There is no
shortage of beautiful, interesting, and fun dating venues in Maryland, but
what’s a dater to do when the mercury drops and the great outdoors is no longer
a comfortable option? I polled matchmakers and daters for their best “Baltimore
and beyond” winter dating ideas.* Mind you, they did include some outdoor
suggestions for those more tolerant of the cold, but no worries for those who
aren’t – spring is right around the corner!
A Time for Lounges, a Time for Fun
When I asked
veteran shadchanit (matchmaker) Shulamit Gartenhaus for her suggestions,
she advised, “It all depends on your budget and what number date it is. Museums
in Baltimore and Washington are plentiful and affordable. Indoor mini-golf
isn’t too expensive either. Playing board games that you own or the Perfect
Matches dating game (available at the Shidduch Center) saves a lot of money. If
you really want to go all out, then there is the Baltimore Aquarium or McFadden
Art Glass – where you can blow glass to make all kinds of things. If the couple
is a bit artsy, a paint night or pottery painting can be fun.
“Hotel lounge
dates are good for the first or second date, but on subsequent dates, you have
to be creative and do fun things. If the weather is nice in the springtime –
not in the summer, when there are too many problems with tznius – the Baltimore
Harbor (only during the day) and Fort McHenry can be good ideas. Even just
taking a walk or hike at any of the parks or trails makes for a good activity.”
Miriam Singer is
the coordinator of The Shidduch Spot, a program of Yad Yehuda of Greater
Washington that is staffed by able matchmakers and advisors who provide guidance,
direction, and reassurance for singles in their search for a life partner. She
suggested some D.C.-area venues.
“The Ritz-Carlton,
on 22nd Street Northwest, in Washington D.C., is a nice hotel to
walk around in and has very pleasant sitting areas. It is very close to Char
Bar, a kosher restaurant in D.C. The Gaylord National Resort and Convention
Center is also an indoor option, and if it is not too cold, there is the
National Harbor or Georgetown Waterfront Park.”
If you are into
gaming, a bit further south in Arlington, Virginia, is Immersive Gamebox, a
family entertainment venue in Ballston Quarter Mall.
From French Fries to Fire Pit
Baltimore shadchanit
Ruby Katz shares, “To me, the best places are where the two of you can sit
and talk at local restaurants during off-hours. Even sharing an order of French
fries at a small table for two in Kosher Bite after dinnertime can be
memorable. Friends with a quiet den or dining room may be more than happy to
give a dating couple the space to play board games and get to know each other,”
she adds.
For those couples
who can tough the frigid elements, Mrs. Katz suggests Roland Park, Sherwood
Gardens, and Ladew Topiary Gardens, which is a 30- to 40-minute drive from
Baltimore. You can stroll its beautiful grounds and sit by a pond filled with
colorful koi fish. She advises calling for winter hours. Its website advertises
that on Sunday, February 26, its annual sell-out “Maple Magic” event will take
place, where you can experience the process of making real maple syrup. Space
is limited, and advance registration is required.
Speaking of
outdoor venues, some of you may remember that the Wealcatches, on West
Strathmore, graciously offered their backyard sitting area and fire pit when
suitable, Covid-friendly dating places were scarce. They continue to kindly
offer this dating option, so feel free to call Chavi Wealcatch, 410-371-9289,
to reserve it.
Dating Venue (and More!) Websites
The Shidduch
Center of Baltimore, led by its executive director, Rabbi Shlomo Goldberger,
MSW, came to the rescue of Covid-era daters, hosting The Dating Place in the
Pikesville DoubleTree, until it closed in June, 2021. It also arranged for
homes where couples could date if they wanted a more private spot. The
organization continues to help daters with its very informative website (www.shidduchcenter.org), which
is worth checking out. The website features not only dating venues but also contact
information for Baltimore/Silver Spring-based shadchanim (as well as
those in other cities), scheduled events, dating game gemach information (text or WhatsApp Mrs. Shoshana Schmell at
443-742-8717), and invaluable dating resources – such as free rental cars,
sponsored by an outside source and available for many newly dating bachurim to travel from NY/NJ to
Baltimore for dates. For more details and to arrange your free rental car,
please text R’ Shuey Greenspan: 732-569-0719.
Something for Everyone
Malka Reznitsky, a
Baltimore shadchanit, mentioned two dating venue websites to check out:
Shidduchshuk.com, which features things to do not only in Baltimore, but
Brooklyn, Lakewood, Monsey, Catskills, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Five Towns,
Far Rockaway, Los Angeles, Montreal, Queens, Passaic, Philadelphia, Staten
Island, and Toronto. (It even includes proposal places!) A similar site is
pegishaplace.com.
Malka’s ideas for
dating places include Great Falls Park; Sagamore Pendry Baltimore; Night Hawk
Golf Center; Monster Mini Golf; a hockey/basketball game; bowling; pottery;
Dave and Busters; any factory tour (beer, chips, etc.); The Board and Brew;
Ripley’s Believe it or Not!; a shooting range; the Top Hat Sports Bar; ice
cream; a ropes course; an amusement park; go-karting; ice skating; roller
skating; laser tag; a paint night; Wegman’s (pick up food, eat, and talk);
Groupon activities; making/painting pottery; Centennial Park; Quiet Waters Park
boating/kayaking; fruit picking; The Observation Gallery at BWI Marshall
Airport; DC Segway Tour-National Monument; the International Spy Museum in D.C.;
the downtown Hilton on Pratt Street; Turf Valley Resort, Ellicott City;
DoubleTree hotel in Columbia; Cylburn Arboretum; and Aloft at BWI Airport
(billiards/games room).
Baltimore shadchanit
Joyce Litzman also recommends The Delta Hotel, the Baltimore Bowmen Archery
Club, and Urban Axe Throwing.
Shoshanah
Fishkind, the founder of SHIFT – Shul Initiative for the Singles – suggested many of
Malka’s ideas (as did others). In addition to hotel lobbies at Hunt Valley Embassy
Suites; Hyatt-Baltimore Harbor; Four Seasons Roof Bar, she suggests perusing
books at Barnes and Noble; archery; Rawlings Conservatory and Botanical
Gardens; and IKEA.
Last but not
least, I suggest No Land Beyond, a board game bar, game shop, and venue that
has an ever-expanding library of 300-plus games as well as alcoholic beverages).
The Book Thing of Baltimore has a huge selection of books to browse through,
and they are free! Then there are Dublin Roasters Coffee shop in Frederick, the
Naval Academy tour in Annapolis, Double Tree Pikesville lounge, Royal Sonesta
Harbor Court hotel lounge, the Jewish Museum of Maryland downtown, the Maryland
Science Center, and the Maryland Zoo. You could drive to a quaint town and
explore it, or drive to the Rockville Chabad’s From Bean to Bar, where you can
experience chocolate from bean to finished product. There are also Pottery
Cove; Amazing Glaze; the Smithsonian museums in D.C. (free!); a baseball/football
game; Renaissance Hotel lobby/lounge; Autobahn Indoor Speedway (Go Karts);,
Wilde Lake Park (in Columbia); bike riding in Monkton (rental bikes); Kenilworth
Park and Aquatic Gardens; Brookside Gardens in Wheaton; the National Historic
Seaport boardwalk; Miami Beach Park (Middle River); and Lake Artemesia Butterfly
Garden natural area.
Offbeat and Off the Beaten Track
The most offbeat
dating venue suggestions I have made to couples include going to a supermarket
to check out new and unusual kosher products. Or take AMTRAK to nowhere in
particular, just to explore what is there. These are tried and true ideas; I
kid you not! These were some of the most creative dates I personally experienced
when I dated decades ago.
If you are up for
trying something really out-of-the-box, go with your date to visit random nursing
home residents, or volunteer in a different capacity. You will learn so much
about each other – things that sipping drinks across a lounge table cannot
reveal. I wouldn’t suggest doing this until you’ve gotten to know each other
better.
Sometimes, coming
up with just the right dating venue can be tricky for a more private couple or
a second time-around couple who have yet to tell their kids that they are back
“in the parsha.” Most often, they
will not want to be seen (or heard!) at a local dating venue, such as a
restaurant. I sent one such couple on an off-the-beaten-track restaurant date
about an hour drive from where they live. To our mutual surprise, my brainstorm
seemed to be shared by half of the restaurant’s diners that evening, whom they
knew from their hometown and beyond. I guess you can run, but you can’t hide!
* Make sure to call these venues before you
go. Some places may have closed because of Covid, and others might have
different hours.
