If you haven’t graced the entrance of a museum since that 10th grade field trip, consider checking one out again. Perhaps it’s a bit nerdy (it certainly doesn’t hold the same sweaty appeal as a dance club) but it’s guaranteed to be quiet and more personal. If you’re the shy type, this could be better for more intimate conversation, as you won’t have to compete with the thump of the bass line. Museums have a constantly changing roster of special exhibits as well as their permanent collections. From gems to dinosaurs to mummies, a museum has a lot to offer for wandering.
In many big cities, museums are holding martini and IMAX nights, an unlikely combination that brings the younger set to museums on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Along the same lines, though a bit more lively, is an aquarium. On the weekends, you may have to fight with parents and their children but go later in the afternoon and the crowds will have thinned out.
Besides, those stone, low-lit corridors also offer a perfect, slightly secluded place for a first kiss.
Coffee or Beer?
The old stand-bys, it’s hard to go wrong with caffeine or hops. Both coffee and beer are a great place to meet up before embarking on your adventure together. Don’t make either place both your beginning and final destination for the evening. There’s nothing particularly unique or original about sitting in a booth all night, straining to be heard above the music and hacking through cigarette smoke.
Avoid bars or coffee shops that you frequent normally. There’s nothing worse than getting caught up in a conversation with a local and having your date staring at her fingernails, wondering how much longer she’ll have to wait for you.
Pick a bar or coffee shop in a neighborhood near a park or a bar with a garden out back. This offers up a different change of scenery and is always quieter than sitting inside.