For couples · New York City · United States
Romantic things to do in New York City
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dansnguyen, CC0
Quick answer
New York's romance is cinematic: skyline views at dusk, a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, jazz in a Village basement and a late dinner in the West Village. Plan sunset at a viewpoint, then let the evening unfold. Couples tend to stay in Chelsea and the Meatpacking District.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 6
- Couple-friendly sights
- 5
- Area for couples
- Chelsea and the Meatpacking District
- Best months
- April–June and September–October
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset at Top of the Rock
Watch the light fade over the Empire State Building and Central Park from Rockefeller Center's open-air decks.
2.Brooklyn Bridge at dawn
Walk across the bridge in the early morning, when the promenade is quiet and the skyline glows.
3.Jazz in the Village
Book a set at a historic Greenwich Village jazz club such as the Village Vanguard, open since 1935.
4.Bow Bridge in Central Park
Stroll to the cast-iron bridge over the Lake, one of the park's most photographed spots.
5.DUMBO waterfront at sunset
Watch the Manhattan skyline light up from Brooklyn Bridge Park, then ride Jane's Carousel.
6.Dinner in the West Village
Book a candlelit table in the tree-lined streets around Bleecker and Bedford Streets.
Sights couples love
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Park · Central Park
Central Park
Walk or cycle from Columbus Circle to Bethesda Terrace and Bow Bridge, then leave by the Met on Fifth Avenue.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
Viewpoint · Midtown
Top of the Rock
Book a slot about 45 minutes before sunset to see the city in daylight, at dusk and after dark.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Couples
- After dark
- Iconic
Experience · Theater District
A Broadway show
Buy discounted same-day tickets at the TKTS booth in Times Square or through official digital lotteries and rush tickets.
- Time needed
- 2.5–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- After dark
- Couples
Experience · Financial District
Staten Island Ferry
Stand on the right-hand side heading to Staten Island for the best views of the statue, then simply ride back.
- Time needed
- 1 hour round trip
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
Neighbourhood · DUMBO
DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge Park
Arrive for sunset to watch the skyline light up across the East River, then walk back to Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Couples
Where couples should stay
$$$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, culture and couples
Chelsea and the Meatpacking District
West Chelsea has hundreds of art galleries between 10th and 11th Avenues, the High Line running overhead and the Chelsea Market food hall, while the cobbled Meatpacking District to the south has the Whitney Museum, rooftop bars and clubs. Hudson Yards and the Little Island park are at either end.
- Good
- Free galleries and the High Line; Excellent restaurants and bars; Walk to the West Village
- Watch out
- Expensive; Fewer subway lines on the far west side
- Nearby
- High Line, Chelsea Market, Whitney Museum, Hudson Yards
Romantic day trips
- Beacon and Dia Beacon (About 1 hour 30 minutes by train) — Dia Beacon, in a former Nabisco box-printing factory on the Hudson, displays large-scale minimalist and conceptual art by Richard Serra, Donald Judd and others.
- Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown (About 45 minutes by train) — The villages that inspired Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow have the Old Dutch Church and its burying ground, the Philipsburg Manor farm and Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate.
- The Hamptons (About 2 hours 30 minutes by train or coach) — The villages of Long Island's South Fork — Southampton, East Hampton and Montauk at the tip — have wide Atlantic beaches, farm stands and the Montauk Point Lighthouse.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Pastrami on rye. Bodegas and delis on almost every corner sell sandwiches, coffee and snacks at all hours.
Questions travellers ask
+Is New York City romantic?
New York's romance is cinematic: skyline views at dusk, a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, jazz in a Village basement and a late dinner in the West Village. Plan sunset at a viewpoint, then let the evening unfold.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in New York City?
Sunset at Top of the Rock: Watch the light fade over the Empire State Building and Central Park from Rockefeller Center's open-air decks.
+Where should couples stay in New York City?
Chelsea and the Meatpacking District: The High Line, art galleries and Chelsea Market.