Each year, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in countries around the world. This holiday comes and goes but why exactly do we have this tradition of showing love and admiration on February 14th?
The original cliché of love letters came about centuries ago as a result of a forbidden romance between Saint Valentine, who was imprisoned at the time, and his jailor’s daughter. Before his execution, Valentine sent his love letters to express his adoration, thus resulting in endless rows of Hallmark greeting cards 100’s of years later. Read the full story here.
These days, expressions of love include candy hearts, balloons and stuffed animals… sure there’s plenty of romantic clichés tied to Valentine’s Day, but can’t we turn things up a notch and make things a bit more creative this year? Whether you’re single or paired up, there’s plenty to do in New York City that can make your heart swell. Take a look at this list of suggested spots to wine, dine, and more:
- Turn up the Romano, we mean, the Romance: There are so many options when it comes to dining out in New York City, why not take advantage of the culinary capitol and make a reservation at one of our many favorite restaurants? If you’re envisioning Lady and the Tramp romance, Italian hotspots such as Uva on the Upper East Side will satisfy your urge to cozy up and share an order of spaghetti and meatballs. Looking for something simple and fun? Sushi is always a great idea, and if you go to the right place, it can be fairly inexpensive! If you’re feeling adventurous, head up to Korea Town for a dining experience filled with flavor, heat and action! Click here to see a full list of NYC restaurants that won’t break the bank!
- Butter the Popcorn: There’s no doubt you’ve read cover to cover or at least flipped through a few pages of 50 Shades of Grey, and now you can see it come to life on the big screen. Premiering this week in NYC, the must-see movie of 2015 is the perfect flick for a group of girlfriends, or you and your honey. Hey, we’re curious too! Make your Academy Award’s viewing party more entertaining— don’t miss this year’s must-see flicks, including Jennifer Aniston’s highly anticipated, Cake is now playing throughout the city, as well as Mortdecai, American Sniper, Paddington, The Theory of Everything, Wild and more. Click here for a full list of movies to choose from.
- Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth: As if you need an excuse (or a special day) to indulge in dessert! NYC is overwhelmed with sweet spots – it’s nearly impossible to resist the amazing scents seeping from the ovens as you walk down the street. Some famous hotspots you shouldn’t miss include Serendipity-home of the famous Frozen Hot Chocolate, Snowdayz shaved frozen ice cream shop in the Lower East Side (believe us you don’t want to miss this one,) Café Lalo, dubbed “The Most Famous Café in NYC,” perhaps because Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks visited the patisserie in the hit movie You’ve Got Mail? (Watch the clip here!). If you’re craving a fresh-from-the-oven doughnut, don’t miss the place everyone can’t stop instagramming about these days, Doughnuttery – please grab us a Speckled Strawberry while you’re at it! And, finally, if you only have one stop for cookies in NYC, make it Levain Bakery on the Upper West Side. While there are only four cookie flavors to choose from – you won’t be disappointed – their massive size and ever-gooey center will have you coming back for more.
With so much commotion on Valentine’s Day, it’s understandable if you don’t even want to go outside! So, another perk of NYC is you don’t really have to go far to get what you want. Order in, borrow a movie from Webster’s front desk and invite your friends over for a cozy night of gossip, snacks and stress-free fun.
Whether you’re coupled up or celebrating with your ladies on Valentine’s Day, make sure your loved ones know just how much they mean to you today and every day.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
