Top 10 First Date Spots (Guest Feature)
Sep 18th, 2008 | Author: The Fly Guy | Category: Fly Features
Comments (24)
Written By: Andrew Moore
The most important thing to remember when picking a first date locale is that you want it to be playful and a little bit unconventional. Every woman has gone on dozens of forgettable first dates — restaurants and movie theaters have been done to death. So how do you make your first date a memorable one?
You want to pick a place where you can have a conversation (impossible in a movie theater), but you don’t want to deal with the pressure of having to talk incessantly (that’s all there is to do in a coffee shop). Generally, places that were fun when you were a kid make the best first date locales. Plan dates that are centered around an activity, something casual and entertaining that the two of you can do together.
Try one of our top 10 first date locales, and we guarantee there’ll be a date number two.
No.10 – The great outdoors
On your first date you want to show her who you are. So take her somewhere you like to go and do something that you like doing. If you’re the outdoorsy type, go kayaking or take her on a hike — in the winter try snowshoeing or skiing. Just make sure whatever you have planned isn’t too strenuous (unless you’re certain your date is a fellow outdoors enthusiast and can handle the activity). It should also be noted that some women just aren’t the wilderness type. Then again, maybe that means she’s not your type either.
No.9 – Flea market
A first date is also an opportunity for you to get to know her. What are her tastes? What does she find funny? Flea markets are filled with cool, quirky stuff you can explore and discuss, providing a great chance for you to get to know one another.
It’s a common misconception that you need to fork over a huge wad of cash on a first date. Many women actually find brazen displays of wealth off-putting. Inexpensive dates, like a trip to the flea market as a first date locale, work better because they keep the focus on you and not on your wallet.
No.8 – Skating rink
Ice skating is a classic first date, as evidenced by its appearance in 97% of all romantic comedies. You’ll need to find out beforehand if your date knows how to skate, and it’s definitely a good idea if you can skate too (at least enough to avoid embarrassing yourself). Roller-skating is a good alternative if you can find a rink to hit up for your first date locale.
No.7 – Sporting event
It may seem counter-intuitive, but a sporting event is a great first date locale. You’ll have ample time to talk to each other, but the game action will give you a breather if you need it. You don’t need to take her to a big league game either; college basketball or minor league baseball will work just as well. Just make sure you pay more attention to your date than the score.
No.6 – Breakfast joint
Eating on a first date is sometimes a bad idea. You might end up talking with your mouth full or your first kiss could be laced with garlic. However, we’re going to go ahead and recommend the breakfast joint as a first date locale. It’s an unconventional twist on the traditional dinner date, and it works particularly well for that girl you met at the club the night before. Take her to your favorite greasy spoon for unforgettable French toast or outstanding omelets.
No.5 – Amusement park
Your first date locale should make it easier, not harder, for you to get to know one another. An amusement park works well in this respect. Does your date have a wild streak? Is she willing to try new things? Is she running for the roller coasters or would she rather share an intimate moment on the Ferris wheel?
Where you take a woman on your first date sends significant signals. Take her somewhere she’s been a dozen times before and she’ll think you’re just like every other guy. Take her somewhere unusual, like an amusement park, and suddenly you’re the source of new and exciting experiences.
No.4 – The park
The very best first date locales work well regardless of what “type” of girl you’re dating. It won’t matter if she’s athletic or artsy, introverted or out-going. A well-planned day in the park, for example, can be fun for anyone. Pack a picnic and include a decadent dessert. Buy a kite and assemble it together. Teach her how to throw a Frisbee. Plan a few different activities and you’ll be sure to keep her interested at this first date locale.
No.3 – The zoo
Most people — especially single people — haven’t been to a zoo in years, so your date will absolutely be original. Even better, all the animal antics will give you lots to talk about. And who doesn’t have fun in a monkey house?
The other good thing about zoos is that they’re frequented by families. Take your date to a dimly lit bar and buy her alcohol all night and she’s understandably going to be on guard. Take her to a place teeming with kids and koala bears, and she’s going to feel comfortable and relaxed. She’ll have more fun, and so will you.
No.2 – Bowling alley
Bowling meets just about every criteria of the best dates: it’s fun, unusual and easy for everyone to do. Even if one or both of you turns out to be a terrible bowler, who cares? You want to show her you can make anywhere a fun place to be, and you need to know if she can do the same. Can she let loose and have a good time even when she’s throwing gutter balls, or does she get uptight and worry about what other people might think?
No.1 – Miniature golf course
The miniature golf course is another relaxed environment that makes for a great first date locale. Plus, your date probably hasn’t played mini-golf since she was a kid, which makes it an original date locale. The pace of the game also provides lots of opportunities for conversations and flirting, and you’ll get to know her better while you play. Is she competitive? Can she laugh at herself? Does she have a temper? Easy and inexpensive, unconventional with broad appeal, the mini-golf course tops our list as the best first date locale out there.
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Note From The Fly Guy: Now that you’ve read about cool first date spots, tell us about any memorable (or forgettable) first date experiences.
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The Good
We went to a sports bar, dude knew before hand that I like to play pool and that I like sports. It showed me he really thought about something different than the regular movie and a dinner thing. And I’m highly competitive so it was fun.
The Bad/Ugly
We went on his boat (which looking back on it was kinda stupid, going out in the middle of the sea with someone i barely knew..hmm) anyway it was cool ( i even learn to fish a little) til i got sea sick and was throwing up all over the place.
The breakfast thing is a cool idea though.
Are you serious? You went out on a boat? All this time, I never knew how close I came to seeing you on an episode of “Unsolved Mysteries.”
lol
Seriously though, he was trying to push the limits of creativity to create a dating experience that you’d never forget. Most men should try that approach. So the thought was good, but the idea was horrible.
LOL!!! Funny FG, yea that was one my ditzy moves, and yea minus the sea sickness it was fun, though everytime i saw him after that i made a gag reflex..lol
Never had an unconventional first date. The worst was a dude who took me to Dave & Buster’s, got drunk, and tried to kiss me when he dropped me off at my car. He got a supple taste of my palm.
@Just a thought
You slapped him? Dang that’s cold. So I guess I shouldn’t ask if he got a second date.
And you should try an unconventional first date. Even if you suggest it. It actually helps take away some of the awkwardness if you place yourself in a nontraditional environment.
Reading this made me realize I haven’t had a really good date in a while.Some men need to step their game up : )and learn how to court and date women.
Best 1st Date:
Softball in Central Park. Not watching a game, but actually playing in one. That meant no makeup and sweating, but it was so much fun. I got a great tan, and we laughed the entire time. He definitely got a second date.
Worst 1st Date:
I can’t think of one. All my bad first dates were due to the person, not the venue.
As for the suggestions, #s 10 & 5 would be the best for me. The worst: 7 and 3.
best first date was prolly somethin simple like ice cream or an art gallery.
worst first dates are always at the movies or going out “for drinks”by far the silliest thing u could do on a first date. bc the movies are too dark to have any dialect,and if u drink u may get to damn drunk
number 10 and 4 used to be my go to spots for a trial run with someone.
ive never had a female actually come up with the first date…strange
oh brother@lyrical
here we go again
Fly Guy: Ooops, my bad, I didn’t slap ol’ boy (although I am not above the good soap opera slap if necessary). I just put my hand up and pushed him back when he went for the lean in. Seriously, it was our first date, all and he did was drink. Boo!
I’ll put keep this list on the radar when I’m interested in dating again. I’m on hiatus right now because the goods are odd and the pickins are slim, and I want all my ducks in a row before I go back out there.
I took my now boyfriend on a second date to a water park (had free tickets but found out when we got there I couldn’t use them on that day so he paid LOL). The first date he took me to dinner. I always wanted a guy to take me to one of the places listed, (except for a flea market YUK) but no one ever took the initative to do it. I agree with lyricallov, guys do need to step their game up.
This is my first time commenting, I’ve been lurking for a long time.
My suggestion to the men who ask me out is usually a place like Jillian’s or Dave & Busters. I like the flexibility that the environment gives you…you can watch a sports game, play video games, have drinks or appetizers,shoot hoops, pool, foosball, or air hockey and show more of a down to earth playful side rather than being all serious or girly. Choosing places like that have led to a second date 95% of the time.
@Monet,
Welcome to the danger zone…lol. I hope you make commenting a habit
Trust me, I read yesterday’s topic…it was pretty scary in here. :)
Again I say, welcome to the danger zone…lol.
Sometimes the men and women in here have a duke it out. We all love each other at the end of the day though.
*smile*
okay… I met a guy and he wanted to take me out to eat and a movie… cool. We ate first, then he asked me to pay for the movies. *blank stare* Being a good sport (?), I was like, fine, I’ll pay, … turned out the spot he chose only took cash and I don’t carry cash, so he wound up paying. Damn chump.
As for the good? My current BF and I went ice skating on our second date (we did the movie and dinner on the first date). It was my suggestion. He didn’t know how to ice skate, but I’ve been skating for years. We went to the rink, and I taught him how to skate (kinda), then I went around the rink a few times, turned to check on him and he fell! He actually cut his leg on his fall… poor thing. I skated over and helped him up and we had a good laugh at it. Great times…
CB
i wonder y males have to step their game up when i couldve swore the majority of the women in here said they were independent ,and its a new day n age for women blah blah blah. however they still want to have things like they used to be. can tell u this much reason y me n my wife is so cool is bc for our second date shes the one who took the initiative to hang out. she planned where we were going, payed for it etc etc. stuff blew my mind bc i expected her to be the typical female and sit back and wait for me to make a move. sometimes i think women be halfassin it
oh blackfu quit playing. We all know that while women can take initiative, men are hunters and they DO NOT like things handed to them too easily. Now, I have been a typical female in the past, and I’ve been more aggressive with doing things that men are typically expected to do? In my opinion, typical usually works. If a man feels that he doesn’t have to do any work for you, he won’t. Coming up will all kinds of great date ideas won’t help. Now before you get your panties in a bunch, I’m not saying that a woman should NEVER take initiative, but she should allow the man to lead the majority of the time. For me, that means being waaaay less direct about some things and more direct about others. The thing that helped me the most was watching how my non-American friends interacted with men. That pretty much showed me how to get what I wanted without having to beat a man over the head and being all nagging.
And, just because a woman is independent (i.e. educated, employed, and paying her own bills) does not mean that she suddenly wants to be a man. In fact, she is more likely to want all the traditional accouterments of womanhood. Most women are independent out of necessity, because people get married later, if they ever do, and we all know the dismal statistics on marriage (especially black marriage). I think I speak for a lot of women when I say that I do not want to have to be tough at work all day, and then come home to and be tough there. I am your woman, not your mama. Like draws like, so if you give nary an indication that you are going to put in ANY effort, then what motivation is there for me to go all out? I mean seriously, women have more at risk, so have to be cautious. And – I’ll just stop here because this is turning into a novel, and that is unnecessary.
Best First Date I’ve ever had was to a spoken word event in downtown atlanta, I was never really interested in poetry or spoken word before that night so it was a very big risk, but it allowed my date and I the opportunity to discuss each individuals poem or art.
Worst first date was to the movies one I couldn’t actually talk with her, and two you can never really tell what kind of audience is going to sit in on your show. So some of the words being spoken may have made my date feel very uncomfortable as well as myself
@Just a Thought..
I agree with what you’re saying… I’m a woman of the independent variety, and I damn sure don’t want to be a man (I love shoes, Vicky’s, dresses and the color pink waaaay too much). I like to let a man be a man, take the lead, you know? As women, we’re in control of so much at work, on the D2D, it’s comforting to come home, and embrace that womanhood. I heard Mary J. Blige say once in an interview, that she’s learning how to play her position as a woman… At first glance, I got really offended at that, but as I got older, dealt with men, and experienced life, I understood what she was saying. We don’t have to be hard all the time, we can be women and still be respected… Dang, I love being a woman.. Feel me?
CB
Cinna Bunz and Just A Thought,I have a few questions for you,if you all dont mind.
1.Just A Thought,I was reading your post and you said that “women have more at risk”,can you explain that to me a little more?
2.Now both of you said that you are “Independent Women” now I’m not trying to start anything but if you are single and of age,being independent should be somewhat of a “default setting” for lack better wording,on the way companionship?
From my viewpoint,I am 27,single,no child(ren),born and raised in Chicago,currently in Iraq,reside near Seattle,Washington and have only a few blank pages left in my passport.But anyway for the last few years,I ve noticed that some Black Women wear the “Strong,Black,Independant” phrase or slogan like a badge instead of letting it being apart of who they are.Also another thing I ve noticed that the women that say that,are usually “scorned,miserable,victim”.Which in turn comes back to this topic,I dont have a problem with trying something new on dates,it is “The Guard” that a lot of women put up that comes dwelling on past mistakes.Getting women to relax and be receptive is the problem for most Men trying to be with Black Women.Just my two cents.
Some Black Woman not all!!!
@ Southside…
You bring up interesting points. I’m in my late 20′s and I considered myself independent, but not as much as I’d like to be (I’m a work in progress, not afraid to admit it). As for independent being a default setting, reality is starting to show us that it’s not something that’s a given with men or women. It’s like something I once heard… “common sense isn’t common anymore”… get what I’m saying. I do think that independence should be a given at a certain age, but in light of what we’re seeing around us, it isn’t.
I agree with what you’re saying about wearing “Strong, Black and independent” as a badge. It doesn’t need to be thrown in everyone’s faces… I’m tired of it myself, I’m seriously like, “okay, I get it!!” And I’m not going to dispute that there are some women using it as cover for being a victim, hurt or miserable. I can say this, that some women use it because they need to. They need a way to cope and feel like they have some power, in a world that most often leaves us powerless. I can’t articulate it as well as I’d like to, but women have a very different experience in the world, very different from being a man (even a black man), and you’ll never understand it. For example, we women don’t get the same kind of respect that men do. Like, once I was out with my BF and we were looking at electronics. I did most of the talking, then my BF interjected a bit. At the close of the discussion, the salesman shook his hand, but kinda left me hanging, and waved me off. It was disrespectful to me, because I was a part of the conversation and impending sale, but I wasn’t acknowledged. I won’t go in to the discussion/argument that resulted with the BF, but that is a type of disrespect we put up with on the D2D and we’re expected to take it.
Things affect us in a different way and we sometimes use that “strong and independent” phrase as a defense mechanism. A way to get thru the day, you understand? We need to find better ways, but until then, we have to do what we need to do to get by.
(I think that was a rant, my fault… just free flowed thoughts)
CB