You are planning to meet up with someone for a first date, but where are you to go and what are you to do? For those who have the pleasure of planning the date, this is a super common scenario: the first date location. But we have a simple solution. Or in this case, five simple solutions because we are about to show you our top 5 places to have your first meet-up!
Keep in mind that these are general dates ideas that might not work out the best for each and every person you date. As always, we encourage you to do good research on your date’s preferences and tailor a date plan around that!
You do not want to be remembered as the super original guy or gal who decided to take their date out for a coffee at Starbucks or a drink at the local bar or club. There is nothing inherently wrong with these first-date locations but, if you are looking to really stand out, there are much better places you can be taking your date!
Our top 5 first-date locations include public activities where you will not have to worry about your safety. They are locations that will spark interest and allow you the time and space to get to know your date!
#1: Go Out for a Picnic Lunch!
Going out for a walk or hanging out in a nice public park is always a great first date idea but take things to the next level and prepare a picnic lunch that you and your date can share. And be sure to bring that famous checked table cloth! If you are not much of a cook, no need to fret. Simply order some carry-out from one of your favorite places and package it up in your own Tupperware and a classic brown, Yogi Bear basket!
Being in a public park, there will be plenty of things to look at or do which is perfect if you still do not know much about your date and are worried about awkward silences.
- You can always bring a frisbee along to toss.
- You could try skipping stones in a nearby river or lake.
- Let your inner kid out and climb or tree or even hit up the swings if there is a playground nearby.
- There is always plenty to do in the park on a nice day!
Your date will be impressed with the time and thought you put into this idea. I mean, how many people can say their first date was a delicious fried chicken picnic lunch followed by some tree climbing? Typically, first dates are going out for coffee or out to dinner, so this idea is sure to stand out and be remembered!
#2: Have a Beach Day With Your Friends
If you live somewhere that is close to the water and you get a good stretch of warm days, a great idea for a first date is to spend some time at the beach with your friends. This can be a fun and memorable first meetup if your date is up for hanging out in a group. And they get a chance to meet the people that you are closest with and see how you are around others!
The beach has all sorts of great first-date activities where you make some awesome memories. You could set up a volleyball net, rent out a jet ski, or even take your date parasailing! Plus, being at the beach with a group, there are all sorts of opportunities for you and your date to break away from your friends and go for a private walk along the sand.
This is a cool opportunity too for your friends to go to bat for you and put in a good word with your date! Any sort of group hangout is perfect for you to showcase to your date how you treat other people and how they treat you back. If you treat others well, good friends will certainly let your date know that and really talk you up!
#3: Visit an Orchard
For this first-date idea, you will want to make sure the weather is going to be nice the day you go! You definitely want to enjoy your time without worrying about getting rained out. Orchards are beautiful, peaceful places and you might just have a beautiful first date in this calm, serene setting!
If you have ever been to an orchard and picked apples during the fall or visited a blueberry patch in the summer, you know there is some work involved! But it is enjoyable work and work that can be performed as you are having a conversation with your date. Orchards also have plenty of other fun things going on. Hit up a hayride with your date! Or you could see if there are any places on-site that offer cider and snacks.
In the fall, you could begin the date at a coffee shop and grab some pumpkin spice lattes. Before you leave, grab two more to go and head straight to the orchard! In the summer, you might have spent an hour, or two picking blueberries and you need to cool off. Spend the second half of the date grabbing a cold beer or margarita from one of your favorite breweries or taverns!
#4: Do Dessert!
Here is a first-date idea where you can easily spread the date out over multiple locations. Suggest to your date that you try to find the best tiramisu or crème brulee in your locale area and choose three locations that you can test out over the course of your time! This will divide the date into segments, keeping things interesting, fun, and on the move.
And the two of you are going on this date with a fun mission in mind. You can discuss what it is that you like and don’t like about each of the various desserts you try at each place. You could even go the extra mile with this one and come up with some score cards on how to judge each dessert you enjoy that evening.
Plus, who doesn’t like dessert? If your date especially likes eating dessert, this first-date idea is sure to score you some major brownie points!
You like that? You see what we did there?
#5: Try Trivia Night
Ok, ok, ok.
Yes, we said that taking your date out for drinks was not all that interesting or memorable. But we are going to give trivia night a complete pass!
This is so much more than just going out for some drinks and trying to get some witty, flirty banter going. Trivia is an activity that allows you and your date to put your brains together and figure out a way to answer a series of questions correctly. You can see how well you work together. And since you are thrust into a position where you need to use your mental faculties, there is going to be some organic dialogue and conversation between you and your date.
Trivia night is an opportunity for you and your date to get into a fun, competitive rhythm. Plus, it never hurts to show off some of your knowledge if you happen to love random facts or tidbits. And hopefully, by night’s end, you will win a discount on your bill!