Let’s face it: Valentine’s Day can be kind of a racket. Your favorite go-to BYO all of a sudden has a minimum $50 pre fixe, activities ripe for handholding, like ice skating, double in price just for the night, and reservations everywhere are a must. But as all cheap daters know, true romance comes from the heart; it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. So without further ado, here are my Top 5 ideas for spending time with your loved ones this holiday, without spending too much money.
A trip to the taco truck can be a delightful cheap date. But as winter sets in, the prospect of waiting outside and then hunching over to eat before it all gets cold seems decidedly less pleasant. Enter new Fishtown pub Loco Pez! I spent a lovely date there recently, relaxing at the bar with an oversized margarita and fish tacos – for less than $15! Read the full review here, at Drink Philly (now Drink Nation!)
A downtown date for happy hour may seem convenient and economical, but it can also be majorly hit or miss. Overcrowding, poor selection, long waits for service, and lack of food can turn what should have been a happy hour (or two) into a date disaster. Luckily, my date recently introduced me to the perfect center city happy hour spot: Sampan. Located at 124 S.13th street, Sampan is a contemporary-Asian bar/restaurant that’s sophisticated and modern without being snobby or trying too hard – a good balance for a post-work date. It’s large enough to accommodate a sizeable crowd without feeling cramped, yet the cool lights that saturate the walls cast an intimate and almost sensual glow. There’s also a giant wraparound bar in the center where you can watch the chefs hard at work expertly slicing Satay and garnishing dumplings as fast as the orders come in. And ordering...
Hello readers and friends. Some of you might have noticed that I haven’t been as diligent about bringing you new cheap date ideas quite as often over the last several weeks. I wanted to assure you that there’s a lot more coming your way soon so keep checking back! And once a month look for my column at Drink Philly about a boozy cheap date. This month I wrote about BYO Second Fridays at Moonstone Art Center featuring eclectic and excellent Jazz performances curated by Lucky Old Souls. Read the full review here! Thank you for your continued readership and support! XOXO, J.S. Cheapdater
The lunch date should not be easily dismissed. And no one in Philly knows that better than Jamie, who runs the Philly arm of the blog Midtown Lunch, a review-based site focused specifically on, you guessed it—lunch! First started in New York, the site but has now expanded to the lucky cities of Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Jamie was tapped to run the Philly site, which she now does in addition to the small job of being in law school. Petite and pretty, and wearing some of the coolest pink plastic-frame glasses I’d ever seen, Jamie does not look like a woman who can or does put away a lot of food. But don’t be fooled. On our date, Jamie ate everything with gusto, as well as with a large store of experience and knowledge to size things up against. It is obvious she loves her job and being...
Museums make great dates. And the Philadelphia Museum of Art is world-class. But at $16 a head, it’s sadly out of range for this cheap dater. And though the museum kindly offers pay-what-you-wish admission on the first Sunday of every month, those days are predictably crowded – not necessarily the laid-back atmosphere you’re looking for on a date. What most people don’t realize, however, is that the Art Museum is not just the big building on the hill; it also includes the Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building just across the street. With a stunning art deco facade outside, and sleek modern exhibit spaces inside, the Perelman is plenty impressive in it’s own right. The Perelman has showcased many of the museum’s collections, sometimes for the first time, yet it’s hardly ever mobbed. And because it is a smaller space, you can see everything in one visit without feeling...
