Chelsea First Date Ideas

Gay sex shops are being replaced with upscale martini bars as 30+ year olds migrate from a cooked west village. Might be the best neighborhood for young professionals right now.

Date spots to know

Be wary soldier, it's a first date

Casual first drink 🍸

Crown Alley: Website

Address: 263 W 19th St

Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day

Expected Check: $50-70 (2 drinks each)

Reservations: Not necessary

Move to light bites? 🥟

Bar B: Website

Address: 84 7th Ave

Happy Hour: 5-7pm Daily

Expected Check: $70-90 (1 drink/pp + apps)

Reservations: Resy

Ditch 'n Drink 🍺

Flannery's: Website

Address: 205 W 14th St

Happy Hour: No HH

Expected Check: $40-60 (2-3 drinks each)

Reservations: Not necessary

📍 Venue Locations & Walking Directions

Hinge match out of my league, step it up

Fancy dinner 🍽️

Chelsea Living Room: Website

Address: 243 W 14th St

Happy Hour: No HH

Expected Check: $120-180 (dinner + drinks)

Reservations: Required - Resy

Seal the Deal

Bar Bonobo: Website

Address: 184 8th Ave

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 3-6pm, $10 mini-martinis

Expected Check: $100-150 (dinner + drinks)

Reservations: Recommended - Resy

📍 Venue Locations & Walking Directions

Walkable First-Date Flows

🔮 Chelsea date vibes

Stick to the east side of Chelsea (7th - 8th Ave) for great restaurants and bars with a hot clientele. Feels older and more sophisticaed than West Village just across 14th street. Think fashion girls molting into hot suburban CT wives w/ full glow-up to snare that finance professional.

💸 How much will this neighborhood set me back?

Not cheap - so stick to the HH spots for a first couple of rounds. There are some Irish pubs you can sprinkle in to take the edge off of an expensive night (you thought a 32 yr old marketing exec who lives in matching Alo sets was going to be cheap??)

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