By Seth Fera-Schanes

Valentine’s Day is coming up and it’s time to plan your activities.  You can choose from an array of classics such as dinner and a Broadway show, drinks at the Plaza, a peaceful stroll along the Highline….

Or you can embrace the city’s range of options at your fingertips and mix it up this year.

Here is our list to get you started:

1.  New Fulton Fish Market –  Why would you not want to travel to Hunts Point in the Bronx at 4:30am?  This historic fish market is the second largest in the world (behind Tokyo’s Tuskiji Fish Market.)  Open from 1am to 7am, Monday-Friday and does require a small entry fee. Probably a date best served to aspiring chefs and foodies.

2.  Circle Line Tour – In February.  It won’t be warm out on the water but you can take this time to snuggle up to that special someone and get a new perspective on the city.  The full island tour takes approximately 3 hours.

3.  Shake Shack in Madison Square Park –  The Madison Square Park location has outdoor seating and powerful heaters so you will be quite comfortable on this date.  Grab some burgers and shakes, choose a seat and make up backstories for all the people who pass by in the park.  Judging your companion on the depth and breadth of their stories is encouraged and will let you know if they are a keeper.

4.  Macabre Scavenger Hunt in Greenwood Cemetery – The final resting place for some of the city’s most famous residents including: Walter Hunt (inventor of the safety pin), Leonard Jerome (grandfather of Winston Churchill), Henry Jarvis Raymond (co-founder of The New York Times), William Magear “Boss” Tweed (New York political boss) and many more.  Beautiful grounds and perfect for a full afternoon date.

5.  Trapeze School –  Nothing says love like sailing through the air adjacent to the Hudson River.  Suited for those who want to overcome a fear of heights (or just want to push someone off a platform; with full safety gear set-up of course.)

6.  Naked Yoga –  It’s Yoga.  Naked.  Do I need to sell you on this one…..

7.  Tasting Tour – New Yorker’s get really into food trends.  Fried chicken, ramen, cupcakes, doughnuts, the list goes on.  Pick one category and see just how many places you and your partner can stomach.  We suggest splitting one item at each location and bringing a pen and paper to rank the food along the way.

8. Wild Card – Call up your Grandparents or other extended family members and have them select the date for you.  Here are the parameters: give them one week advanced notice and don’t let them tell you where you are going or what you are doing until Valentine’s Day.  Not recommended for those who like to use spreadsheets to plan outings.