Inspired by a member of our oM team who recently joined howaboutwe.com, we decided to explore date ideas around the city and share our best tips in a comprehensive guide to “Romantic Adventures” in NYC. This is the fourth in a series of nine guides.
Freaky Friday
Forget a “normal” date; normal is forgettable. Celebrate–or discover–your inner freak with a quirky showdown.
1. Spend the day on the beach, at the amusement park, or roll up to the boardwalk in time for the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. Sideshows by the Seashore packs ten spectacles–fire eaters, snake charmers, a bug-eating mermaid and more–into one 45-minute show ($10/person). For something steamier, opt for the Girlie Freakshow (Saturdays at 10pm; $15/person) or stay for Burlesque at the Beach (generally $12-15/person). Make time for another Coney Island relic, Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and Friday night fireworks at the beach. (9:30pm from the last weekend in June-Labor Day). Sideshows by the Seashore: Surf Ave. & West 12th St.; Nathan’s Famous: 1310 Surf Ave.
2. For a bit more flip for your freak, head to one of Big Sky Works’ acrobatic showdowns. Depending on the night, the Williamsburg-based acrobats like to pair their “cunning stunts” with movies, music and other madness. Duck into Kinfolk Studios down the block for artful late night ramen at Yuji (Thu.-Sat.) Big Sky Works: 29 Wythe Ave, Williamsburg; Yuji at Kinfolk Studios: 90 Wythe Ave, Williamsburg
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram