The New Yorkers' Guide To A Memorable Valentine
It's February again! While some of you may be too busy to plan, the rest may be disheartened or simply exhausted from planning Valentine's Day year after year. To ease some of your angst, I compiled a list of inspiring ideas that will impress your dates with a day full of romance!
Since Valentine's Day is on Sunday, I'm sure a lot of your plans will start early in the afternoon or even in the morning, so let me start off with:
Gifts to give
Chocolate
Most girls loooooove chocolate! Therefore you can never go wrong with gifting a delicious box of high quality chocolate! So here is my list of the best (non-touristy) chocolate in NYC, ranges from brands of international chain to the local Brooklyn chocolatier.
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| Chocolate from Peninsula Hotel |
Most girls loooooove chocolate! Therefore you can never go wrong with gifting a delicious box of high quality chocolate! So here is my list of the best (non-touristy) chocolate in NYC, ranges from brands of international chain to the local Brooklyn chocolatier.
Stick with Me Sweet: Founded by a former Per Se chocolatier, this shop is on top of my list! The stores offers numerous creative flavors; To name a few of my favourites: black sesame with passion fruit, caramelized banana, praline, matcha green tea, yuzu and house dark chocolate! The store locates at 202A Mott Street, NY (near SoHo). A word of warning: the chocolate can fairly pricey and can add up quickly. But if there's a time to splurge, it would be on this special day!
Royce Chocolate: Royce is a Japanese chocolate company founded more than three decades ago. In addition to their delightful chocolates, they serve a wide variety of other treats. Their signature is the Nama Chocolate Mild Cacao (Above photo: A Must Have!). Other best sellers include: the Chocolate Maccha (must have for matcha lovers), Potatochip Chocolate Original (must try for chips lovers) and the Chocolate Wafers Hazel Cream which makes for a great gift for your date! Here are their shop locations.
Raaka Chocolate: Raaka is a Brooklyn chocolatier, known for their virgin chocolate made by unroasted cacao beans. The "Smoked Chai" flavor and "Pink Sea Salt" flavor are must haves! Write them down now!!
La Maison du Chocolat: This is a well-known French luxury chocolatier with a pretty high price tag to match! If you want to show off some love, this could be it. : ) Here are their shop locations.
Vosges Haut-Chocolat: If looks are more important than taste for you, this pretty pink box of chocolate ($15) is your next option to win over your date's heart!
Or something fun like Jacques Torres'I Love U Puzzle (above) $11.
Jelina chocolatier from Whole Foods Market: Just because chocolates are selling at a supermarket, it does not mean they cannot measure up to the competition! I've been buying and tasting different chocolate brands from WFM for quite some time and finally discovered one that delightfully stood out from the rest! Among the 13 different flavors Jelina has, "Maple Crunch" and "Earl Grey" are my favourite picks! Trust me, you will not regret it!
Flowers
For a longer lasting kind of love, may I suggest dried or preserved flowers, simply because they can last far longer; pretty much until the day you get sick of them! I found this stall in Union Square where I was told that they have been selling dried flowers for over 20 years at the very same location! They have flower plants, flower bouquets and wreaths, all made with 100% dried flowers! Open every Monday and Wednesday, this is definitely worth a trip to Union Square!
For the creativity in you, this edible Doritos roses might just be a perfect fun gift! Click here for a step-by-step guide on how to make a bouquet of roses with Doritos.
Royce Chocolate: Royce is a Japanese chocolate company founded more than three decades ago. In addition to their delightful chocolates, they serve a wide variety of other treats. Their signature is the Nama Chocolate Mild Cacao (Above photo: A Must Have!). Other best sellers include: the Chocolate Maccha (must have for matcha lovers), Potatochip Chocolate Original (must try for chips lovers) and the Chocolate Wafers Hazel Cream which makes for a great gift for your date! Here are their shop locations.
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| Photo from Raaka Chocolate |
Raaka Chocolate: Raaka is a Brooklyn chocolatier, known for their virgin chocolate made by unroasted cacao beans. The "Smoked Chai" flavor and "Pink Sea Salt" flavor are must haves! Write them down now!!
La Maison du Chocolat: This is a well-known French luxury chocolatier with a pretty high price tag to match! If you want to show off some love, this could be it. : ) Here are their shop locations.
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| Photo from Vosges Haut Chocolat |
Vosges Haut-Chocolat: If looks are more important than taste for you, this pretty pink box of chocolate ($15) is your next option to win over your date's heart!
Or something fun like Jacques Torres'I Love U Puzzle (above) $11.
Jelina chocolatier from Whole Foods Market: Just because chocolates are selling at a supermarket, it does not mean they cannot measure up to the competition! I've been buying and tasting different chocolate brands from WFM for quite some time and finally discovered one that delightfully stood out from the rest! Among the 13 different flavors Jelina has, "Maple Crunch" and "Earl Grey" are my favourite picks! Trust me, you will not regret it!
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| This is a dried flower bouquet. Photo from NHWoodscreations |
For a longer lasting kind of love, may I suggest dried or preserved flowers, simply because they can last far longer; pretty much until the day you get sick of them! I found this stall in Union Square where I was told that they have been selling dried flowers for over 20 years at the very same location! They have flower plants, flower bouquets and wreaths, all made with 100% dried flowers! Open every Monday and Wednesday, this is definitely worth a trip to Union Square!
For the creativity in you, this edible Doritos roses might just be a perfect fun gift! Click here for a step-by-step guide on how to make a bouquet of roses with Doritos.
More
Or you can impress her by showing her how much she means to you with these TF handpicked Valentine's Day gifts : )
Or you can impress her by showing her how much she means to you with these TF handpicked Valentine's Day gifts : )
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| Diptyque - Rosaviola Candle 2.4 Oz |
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| Christian Louboutin - Rouge Louboutin Silky Satin |
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| Burberry - Thomas Bear Charm in Check Cashmere P.S. Most girls love furry cute little toy! Plus this is from Burberry! |
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| David Yurman - Cable Collectibles Heart Lock Bracelet with Diamonds |
Things to do
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| Finding Neverland the Musical |
Off Broadway Week starts from Feb 1st through Valentine's Day, which means you can take full advantage of the "buy one get one free" promotion and show your date a good time!
More broadway shows option can be also found and purchase on TodayTix, a free mobile app recommended by NYTimes, which offers daily lotteries to certain Broadway and Off Broadway shows.
What about some ice skating fun in the afternoon with your date? If s/he is the active type, here is a complete list of skating rinks in NYC. For those of you who live in Brooklyn like I do, LeFrak Center at Lakeside Prospect Park (picture below) should be on your list. Not only is this skating rink the biggest, but it is also the only one that is sheltered with a view in NYC!
If the February weather is too cold for a romantic stroll in one of NY's outdoor parks, consider going to the world's first underground park in Lower East Side. This park will sure shelter you from all the elements that winter has to offer! Details can be found here.
You may also surprise your date with a unique afternoon tea experience! Afternoon tea is usually served between 3 pm to 5 pm. They generally consist of two sets of small bites such as mini sandwiches and scones and finish off with sweet pastries. Since afternoon tea is more of a British tradition and not common in the U.S., it's most likely your date has not experienced it before! Here are 3 of the best afternoon tea places in NYC.
Places to eat
Asiate: Located on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle, it offers a good view of the iconic Central Park. I once recommended this on my Facebook, and a friend saw and love it so much that she decided to move her entire wedding all the way from Asia to here! Crazy but true story.
Gabriel Kreuther (French, one Michelin star in 2015): I had my birthday dinner here last year. The food was pretty good. However, the restaurant is a bit noisy for a romantic dinner, considering the fact that it is a high-end restaurant. But hey, you will get the view of the iconic Empire State Building if you reserve the window table!
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| This is the bar area next to the entrance of Gabriel Kreuther. |
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| The sunset is always "greener (more stunning) on the other side of the fence (river)" |
Water's Edge: Located in Long Island City, Queens. This restaurant offers a great view of the famous Manhattan skyline. The outdoor seating might be a little too cold for February, but they do have a lot of indoor window seating. Reservation can be made here.
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| If you decide to go to Water's Edge, you can also go for a stroll at the nearby Gantry Plaza State Park! |
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| Xoxo |
Good luck & happy planning!
You might also be interested in 5 Memorable Birthday Celebration Ideas of All Times.
(Please note: All photos in my blog are taken by me, except the ones with me in it or stated otherwise, so please be respectful and do not use them without my consent.)
(Please note: All photos in my blog are taken by me, except the ones with me in it or stated otherwise, so please be respectful and do not use them without my consent.)
Bonus:
Here's the "heart" of NYC --- Empire State Building was lit up like a beating heart on St. Valentine's Day!
(Thank you ESB for sharing the video with us)
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