It’s pretty much fall – HOORAY. Fall, along with being my favorite season in general, is my favorite season for dating. You get to do cute, cozy activities, you don’t have to worry about sweating excessively before you even arrive at your destination (wear some pheromones to keep the love alive if you find you’re still getting a little sweaty), and, most importantly, your wardrobe options are much more robust.
Philly has so many seasonal things to do within a short drive. However, people who prefer staying at home can keep date nights simple by planning a dinner at home – get some flowers, decorate the table with candles and cook a lavish meal. Otherwise, try ideas like having a movie night with your partner; choose a movie or two, perhaps horror (look for websites like hellhorror.com for movie suggestions), since it can provide you a reason to sit close and cuddle. But know this, fall can be the best time to get out of the house, so once in a while, also plan an outdoor date with your partner.
So listen up ladies, this is one of the few times that I will highly recommend leaving the city and heading out to the burbs. The reasons for my acceptance of this are two-fold; first: concrete places without pumpkin patches or warm apple cider don’t necessarily scream fall, and second: our driving tolerance is at an all-time high due to this summer’s recent beach trips. And now, on to the dates!
- Explore Peddler’s Village This place involves an ~hour drive, but it’s totally cute/worth it. You can stroll in the kitschy stores, grab a glass of vino at Chaddsford Winery, and check out one of their two fall festivals.
- Cheer at a college football game If the Penn State vs. Temple game was any proof: our area has some pretty good football teams within a short drive. My top pick? A shameless plug for my alma mater: Delaware vs. Villanova!
- Dine at the Morgan’s Pier Guest Chef Series During the Pier’s Fall Fest, they’re hosting four big-name Philly chefs for one weekend each. Your $30 reservation gets your name on the list, and you can stop by any time that day for a custom backyard BBQ menu. Mike Solomonov’s weekend is already sold out, so get moving!
- Take in some fall theater Update your normal Ritz movie runs with some live action! We have some great theaters in this city, and Book of Mormon will be back this fall, plus Matilda (loved it). I’m actually pretty excited for Theatre Exile’s Frank Rizzo play starting next month, too!
- Mix with the children at Linvilla Orchards Whenever I think of Linvilla, my mind goes to this Philly Mag article, buuuut that also makes me kind of want to go more to see it myself. For cookie cutter, apple-picking, pumpkin patch fall fun, this is the place.
- Grub at Mt. Airy Street Fare Take a quick drive to the Mt. Airy section of Philly for their annual night market. There will be live music and 50+ food trucks and restaurants serving up and down the Avenue, including my FAV: Jyoti Bistro.
- Embrace your inner indie-flick lover Check out some cool films right here in Philly when The Philadelphia Film Festival returns October 22 – November 1. The schedule hasn’t been announced yet, but there’s sure to be some goodies in there.
- Experience Reading Terminal Visions of RTM frequently dance in my head, but I don’t admittedly get there as much as I’d like. Most Philadelphians won’t turn down a date filled with chocolate covered cookies and roast pork sandwiches, and it’s so much more fun with a date, as long as you don’t mind sharing!
Speaking of all this dating, I have something I wanted to share with you guys, because, you know, I like to keep you in the loop. You may have seen me dropping some semi-blatant hints over the past few weeks – my dating life has gotten a bit more exciting. The last time I wrote about dating, I told you how I deleted my dating apps back in November. And well, those 7 months of meeting men out in the #realworld were . . . just okay. After my 26th birthday and with nothing promising from my app-free stint, I said, okay, time to get things movin! I redownloaded OkCupid and Tinder, and within a week or two, met my now boyfriend, Jake. He’s sweet, has a beard, and is a chef, so you all know I’ve been loving life with some (/all) of the food-inspired dates we’ve been going on. Plus, he is a big time Her Philly supporter, and I can’t really argue with the man’s taste there.
So yes, you’ve lost me to the dark side. 😉 Do you have another go-to fall date destination? Share in the comments! xx
