Virginia is for lovers, and so is winter! As the temperatures drop here in Richmond and the long snowy nights are on the horizon, local singles are aching to find the perfect someone to hold hands with and snuggle (hopefully in front of a roaring fire!)
But with summer behind us, and the pumpkins in all the cute patches rotting as fall draws to a close, it can seem impossible to plan an impressive first date with a potential special someone! Never fear, Richmond-native lovers, we like to believe that winter is advantageous in the search for someone to bring home to the folks. Sometimes, the cold is just the perfect environment for the first spark of love!
To help you on your journey, below are 3 local spots perfect for a romantic winter rendezvous.
Live theatre has been a date activity as long as it’s existed. Let’s face it, first dates are usually awkward. How close do you sit, what do you wear, and WHAT on earth do you talk about? The perfect solution to this ever-pressing dilemma is to take a date to the theatre. There is undeniable electricity that comes with sitting next to a new potential romance at the theatre, especially when the theatre is a warm haven away from icy winter winds. You’re close to each other, it’s dark, maybe you’ll even hold hands!? Not to mention, the problem of awkward first-date conversation is solved because for the first couple of hours of knowing each other, you don’t talk! Then after the performance, you have something in common to talk about.
Live theatre is a magical experience that is perfected when shared with someone else. The Virginia Repertory Theatre is hosting 4 different live shows between the beginning of December and the end of February, so get up your courage and ask that special someone soon so you have time to get tickets!
2. CMX CineBistro at Stony Point Fashion Park
If you or your sweetheart aren’t fans of live theatre, a movie holds most of the same benefits. The physical closeness, the dark, cozy environment, and the delaying of the awkward first-date conversation until you have a shared experience to discuss! However, a classic movie date can seem a bit unremarkable. That’s why CMX CineBistro is a perfect cozy winter date location! It isn’t your typical movie theatre, because it’s also a fantastic restaurant. Dine-in movie theatres are not a new concept, but the CMX CineBistro takes the dine-in movie experience very seriously. This date takes the classic date night dinner-and-a-movie and puts it all in one fun, novel experience.
Fountain Bookstore is a well-loved part of the Richmond community and has been since its opening in 1978. The bookstore has a cozy, nostalgic feeling and carries a wide selection of books. The small but comfortable environment of Fountain Bookstore is the perfect place to get away from the cold and get to know a potential partner through literature. You and your date could purchase the same book and hold a mini book club as your second date, or you and your date could get to know each other by purchasing each other’s favorite book.
With how fast-paced everyone’s lives are becoming, it’s important to slow down and take in moments that someday could become special memories. Reading and looking at books forces you to slow down and take in your surroundings, and that is exactly what your attitude should be on a date, too.
Winter is the perfect environment to fall in love because the cold leads you to find opportunities to get warm, which leads you to very special cozy places. Take a new romance or an existing one on a sweet winter date at the theatre, a dine-in movie, or maybe even to Fountain to grab a book and go read with them (hopefully, in front of that roaring fire!)