Where to Go on a Date in NYC Over Winter, According to People Who Know

Everyone knows that New York City in winter is devastating: cold, eerie, and seemingly deserted while everybody is holed up in their small apartments puzzling over noisy heaters and ordering Chinese takeout. But if you’re like me, you need endless reasons to escape the sauna of a few hundred square feet and get moving through the city. But there’s one lingering question: what is there to do in NYC in the winter?

I polled my Instagram followers to see the best activities for dates in the winter (with friends or romantic interests!). Here’s what they said:

1. House of Yes

If you’re into a fun and flirty good time, House of Yes is your place. It’s located in Bushwick, so it might be a bit of a hike if you’re based in another borough, but House of Yes is 100% work the trek! They have themed parties on the weekends, and the crowd is known to go all out. This is not the place for you if you can’t commit to a theme! House of Yes is an incredible, open, fun, safe, very cool space.

2. Rock Climbing

Since New York City winters get incredibly chilly, I’m often looking to spend time indoors. But I’m the kind of person who’s most excited to get out of my apartment and move my body, so climbing is a great activity to do with friends and dates! I love exploring new and unique workouts across the city, and best of all, most climbing gyms have intro rates or even free day passes to try them out!

Some of the best climbing gyms throughout the five boroughs include:

Brooklyn Boulders (Queens): This gym offers day passes for just $25, and they also offer an Intro to Climbing class for $39!

Vital Climbing Gym (Manhattan, UES & Harlem and Brooklyn): Located in two Manhattan neighborhoods, Vital Climbing Gym also sells day passes for $25, and it’s just an additional $7 for climbing gear and shoes.

The Cliffs at LIC (Queens): This gym offers a day pass for $32. You can also purchase add-ons like $6 climbing shoes, a $5 harness, or a $3 chalk bag. They also have an intro class for $49, which includes your rental equipment and a day pass. This is a great deal for a newbie!

3. Museums

If walking around and staring at interesting objects is more your speed than shimmying up a giant wall, then the wintertime is the best time for you to become a regular museum goer. This is a great wintertime activity because it has all the movement of an outdoor summer walk, with all the warmth of someone else’s heater.

Best of all, if you’re a New Yorker, museums tend to actually be free! Some corporate jobs offer free museum visits, but if you are not a part of the corporate machine, you’re probably still in luck! If you’re an NYCID or library card holder, then there are a plethora of museums you can visit for FREE.

With Culture Pass (available through the library), you can visit any of these cultural institutions totally for free, along with many others:

• American Museum of Natural History
• Brooklyn Museum
• El Museo del Barrio
• The Frick Collection
• The Jewish Museum
• The Met Cloisters
• The Morgan Library
• Queens Museum
• The Shed
• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
• Wave Hill
• Wollman Rink

In addition, for anyone with proof of residency in NY, NJ, or CT, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is pay what you wish! There are suggested donation amounts, but I typically only pay a few dollars when I visit. The Met Gala exists for a reason, right?

4. Ice Skating

There are a variety of ice skating rinks across the city, both indoors and outdoors. Admittedly, ice skating is not my favorite activity, but there are quite a few fun and inexpensive rinks in the city, including:

• Abe Stark Rink at the Coney Island Boardwalk (admission is $9 and skate rental is just $5)
• Bryant Park Rink (admission is free, you just have to pay for rentals!)
• Governors Island (admission is free on Fridays and skate rental is just $8)
• Wollman Rink (admission is free with Culture Pass)

5. Movie Night

I’m a proud member of the AMC Stubs A-List cult, and I famously won’t shut up about it. For just $24.95 a month, you can see up to three movies per week. Depending on how frequently you visit the movies, this subscription is quickly worth it. I’m not proud of it, but I’ve definitely spent $20 on a single movies trip in New York!

If you’re not ready to completely commit to a movie membership, there are many theaters (including AMC!) that offer discounts on Tuesdays. Here are a few:

• AMC: $5 tickets if you make an AMC Stubs account
• Regal: $7 tickets for Regal Crown Club members
• Village East: $8 tickets on Tuesdays if you’re on their mailing list

Many of the independent theaters, including Nitehawk Cinema, Film Forum, Spectacle, and the IFC Center also offer cheaper tickets than the bigger chains and/or offer student discounts! Often, these theaters have special events, too, so make sure you keep informed on their mailing lists or websites!

These ideas have been crowdsourced from my best and brightest Instagram followers, and they are yours for the taking! Use them to impress your besties or your Hinge dates. Let me know in the comments if you’ve gone to any of these places in NYC in the winter, or if you have any other ideas of cool things to do when it’s too cold outside!