Image of a couple running together on NYC’s Brooklyn Bridge

Grab your love and head to NYC for an unforgettable Valentine’s Day trip!

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and you need to impress that special someone. Looking for ideas that combine romance, creativity, sophistication and adventure? A trip to New York City will definitely combine all of those things. We’re thinking an apartment getaway that is a destination in itself, mouthwatering cuisine, a romantic show and an iconic backdrop for a Valentine’s kiss photo op should do the trick. We’ve got some inspiration to help you plan an epic Valentine’s Day in NYC…

Image of couple kissing with a bouquet of flowers on a row boat in Central Park

A romantic setting like NYC’s Central Park is the perfect spot to pop the question this Valentine’s Day! (Photo credit: pixabay)

A Romantic Dinner for Two

It’s said the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, luckily NYC is known for its impressive food scene. For a day celebrating love and romance you need a special spot. For the NYC fanatic try a famous spot like the Central Park Boathouse and dine on scrumptious cuisine lakeside while row boats and gondolas ferry couples under Bow Bridge and across the lake in Manhattan’s enchanting Central Park. Also located in bucolic Central Park is the landmark restaurant Tavern on the Green where you can enjoy upscale dining in an elegant setting with wood beamed ceilings and multiple hearths.

Image of the dining room of La Grenouille French restaurant in NYC decorated all in red with flowers and candles

A romantic dinner at one of NYC’s finest restaurants is sure to win over your lover (Photo credit: http://la-grenouille.com/)

For classic fine dining with waiters in jackets, La Grenouille is sure to impress with haute French cuisine in plush surroundings with legendary floral arrangements. For Valentine’s Day the atmosphere will be filled with flowers, candles, pink champagne and a sumptuous dinner menu. For something a little less fancy but still thoughtfully impressive, try a cute brunch spot. If you’re single grab your besties, if you’re spoken for grab your significant other, and head to Greenpoint, Brooklyn for a low-key, trendy yet romantic bottomless brunch at the aptly named Milk & Roses with an intimate library setting of walls lined with books, cozy red booths to canoodle in and live music. Check our blog on budget-friendly Valentine’s ideas for more inspiration.

Image of the word “love” spelled in gold balloons and a couple kissing in the dark with string lights behind

Pick a cozy romantic spot to celebrate Valentine’s Day in NYC (Photo credit: pxfuel)

For the romantic film buff with a sweet tooth, take your date to Cafe Lalo on the Upper West Side where scenes from the movie You’ve Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks were filmed. Here you’ll find cafe style offerings from Belgian waffles to organic vegetarian dishes and a seemingly endless selection of delectable desserts.

Have Drinks with Ambiance

Whether you’re single or taken having a drink in an intimate atmosphere will give you the valentine’s vibe. Rose Bar in Gramercy is appropriately named and you can find plenty of singles sipping on a cocktail behind the large velvet curtains of this hip hangout on the ground floor of the Gramercy Park Hotel. The spot turns into a club after 9pm so you can keep the vibe going late into the night. For drinks with a view, head to one of the city’s many rooftop bars.

Image of the bedroom of vacation rental NY-12330 in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan with bed with purple bedding, a red rug and smokey rose colored painted wall

Rent this loft vacation rental (NY-12330) in NYC’s lovely Gramercy neighborhood for Valentine’s Day

This 1 bedroom vacation rental in the Gramercy section of Manhattan lets you live (albeit temporarily) in a real New York City loft like you’ve seen in movies, and right on Park Avenue too! Set in the lovely Gramercy neighborhood, this apartment getaway is conveniently within walking distance of Rose Bar and many top restaurants. The apartment has a roomy king size bed and a fully equipped kitchen in case you plan to prepare a post Valentine’s Day breakfast for your sweetheart. It’s location places you close to Madison Square Park and the famous Flatiron Building so you have famed NYC spots right outside your door.

Image of a box of chocolate covered strawberries

Treat your love to a sweet getaway to NYC for Valentine’s Day (Photo credit:Unsplash)

Air’s Champagne Parlor (127 Macdougal Street) has a dimly-lit seductive ambiance for an evening of champagne, oysters and caviar. Cruise around Manhattan and impress your date or just drink yourself silly on a Valentine’s Day Yacht Party Cruise. Check out Hornblower Cruises & Events sailings on Feb 14 and 15th with multiple bars, dance floors and two levels of music. Classic Harbor Lines’ yacht Manhattan II offers a more intimate Valentine’s Champagne Tasting Cruise where you’ll taste a variety of champagnes cruising by lower Manhattan sights with chocolate covered strawberries as the finale. You can book on their website, cruises leave from Chelsea Piers. While you’re near the Hudson River don’t miss a romantic sunset over the water or check out our blog on other perfect spots to catch a NYC sunset.

Image of a heart shaped chocolate cake covered with fruit and rose petals and a spatula dipped in chocolate

Take a gourmet cooking class in NYC with your partner for some Valentine’s fun (Photo credit: industrious)

Get Creative Together

If you’re a creative type, try a chocolate or dessert making class. Tache Artisan Chocolates will bring the class to you so you can get expert chocolate making tips right in the kitchen of your rented apartment! You can learn techniques from the likes of trained French pastry chef Simon Herfray, owner of Atelier Sucre NYC (104 E 7th St) which offers classes year round on pastry making to create exquisite desserts plus wine and dessert tasting events pairing decadent pastries with fabulous French wines. Book one of their Valentine’s Sweet Night classes (Feb 13-15) and learn how to make a delectable heart shaped chocolate mousse cake topped with fruits, and heart shaped cookies you and your Valentine can decorate together – made with love!

Image from Phantom of the Opera on Broadway with the main characters in a boat in the dark surrounded by candles

A romantic-themed Broadway show like Phantom of the Opera is a must for Valentine’s Day in NYC (Photo credit: pxfuel.com)

For something out of the ordinary, Camaje Bistro (85 Macdougal St) hosts cooking classes to make the perfect Valentine’s meal and Dining in the Dark events on a regular basis where you dine blindfolded focusing on your other senses for a tantalizing experience. For more ideas read our blog on romantic activities to do in the Big Apple.

See a Seductive Theater Show

If your date is a theater lover, book tickets to a show with a romantic theme like Phantom of the Opera’s timeless tale of obsession and unrequited love or a risqué cabaret and burlesque show like Le Scandal at Laurie Beechman Theater where you’ll be entertained by contortionists, dancers, and trapeze artists while you drink and dine.

Image of an all-red theater set from Moulin Rouge the Musical

The NYC set of Moulin Rouge the Musical is decked out in Valentine’s red (photo credit: Matthew Murphy)

Moulin Rouge the Musical is another top contender that will transport you to a world of splendor and romance. The sultry red stage set and cabaret dancers are very Valentine-esque. This “theatrical celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and -above all- love” sets the mood of the holiday perfectly. Speaking of setting the mood, for an unforgettable trip to the Big Apple you need the perfect accommodation with character, classic style and a romantic ambiance.

Image of the bedroom of alcove studio vacation rental NY-17657 in Harlem with bed and lounge with antiques and ornate woodwork in the background

This brownstone alcove studio vacation rental in Harlem (NY-17657) is full of classic charm and romance

You’ll find all three in this alcove studio vacation rental in a historic brownstone in Harlem. Maybe it’s the dark wood details or the decorative fireplace, but this accommodation is intimate and enchanting, harking back to another era with opulent antique furnishings and a claw foot tub to soak in. Just a few stops away along the 2 and 3 subway line you’ll find Central Park, Times Square and 34th Street.

Image of a couple on top of a skyscraper at sunset with the Empire State Building lit up in the background

The top of the Empire State Building is an iconic spot especially for Valentine’s Day (Photo credit: Unsplash)

Iconic Locations for Lovers

NYC is filled with romantic spots and iconic locations from movies and famous photos sure to leave your date breathless. In the films An Affair to Remember, Love Affair, and Sleepless in Seattle, lovers meet at the top of the Empire State Building, so it has fittingly become the place for a marriage proposal. There’s even a Valentine’s Day contest to be one of the lucky couples to get married at the top of this landmark. Not ready to commit? You can still get tickets and enjoy a romantic visit with an Instagram-worthy view and a late night saxophone player. The building will be decked out with dynamic heartbeat lighting in honor of Valentine’s Day.

Image of the bedroom of 1 bedroom vacation rental NY-16771 in Murray Hill Midtown East NYC

Rent this 1 bedroom vacation rental (NY-16771) in Midtown East with a luxurious spa right in the building for some couple’s relaxation

Within walking distance of the Empire State Building you can slumber in this 1 bedroom vacation rental in Midtown East with a luxurious king size bed in a building with hotel-style amenities.  Make use of the full kitchen to prepare a romantic dinner in the privacy of your apartment and keep your favorite bottle of wine or champagne chilled for this special occasion in the convenient wine refrigerator. The building features a gym, indoor pool and lobby bar with romantic fireplace. Book a spa day at the luxurious Turkish hammam on-site.

 

Even hectic Times Square in Midtown Manhattan gets in the romantic mood in February so be sure to stop by and partake in all the lovey-dovey displays of affection while you browse the surrounding shops for the perfect gift, perhaps a perfume or a souvenir of your trip. You can even renew your marriage vows or get hitched with all the world watching!

The winner of its annual Valentine Heart Design Competition will be on display in Father Duffy Square right in the center of all the action. Take a picture next to this year’s contest winner “Heart Squared” and declare your love on social media. Maybe you’ll even be inspired to recreate the iconic V-Day (or V-J Day) photograph of a sailor kissing a nurse in the middle of Times Square on Victory over Japan Day in 1945, marking the end of World War II, and see how many of your social media followers can identify the reference.

Image of the word “love” written in black on a red brick wall

NYC is full of Valentine’s Day romance if you just look around (Photo credit: Scott cc by 2.0)

If you don’t want your Valentine’s Day ending in World War III you better get planning the perfect getaway. If you need help finding the ideal vacation rental,  send us a NYC apartment request through our website and an agent will find you the perfect love nest. If you’re staying around for the winter you can also rent a furnished apartment by the month or more.