Romantic Things to Do in Midtown NYC
It’s impossible to escape the romance of New York. From the history found down every alley to the countless movies and music that have been created as love letters to the city itself, New York is a persistent, if not a bit hopeless, romantic. Yet, for a city that always seems caught between love and heartbreak, there are specific spots and hideaways that can make even the most normal of days romantic.
At Refinery, we’ve got a hundred years of history to back-up our top choices in romantic things to do in Midtown. In the early 1900s, Winifred T. McDonald rented the building’s ground floor and transformed it into a fashionable tea room for the hundreds of women who worked in the Garment District’s hat factories. A century later, Winnie’s spirit lives on. Here, our very own Winnie, donned in her hat (courtesy of The NYC Hat Shop), shows us around her picks for the most romantic things to do on a date in Midtown.
Finding Romance in Midtown
Gabriel Kreuther
White tablecloths, soft lighting, warm wood tones, Michelin-starred French food, and a wine list that spans 61 pages: chef Gabriel Kreuther’s eponymous restaurant oozes romance. The new classic—it opened in 2015—in Midtown makes for one of the city’s most beautiful dinner date spots.
Skating at Bryant Park
Skating hand in hand under towering skyscrapers at the Bryant Park rink is an exceedingly picturesque Midtown date spot. It’s also super affordable (helpful, after a meal at Gabriel Kreuther): skate rentals are $20, but entrance to the rink is free! Open through March, the rink is one of our favorite places to send guests looking for an active couple’s adventure.
Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theater
We LOVE a good musical. And NYC has plenty of them. Broadway shows make for a perfect date for a few reasons. A) They’re amazing. B) There’s wine. C) Seats are close together so you can hold hands during the big ballads or play footsie during the fun dancey numbers. There are constantly new shows to see, and we’re big fans of seeing the new and notable. That said…it’s hard to ignore the romantic pull of Phantom of the Opera, the safest bet for a romantic Broadway date night. Sweeping melodies, lush sets, rich costuming and a story centered on the definitions of love make it a sensory overload.
Planetarium at the National History Museum
Stargazing in NYC? It’s the perfect date activity. We love visiting the Hayden Planetarium, where you and your love interest can explore the universe together. And while Museum of Natural History is not in Midtown, we’ll make an exception because it’s so worth the easy trek to the Upper West Side.
