9 pandemic-friendly Valentine’s Day activities in Brooklyn

By Amelia Anthony

Valentine’s Day may be a commercially manufactured holiday, but then aren’t all holidays sort of … made up at some point?

Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is big business in Brooklyn—but it doesn’t have to be. Here is a roundup of pandemic (and wallet) friendly ways to celebrate this year, whether you’re coupled up or not.

1. Take a new guided audio tour of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Performance artists Gelsey Bell and Joseph White have created an audio-walk called “Meander” for the garden that just launched. We all still need our outdoor nature fixes. The piece is free to stream from BBG and is a little over 20 minutes. Get it here.
2. Grab a heart-shaped pizza from Fornino in Williamsburg or Brooklyn Bridge Park. Their order-ahead “lovers feast” comes with a full meal—complete with a cheese and fruit plate, salad, choice of two pizzas, tiramisu, and a bottle of wine—for you and your boo.
3. While you’re eating that pizza, you can Netflix (or Hulu, or Disney+, or TikTok, or …) and chill. Be safe in the knowledge that you probably won’t catch Covid, even if you do catch something else. May we suggest some locally-sourced entertainment like “Moonstruck,” “Brooklyn,” or, most romantic of all, “Dog Day Afternoon” to celebrate the borough from indoors?
4. Too tame? Shop House of Yes’ sexy socially-distant Valentine’s Market in Bushwick or log on later to experience their V-Day “Love for All Ball” on the 13th. Singles are especially encouraged to attend.
5. Take a hike. Pick a bridge—Brooklyn (savor the run-ins with cyclists before they get a separate lane) or Williamsburg or even Sheepshead Bay’s bright blue footbridge—and work up an appetite. Go ice skating at Prospect Park’s LeFrak Center.
6. Even though indoor dining is returning to NYC on Feb 12 at 25 percent capacity, one can ever be too cautious. Use Time Out NY’s handy Google doc to find restaurants with outdoor heaters instead. Brooklyn faves include Bed-Stuy’s funky French bistro Chez Ozkar or Crown Heights’ new vegan-friendly Ethiopian spot Ras Plant Based.
7. If you can handle the cold, go for a ride. Take the Kent Avenue bikeway, from South Williamsburg to Long Island City, or head south, from Brooklyn Bridge Park to Red Hook, to catch stunning waterfront views either way.
8. Check out emerging Brooklyn artist John Edmond’s solo exhibit, or, our favorite, Judy Chicago’s anatomically evocative Dinner Party, at the Brooklyn Museum. Tickets in advance will secure you a socially-distant spot, or a group virtual tour could make for a fun—and safe—group date.
9. For those looking for a backyard adventure, try Dead Horse Bay. Technically, the possibly-radioactive beach was closed in August, and we do not condone sneaking in. But if for some reason it’s open on Valentine’s Day, it’s always a wild visit to Brooklyn’s past lives (and possibly half-lives). Salvage some vintage midcentury glassware while you’re at it. Too risky? Try the Gowanus Batcave for a peek into NYC’s old graffiti underground.