Free Valentine's Day Activities in New York City

Many New Yorkers are already vying for reservations in posh New York City restaurants on Valentine's Day. They are squirreling away money for dinner and a $20 view of the city. People are making costly plans in the name of love.

It's time you made plans, too, but you've found a list of ten FREE romantic things to do on Valentine's Day in New York City. Not only will you avoid crowds and save money, your inspired creativity will gain you favor in your lover's eyes.

Free Romance Compliments of New York City - Brooklyn Heights Promenade
The key to a romantic Valentine's Day in New York is finding a breath taking view. Brooklyn Heights Promenade is considered by locals to be one of the absolute best views in the city. It is a short, 1/3 mile stretch of sidewalk along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

From Brooklyn Heights Promenade you can see the Brooklyn Bridge on the East River, South Street Seaport, and lower Manhattan. The breathtaking view is overwhelming during the daylight and stunningly romantic at night.

Well manicured streets and lawns wrap Brooklyn Heights Promenade in coziness that contrasts the stunning array of city skyscrapers and lights. Park benches line the Promenade. You can sit and share inspirational words of love or stroll Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

The cars passing on the freeway below provide a soft, almost rhythmic background to the romantic vista. The sights, sounds, and spirit of love in the air create a surreal experience.

If you decide to stop for a snack, you can visit a chocolate shop, ice cream shop, or pizza shop. If you plan to sit down for a bite take a red cloth and a couple of candles. Your love will be swept away as you create your own candlelight dinner.

From the Promenade, you can walk to the historic Brooklyn Bridge, which is among the most popular places to propose in New York City.

Free Romance Compliments of New York City - Tudor City Park
If you are looking for a quieter, more secluded spot, find Tudor City Park. Once filth ridden, tenements, Tudor City was completely renovated by Real Estate mogul and entrepreneur Fred F. French, in 1925.

Tudor City Park is now filled with apartments and hotels, each a magnificent architectural piece of brick, mortar, and intricate stone work. Gargoyles and other intricate designs accent the structures.

In the 1940's slaughter houses in the area were destroyed to make room for the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

Today, Tudor City is a nationally recognized historic district and a welcoming park.

Tudor City includes the area between 40^th street to 43^rd Street between First and Second Avenue. This refreshing respite is easy to find. It offers a unique place of warmth and romance. You'll have plenty of scenic views and encounter street musicians along the way.

More information: Tudor City Park

Free Romance Compliments of New York City - Take in a free play.
Drama and the arts define the culture of New York. Enjoy a free play on Valentine's Day at the Julliard Dance, Drama, and Music School. Students in their final year of drama perform The Greeks, Part Two: The Murders.

Presentations by the Julliard School are among the best in New York City. The level of talent and creativity among Julliard students is amazing. A free performance in New York is quite a treat on Valentine's Day.

The show starts at 8pm. Two free tickets are available to the public at the Julliard box office beginning January 31. A line for a limited number of stand-by tickets forms an hour prior to the performance. If you can't pick up tickets prior to performance night, be among the first in line for stand-by tickets.

Enjoy a walk around Lincoln Center after the play. You'll find Damrosch Park in front of the Metropolitan Opera House. Josie Robertson Plaza is sandwiched between the New York State Theater and Avery Fisher Hall. Revson Fountain will lull you into amazement with its dazzling water and light show and display.

Julliard School of Dance, Drama, and Music
Broadway and West 65th Street (northwest corner).
*All venue entrances currently at 144 West 66^th Street. (Due to construction.)

More info:
The Julliard School
The Lincoln Performing Arts Center
The Lincoln Performing Arts Center: Revson Fountain

Free Romance Compliments of New York City - Explore Chelsea and SoHo art galleries.
For an afternoon Valentine's date, head west, from downtown, and explore the streets in and around SoHo and/or Chelsea. Over 500 galleries feature eclectic collections of modern photography, painting, and sculpting from New York's emerging artists.

Enjoy warehouse and store front galleries with free admission. Your date will be an adventure of discovery. Catch a contagious spirit of hope, expectation, and freedom along the trendy streets.

In addition to a variety of intriguing exhibits you will enjoy people watching. Find a bench and soak in the atmosphere. You will be among some of the most creative and unique people in the United States.

Make sure you get off the beaten path, heading west toward the Hudson. Numerous galleries are hidden within the streets between SoHo and Chelsea.

Hours for most galleries are 10am-6pm. Plan an early afternoon start.

Free Romance Compliments of New York City - Attend a Free Concert
Among the artists of New York, you can always find some free event. Valentine's Day the Julliard Organists offer a free concert at the Church of Saint Mary, the Virgin. This concert is part of an effort to bring the sounds of the pipe organ back into the mainstream of art. The concert will be directed by Paul Jacobs. Organists include Joseph Arndt, Keenan Boswell, Nicole Cochran, Mitchell Crawford, Isabelle Demers, Daniel Sullivan, Eugene Lavery, James Wetzel, and Noah Wynne-Morton.

No tickets are required. The concert begins at 8pm. The last concert of this kind in New York resulted in a full house. Plan well, and arrive early.

Church of Saint Mary, the Virgin
145 West 46th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues)
The Julliard Journal Online

Free Romance Compliments of New York City - Visit Staten Island Botanical Garden
For a sensual, aesthetic experience visit the botanical gardens at Staten Island. The Gardens are open from dawn to dusk. Try something different and start the day with your Valentine's date. Enjoy the garden grounds at sunrise. Pick up breakfast afterward.

In February, enjoy blooming Neomarica, Hibiscus, Jasmine, and Orchids.

If you are lucky enough to spend the whole day with your love, explore the rest of the gardens. The Chinese Scholar's Gardens admission is $5, but the cost is worth the sensual and visual exhilaration.

At least consider Connie Gretz's Secret Garden. Admission is only $1, or free with admission to the Chinese Scholar's Gardens.

Staten Island Botanical Gardens are located:

1000 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
Phone: (718) 273-8200
www.sibg.org

Free Romance Compliments of New York City - Cruise the Hudson.
Admittedly, the term "cruise" inflates the claim, but you'll experience a romantic ride aboard the ferry from Battery Park City. The ferry ride is free and offers a stunning view of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor.

Take advantage of the vast waterfront to enjoy a quiet visit together along the banks of the Hudson. From Battery Park to West 59^th, enjoy Hudson River Park, another quaint respite from the city.

Don't forget your hat and gloves. It's cold in February. It would be considerate to bring along Chapstick!

Find more information at Hudson River Park website.

Free Romance Compliments of New York City - Take in the sights and sounds of Rockefeller Center.
Rockefeller Center encompasses 11 acres in the heart of Manhattan, between 49^th and 52^nd streets and 5^th to 7^th avenues. Rockefeller Center captivates the senses and heightens the excitement of being in the city.

Enjoy architectural wonders and the diverse art deco look and feel of Rockefeller Center. Take a cab into Rockefeller Center; a few blocks short of 30 Rockefeller Plaza get out and walk. This will give you the chance to look around and enjoy a variety murals and mosaics.

When you reach the Plaza, you will find famous statues of Prometheus and Atlas overlooking tourists. Spend time watching ice skaters; it's a free show of elegance and comedy. You'll also enjoy the colorful display of the flags of all nations.

As you stroll the streets of Rockefeller Center buildings tower above, bustling with business and excitement in the daytime and shimmering lights in the evening.

Free Romance Compliments of New York City - Central Park
No visit to the city is complete without a visit to Central Park. Central Park is an aesthetic and cultural experience. It is the perfect destination for Valentine's Day.

Central Park is a demonstration of expertise in planning and implementation. The beauty, history, notoriety, and aura of Central Park will work to your advantage on Valentine's Day. The park offers an abundance of sites to see and dreamy opportunities for a romantic encounter.

Enter Central Park in any of its five sections and find the beauty of diversity and complexity blended into a serene mosaic which warms your heart.

Stroll the Mall or the wooded Bramble. Find a musician to serenade your lover. Enjoy the beauty of the conservatory Gardens.

Have a seat and share time with your Valentine: grab a bench on the Mall, enjoy historic Bethesda Terrace, or find a resting place on Bow Bridge. If it's not snowing, find a place on the massive lawn and spread a blanket long enough to share wine and cheese, or hot cocoa and cookies. .

Free Romance Compliments of New York City - Personalize a tour of New York's most romantic spots.
Go all out and plan your own romantic tour of New York. Visit several of the sites mentioned above, or China Town and Little Italy to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of New York's unique blended cultures. You'll hear live street jazz and see impromptu street actors if you wonder around Washington Circle or Broadway.

Take along your digital camera. Have someone take pictures of you in each romantic spot. Later, create a memorable movie or slideshow of a Valentine's Day you'll never forget.

Share personal love poems at different romantic spots during your tour. Pick up a fresh pastry along the way, and buy a fresh bouquet from a street vendor. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars in New York's romantic hot spots, add a few thoughtful perks to your personal tour and make Valentine's Day extra special.

You can always find plenty to do on Valentine's Day in New York City. Even a free date, well planned, will be special in the city that lends itself to romance. New York is especially electric with love and romance on Valentine's Day.