What a time, ladies, what a time. Being single again has brought some laughs, some screams, and some texts to my girlfriends with “why. me.” written 10x. I’ve also started listening to podcasts for the first time in my life. Yes, I know. The process of me going online, looking for, and listening to podcasts has been long overdue. According to my friends, I’m way behind on the times.
I’ve gone on a few dates with a “guy” (you’ll see why this is my naming convention of choice as we get to the m-e-a-t of the post): dinner, beer garden, and Terror Behind the Walls (the terror was true and real), and for tonight’s date, it was my turn to suggest. And suggest I did:
Keeping true to my list-loving personality, I just sent a guy 10 options for date #4 this Weds. Any interest in me making this a blog post?
– Her Philly (@HerPhilly) October 10, 2016
After seeing how many of you liked this idea, I thought I’d add a little bit of an extra spin to it, and get actual, real Philadelphia men to give me feedback on these 10 dates I very really suggested. I asked them to give me some quick thoughts on what they would think if a girl suggested these for date 4. Some of these you’ve seen on the blog before, some are new ideas. I don’t know what you guys think about concert dates. I think it’s wonderful especially when you can get concert details online (Drake presale code, for example) to plan ahead. Anyway, I’ve decided not to identify the guys (and just call them “guys”), but for some extra context, they range in age from 27-34 and all live in the city, so they’re pretty up on their Philadelphia knowledge. Oh, and one of them is my actual date for tonight, because I’m crazy. 😉
1. Drinks and nachos at Mission Taqueria (1516 Sansom Street)
Guy 1: It’s tough to beat Mexican food as a great date option, though the internal struggle of whether ordering a margarita makes you look unmanly is a real issue.
Guy 2: Nachos! Great for sharing. Will you agree on toppings? Who will spill on whom first!?
Guy 3: Excellent option. You will never hear me say no to nachos.
2. Drink specials at Passyunk Passeggiata
Guy 1: This sounds like a fun and low key date. Who doesn’t enjoy a stroll down Passyunk, though I don’t think I’m hipster enough to step foot in any of those stores.
Guy 2: Two words: People watching.
Guy 3: Good deals, great people watching, and a variety of different options. I think this is an excellent idea.
3. Mussels & brews at Monk’s (264 South 16th Street)
Guy 1: A Philly classic. I would be very impressed if someone suggested this as a date idea. Best mussels in the city by far!
Guy 2: I have never regretted drinking beers at Monk’s.
Guy 3: I don’t view mussels as a date food (then again I probably don’t view nachos as a date food either, but my love of nachos allows me to hypocritically look past that). Also as much as I like Monk’s and their extensive beer list, I always am annoyed with the awkward size and lighting of the place.
4. Dinner at a new neighborhood joint on my list, Lou Bird’s (500 South 20th Street)
Guy 1: This place looks a little fancy but I’m always up to try a new local spot.
Guy 2: This stands out to me as the most exciting. In general, I think it’s great to explore something neither of you has done.
Guy 3: Not much more I need in life then good food/drinks, and by looking at the pictures this appears to check both of those boxes.
5. Games at Barcade (1114 Frankford Avenue)
Guy 1: While this is definitely one of my favorite bars in the city (how can you beat classic video games and delicious craft beers), I’m not sure I would want someone I just recently started dating to realize how nerdy and competitive I am after challenging her to a game of NBA Jam. HE’S HEATING UP!!!
Guy 2: This is a classic Philly date (though I’ve never done it myself). Maybe too classic?
Guy 3: My experience at arcade bars is that they are mostly crowded and anything fun normally has a long line. However, top tier people watching.
6. BYO at the Roxy (2023 Sansom Street)
Guy 1: You can never go wrong with a movie date, especially during scary movie season.
Guy 2: This would pair perfectly with gelato before and after the movie. {Emily Note: I had a disclaimer at the bottom that gelato at Gran Caffe L’Aquila could be added to most of these options.} Also, TIL you can BYO at the Roxy.
Guy 3: I am normally against the idea of a movie date, given it doesn’t really give you a chance to talk. Plus you always end up settling on a movie that one party clearly wants to see more than the other. However, the BYO atmosphere and the surrounding area makes this an interesting option. I think I could be talked into this.
7. Wednesday night stuff at the Art Museum (2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway), specifically the Oktoberfest Beer Garden
Guy 1: I don’t think there’s one man in this great city who doesn’t enjoy a good beer garden. Added bonus, you get to race your date up the Art Museum steps, who wouldn’t enjoy that.
Guy 2: No time like a Wednesday evening to figure out how much the person you’re dating can drink. (I’m not judging. Trust me.)
Guy 3: Philadelphia specific, unique to the month we are in right now and a fun atmosphere. Great choice, even if it is a little basic.
8. Lake Street Drive at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street) or these bands at World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street)
Guy 1: It’s tough to have a bad time at a concert. The fact that I don’t recognize a single one of these bands makes me feel a little out of touch though…
Guy 2: Lake Street Dive is so dancey and fun! Go see them! A member of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad announced during the only show I’ve ever seen of theirs that Michael Jackson had died. This is an unfortunate association to have with an otherwise fun band.
Guy 3: I would say I am the antithesis of a hipster when it comes to the early concert date scene, I really only am into it if the band is popular and we both like them. Otherwise I find there is little to converse about during the show, and after the show. See sample post show conversation below.
You: “they were really good”
Me: “Yea I liked them”
End of Conversation.
9. A show at Helium Comedy (2031 Sansom Street) or Improv (2030 Sansom Street)
Guy 1: Again it’s really hard to not have fun at a comedy show. Even if the comedian isn’t funny you get to laugh about how bad he was afterwards.
Guy 2: You should definitely go to a show at PHIT, which is the first comedy theater in Philly to have shows 7 nights a week. Wednesday nights are pure joy onstage.
Guy 3: I am reluctant to express my interest in this one, as I have long said that comedy/improv shows are the best kept secret for early dates, and now the secret may be out. The performers are normally great, and if they aren’t, it’s still a conversation piece. Tough to beat this one.
10. Pottery (+BYOB, but I didn’t tell the guys that) at The Expressive Hand (622 South 9th Street)
Guy 1: I don’t love the idea of taking a pottery class on a date, but I guess if nothing else we could have a good laugh about how terribly un-artistic I am.
Guy 2: The cutest part of this is that you end up with a memento from this date!
Guy 3: One of my greatest weaknesses in life is a lack of fine motor skills. I imagine this would cause quite a few problems with pottery. I do think this would be an enjoyable date for the more artsy crowd, or even possibly down the road. But for date 4, I feel it’s best to avoid the pottery scene.
These date ideas are happening tonight, so if it’s date night for you too, grab my list as a starting point and get out there! As of right now, my date has narrowed down my list to five. I think I need to be a little more succinct next time, but as we all know, that’s not really my style. Have a wonderful night! xx
