You have a great date lined up this weekend. Congrats! Your evening is full of potential, but you don’t have plans. Relax! We’re here to help. A first date needs three things: opportunity for conversation, silence-sucking distractions, and of course, a subtle eject button. New York City is full of great locations for a variety of date types, whether you are on a budget or ready to splurge. New York has everything anyone could possibly need. Here are the ten best dates to bring your significant other visiting from out of town:

1. Horse Carriage Ride It may seem too chilly to attempt this in the winter, but at about $30 for 30 minutes, the ride (pictured, right) avoids complicated plans for a date. You have Central Park, a warm blanket, and enough conversation time to get to know someone—perfect snuggle quota met! The quickness makes it a short and sweet encounter. If they haven’t gone before, they’ll love it, and if they have, they’ll already know they enjoy it.

2. Arthur’s Tavern, The Village is full of great places, too many. How do you choose one? Arthur’s Tavern is casual—jeans and a t-shirt. It’s small—you’ll probably be very close to other patrons. It’s got great music—the live blues and jazz create a close-knit dance floor and the no-frills vibe is down to Earth. There’s no cover charge and the 2 drink minimum is reasonable for a free live show.

3. Magnolia’s Bakery Any dinner in the city would be incomplete without dessert. Break the routine up a bit and ask for the check without dessert. Tell your date you want to go for a walk and end up at Magnolia’s Bakery. The popular wait outside of the shop (even at 11 p.m.) will give you plenty of time to chat and get to know each other, digest your previous meal, and make room for sharing a cupcake…or two! (Bonus points: mention that these are the cupcakes in SNL’s “Lazy Sunday” video. Begin hour-long discussion on all-time favorite skits).

4. Ellen’s Stardust Diner Taking a date to a diner may not sound romantic, but being served by a singing waitress can certainly be fun! The casual food and diner-quick service make this place a hit, but it’s also relatively easy on the pocket.

5. Empire State Building Don’t think it’s too Sleepless in Seattle. Most New Yorkers have not been to this building at night, and many have yet to hike up to the observation floor. It’s pricey, but it just may save a dull evening if you’re looking to impress someone, and let’s not forget, get that one major kissing spell!

6. Carnegie Hall Tickets to this famous concert hall range in prices and fall outside of the routine Broadway and off-Broadway options. Performances here are shorter, and that takes the pressure off picking the wrong Broadway show.

7. The Museum of Natural History If you decide to go the cultured route, pick a classic. There’s a reason why the darn thing has been open since 1881! Historic relics, cultural data, modern art, the Classics, and just about anything and everything you could ever need to discuss with a stranger to seem smart are all located in one building. Did I mention they have dinosaurs?

8. Ice-Skating in Central Park If you can handle the motor skills required to impress your date, promise to teach them, if they don’t know how. It’s a fun way to have physical contact as you skate and tumble together, but it’s also a quick walk to the local hot dog stand, if you want to keep things simple. Got friends? Make it a group date!

9. Bobby Van’s Steakhouse If you like quality, you must come here! The mood lighting takes care of the romantic touch, and although the prices may be a bit steep, it is a simply delicious menu. The creamed spinach is a must have “side.” There are 4 locations in New York City, but the one off of 50th Street gives you the best night. Finish dinner and take a walk through Rockefeller Center!

10. Go Shopping Okay, this may sound too personal, but if you start at FAO Schwartz to go down childhood’s memory lane and work your way down 5th Avenue to check out everything from Tiffany’s to Armani to Lord and Taylor, you could learn a lot about a person, have fun goofing around with dressing rooms, and spend very little money, unless you decide to win your date over with a “souvenir.” It’s always good if you’re both “in the market” for an item!

There you have it! Plan, plot, and prosper! Mix and match! Don’t be the person who offers up dinner and a movie at the local theater for the 10th time. Be the one who sounds like fun.

Prin Dumas is a freelance writer and editor since 1999. Currently, she is the editor of Gibberless, an e-magazine for teen girls, but for more information, please, visit www.prindumas.ws.

Attention Writers: Interested in telling us your top ten? Email Charles@datespaces.com