waiting for more than 15 minutes to be seated, let me recommend another option Ignazio’s Pizza http://ignaziospizza.com/.  The pizza is wonderful, and the service is great and the restaurant is right on the water.

After a day of island adventure, delish dinner and summer awesomeness – go share a milk shake from the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory http://www.brooklynicecreamfactory.com/home.html  (with two straws, obvi) and while looking out at the Brooklyn Bridge, know that you have just let your date know how wonderful it is to be an islander.

Lets All Go to the Movies

First of all, sorry its been so long friends, I know that you all have been sitting around during this long cold snowy winter wanting to date, but not being able to because I have selfishly not been posting dates for you to go on!  I hope that you can forgive me.

What was that?

You already have!

Wow, you are a gem!

Okay, now that we are back in love let me tell you about the next date that you should go on.  As we all know it is Oscar season, and suddenly everyone standing around the water cooler wants to talk about stuttering monarchs and skinny dancing bird people, and you have nothing to offer to the conversation except how happy you are that Sammi Sweetheart and JWoww are friends again on the Jersey Shore. 

Even if you missed all of the award nominated movies when they first came out, the good news is that they have all been re-released in theaters.  So you can go on a date AND be the most knowledgeable person at the water cooler – double win!

My favorite place to see movies is at the Union Square movie theater (850 Broadway, New York, NY 10003).  It is great place to meet, because it is near so many subways, and there are great restaurants and bars in the area for after or before.  A little thoughtfulness goes a long way, so buy your tickets in advance right here http://www.fandango.com/regalunionsquarestadium14_aajnk/theaterpage and avoid the lines at the theater and that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that the film is going to be sold out.  

A great place to meet for dinner before the movie is Piola (48 E 12^th St, New York, NY 10003 http://www.piola.it/mondo2.php?id=6).  It is a quality pizza place with good prices, super tasty pizza and amazo salads.  If you are looking to stretch your date dollar they also have specials, like a happy hour where you order a drink at the bar and they serve you free appetizers from 5-7.  You can basically eat the equivalent of a meal for the price of a drink.  It is awesome.

After dinner you have a couple of options:

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            - If you are a lover of movie beverages and breaking rules I would recommend going to Union    Square Liquors (140 Fourth Ave @13^th Street New York, NY 10003) and picking up a little something to mix with your movie beverage – I am personally a fan of a fountain diet coke and a little whiskey – but you pick your poison.

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        - Or if you are classy and like rules unbroken, go in pick up your already purchased tickets, and buy your date some classic movie drinks and snacks.  (Go for the Rasinets and the popcorn, its true you don’t need them both but you do deserve them) 

A   After the film, head over to Irving Vintage (118 East 15^th St at Irving Place, New York, NY) http://www.vintageirving.com/ to drink wine and try out lines you are going to use on your co-workers tomorrow, for example:

“That film was completely haunting, I can never look at ballet the same way again”

“Do you think that Christian Bale is so method that he actually tried crack?”

“The arm cutting part made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.  What about you?”

And just like that you are a date master, a film guru and are back in the water cooler cool kids club.