New York City: Date Ideas in NYC for an Animal Lover

In New York City, there are plenty of dogs on leashes and pigeons, but other animals aren't seen very frequently. Surprise an animal lover date by taking him or her to a location that celebrates animals. Whether it's avoiding animals at a vegetarian restaurant or petting them at the zoo, your date in NYC is sure to be pleased.

Volunteering

There are many places to volunteer across the city, especially at animal shelters or animal events. Contact a local organization at least a few days ahead of time and ask if they can use two volunteers for a few hours. Everyone wins- both you and your date will get to spend time around animals, help out the organization and you win sensitivity points. You can also check out Nycares.org for opportunities if you already went through their orientation process.

Central Park Zoo

A staple in NYC, the Central Park Zoo is home to many animals including sea lions, birds, pandas, and polar bears. Each ticket is $12 and they are open 365 days of the year. From March 27 to October 31 they are open 10 am - 5 pm Monday through Fri and on weekends and holidays they are open 10 am - 5:30 pm. From November 1 to April 1 they are open 10a - 4:30p daily. They have seal and penguin feeding presentations so see if you can catch that as well.

Buddha Bodai Restaurant

Buddha Bodai is a vegetarian restaurant that uses only one hundred percent vegan oil. They also serve kosher food and are located right in Chinatown. They serve such items as a large mango pudding ($9.95) and General Tsao's Chicken ($12.95), which is made with soy skin and mushroom root. Buddha Bodai, located on Mott Street, is open daily from 10 am - 10 pm.

Attend an Animal Event

The Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals has a page on their website titled "Fundraisers, Benefits, Friendraisers, Classes, and Other NYC Animal Events" which lists different events you and your date may like to attend. It is a chance to help animals, do some good and chances are, try something different. You may also learn something new that you can use if you have your own animals at home.

There are many options for where you can take an animal lover on a date in New York City, some may just take a bit of planning ahead of time. When going anywhere that you may get messy, such as volunteering, make sure to take extra clothes to change in to afterward, especially if you're planning on going somewhere else.

Note: Information and links are subject to change after publication of this article. Please call the location before visiting for up-to-date information.

Sources:

http://www.chinatownvegetarian.com/index.htm

http://www.centralparkzoo.com/

http://www.newyorkcares.org/

http://www.animalalliancenyc.org/events/other.htm