Jessai Flores
Finally score the number of that cutie in your office hours? Hot Tinder date? Wondering where on Earth you’ll take them to really seal the deal in New Haven? I’ve compiled a list of unique places to go on a first date based on the collective experience of myself and my friends.
THE RADIO HOUSE
I love a good radio show as much as the next girl. I have a friend in my college that I can always count on going there Friday evenings. Near the ten person “mosh pit” next to the speakers, you can think to yourself what a great place this is to take a date. If you’re too afraid to make a move, just get near the middle of the room and eventually your date will be shoved into you. Plus, if it doesn’t go well, it’s not like you could really hear them talk anyways.
WOADS
A true high class experience for the lover on a budget. The key is to arrive early for penny drinks. Nothing quite gets across how much of a provider you can really be. The drinks are on you and the paltry entry fee is on you. If your date really is the one, they will shield you from the drinks that are carelessly waved around by those around you.
BASS LIBRARY
Despite being overlooked for its prettier counterpart, Sterling, there’s a certain je ne sais quoi that makes Bass feel particularly intimate. Something about the sniffling and coughing, even after flu season ends, screams “love is in the air.” Maybe the dim lights that almost resemble candlelight really up the romance of a private study room. Just make this date quick because it’s inevitable that someone who actually booked the room will kick you out.
GERONIMO
A great option for when you’re 21 and your date is underaged. The food is incredible. It will be on the table with your date, but you will be at the bar on the other side of the room because they can’t bring your drink to the table. This is honestly the best of both worlds. You get to admire their beauty from afar. And distance does make the heart grow fonder. There’s no way they won’t tell their friends about this one.
A LATE NIGHT WALK
I know, I know, we’re all a little skeptical of this one, but trust me here. You get to take a walk and see the sights of downtown New Haven with the romantic rancor of dirt bikes in the street combined with a sound that makes you think: is that an engine backfiring or is the paintballer back? They’ll practically be begging to take you back to their suite.
THE STACKS
Nothing nefarious could ever happen in the stacks. I mean the only dirty things there are the old books and the study spots on the top floor. Surely, not your or your date’s minds or anything. Very wholesome spot, no reputation or pressure whatsoever.
A SUITE
Who said first dates have to be public? Your suite offers a much quieter, more intimate environment for you to get to know your date. All the better if you invite them over at night and into your room. The speech you have to make about “No no, it’s not that I don’t want my suitemates to see you. It’s just that it would be awkward for you, right?” will truly enchant them. It’s been said it’s the college equivalent of a line from one of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Honestly, if you really want there to be a second date you should probably choose somewhere other than New Haven.