Dating for a Cause

‘Tis the season to give back to your fellow man, why not do it while you are on a date? (And not in the way that you are thinking…naughty - Santa’s going to hear about that one).  Here are a few date destinations where your dollar goes back to helping other people, and then you can feel great as you date J

Housing Works Bookstore and Café ( 126 Crosby Street, 10012)

http://www.housingworks.org/social-enterprise/bookstore-cafe/

This is a really great used bookstore that has a huge selection of books, and also has a café in the back that serves the normal café fare as well as beer and wine.  My recommendation for a date there would be to have a competition with your date to see who can find the coolest book in 15 minutes.  Buy the books and whoever has the lamer book gets the first round.   All of the profits from this date will go to helping homeless New Yorkers who have HIV and AIDS. 

Dixon Place (161A Crystie St btwn. Rivington & Delancy 10002)

http://dixonplace.org/index2.html 

The space is really dynamic, in the front it is a bar/lounge where you can see live music, and drink pretty inexpensive drinks, in the back there is a huge theater space where you can see readings, plays, artist, and singers.  The theater/bar is run by a non-profit organization that is dedicated to giving emerging New York City artist a space to put on their shows.  Most of their revenue comes from the bar, so every drink that you have helps to support art in New York City!  Your date will think that you are a regular Rockefeller when you order that 3^rd round.

Don’t you feel good about yourself?  I thought that you would!  

Happy Hour Romance

Happy Hour Romance

With the days getting shorter and shorter we need more reasons to look forward to the night time – one thing that gets me through these cold winter weekdays are happy hour.  I love that bars in the city give me the high five of less expensive drinks just for getting there right after work, and they are a perfect casual way to take someone out without the pressure of having to plan a full evening.

Start at Barbounia,(250 Park Ave South New York, NY 10003) they have a great happy hour, $4 for beers, $5 for a nice glass of red or white, $6 for champagne cocktails and the space is very fancy – arched ceilings, marble bar and an all around classy atmosphere.  They also have great appetizers that you can get at the bar for only about $3 the hummus and fresh baked bread is my favorite.

If things are going well enough that you don’t want for the evening to end, head over to the tapas restaurant Sala One Nine (35 West 19th Street, NYC 10011 http://www.salaonenine.com/).  The dining room is really cozy, tin ceilings, low romantic lighting and exposed brick – it does really make you feel like you are in a restaurant in Spain.  The food is really tasty, the chorizo is awesome and I have a giant crush on the sangria (go for the pitcher, you deserve it).

If you want to take it to a whole new level of being the most romantic person your date knows- head over a couple of blocks to Madison Square Park where they are having an art installation called “Scattered Light” through February (https://www.madisonsquarepark.org/programs/madsqart.aspx) which looks really beautiful against the backdrop of the Chrysler and the Empire State Building. 

Then if all goes well hopefully you’ll be enjoying another one of my favorite winter pastimes: making out.