It’s extremely rare that my boyfriend isn’t working on a weeknight so we made the most of it while we were in New York City. It was such a novelty to plan a date night on a Tuesday! This NYC date night isn’t super romantic – it was a pretty low-key evening exploring Midtown Manhattan, but I couldn’t have been happier. Whether it’s with someone you love, your best friend or just yourself, Midtown has all the makings of a perfect NYC date.

As I’m writing this post, my boyfriend comes over and asks what I’m writing about.

“That midtown date night”

“Which one was that?”

…Clearly, it left a bit more of an impression on me! Haha.

Bryant Park

We met at Bryant Park after he finished work. This is one of my favourite parks in New York because it’s a little pocket of green smack bang in the middle of Manhattan, only a few blocks from Times Square. It just oozes New York but I can’t put my finger on why. It could be the angular skyscrapers cutting sharp shapes in the slightly smoggy blue sky, or it could be the oversized pot plants overflowing with deep green shrubs and electric pink and purple flowers I haven’t seen in the Southern Hemisphere.

This was only meant to be a meeting point but I’m never one to turn down a carb, so I bought a waffle from one of the kiosks. It tasted like sugary cardboard.

New York Public Library

The library is beside Bryant Park and it’s a pretty majestic looking building, so we poked around before closing. I really wanted to see the Rose Reading Room but it was closed for renovations. Everything is under renovations during summer in New York City. We wandered around for a while, in awe of how quiet, squeaky clean and expensive it all was.

Finding New York’s Gilded Age in Grand Central Station

But we weren’t on a study date, so we ambled further east towards Grand Central. A library followed by a train station. Sounds pretty unromantic, even by my standards, but there is a method to my madness. Midtown East is old-world, opulent New York City and after a lifetime of seeing New York on screens, it felt surreal to be walking amongst giant landmarks like Grand Central and the Chrysler Building.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

In the belly of Grand Central Station is Grand Central Oyster Bar. It’s been operating since the 1920s and is probably one of the coolest spaces I’ve ever seen. It was like stepping into New York’s gilded age. There was a long list of about thirty different oysters we could try. The oysters in America are huge!

Cocktails at the Campbell Apartment

Grand Central keeps coming up with the goods. The Campbell Apartment is an intimate cocktail lounge that has become a New York City institution over the past 17 years. It is one of my favourite bars in New York and it stopping for a cocktail (or two) was the highlight of my evening. It doesn’t get much more Midtown than this.

Times Square … for Five Guys. Burgers & Fries.

Yep. My boyfriend was obsessed with Five Guys, so we stopped in on the way home. It was my first (and last) time at Five Guys. The burger was okay but the chips were weird. I take my chips pretty seriously. It’s pretty hard to beat the burger at Spotted Pig in West Village. Still, it was a fun way to end an evening enjoying iconic New York City.

What have I missed? What would be part of your perfect night in New York?

Genevieve Lauren

Hello! I’m an Australian travel blogger, living in Melbourne, Australia. I grew up in Brisbane, studied in Paris, lived & worked in New York City and now live in Melbourne, Australia.

I love sharing specific and useful recommendations, itineraries and guides for the most beautiful things to see, do, experience & eat wherever I go.

My favourite travel destinations are Australia, New York City & surrounds, France, Greece & Japan, but I’m always excited to explore somewhere new!

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