Seattle Cheap Date Guide

Dating on the cheap is all about funneling the uncomfortable action of getting to know each other through the filter of some other much less menacing activity. Normally this is, of course, the premise when going out to dinner, having drinks, seeing a movie etc., but low funds mean more creativity.

1. Seattle Art Museum
Even if the person you’re taking out on a date “isn’t really into art,” the point of walking through a museum is not to appreciate what’s hanging on the walls, but to have the opportunity to talk. Think of it as going out to coffee, only with an ever rotating field of vision and a good source of exercise. And, if you say anything truly weird you can point to something even weirder and say, “What’s up with that?” First Thursdays of the month are free at the SAM.

2. Georgetown Brewery
Home of Manny’s Pale Ale, (if you like beer, if you know anything about the beer culture here, then you’re in on the on-tap-only jewel brewed right in Georgetown) this brewery is housed in an old brick building that feels old-school Seattle. What you probably don’t know is that the brewery offers free tours every last Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m., and has free beer samples.

3. Ballard Locks
The locks' cool atmosphere and gorgeous scenery are best for a picnic. Packing food and a blanket is romantic enough, but the sound of rushing water as you lay on the grass is even better. Once you pack up lunch, check out the fish ladder and talk about how the salmon struggling to get upstream are actually a metaphor for all of life. Perfect date fodder.

4. Crest Cinema Center/Admiral Theaters
Because the money you drop on one movie ticket these days makes the price of gas look reasonable, these are theaters to frequent even if you’re not on a budget. Not only that, the movies at these theaters are generally distilled to a higher quality, so the chance of hitting a terrible movie is lower. And even if you both hate the movie, it was only a couple bucks—$3 at the Crest and $5 at the Admiral.

5. Seattle Central Library
The library is always great, but the Central branch in particularly awesome because while you could walk around commenting on how phenomenal the architecture is, it’s way more fun to do non-library-sanctioned activities. Ideas include (but are not limited to): taking pictures in the heart tunnel (imagine how romantic your friends will think you are), taking quizzes out of magazines in the reading areas, and playing hide and go seek. The views of the city aren’t bad.

6. Full Tilt Ice Cream
There are no cocktails here, just handmade ice cream in ice cream flavors that you’ve only dreamed about: horchata, mango chili, and birthday cake. Well, ice cream and pinball machines. Good twist: whoever gets the lowest score at pinball has to buy the winner a bowl. Ice cream runs between $3 and $5. Pinball machines take whatever you have in quarters.

7. Ferry Ride
Ferry rides in the summer are best at night because the air is still warm and the salty breeze is cool. Also, something about hearing the waves but not being able to see them inspires a need to find something more tangible in your companion. If you do have a destination (totally unnecessary), Bainbridge, Poulsbo, and Whidbey Island are lovely places to walk around. Walk-on roundtrips are less than $7.

8. Burke-Gilman Trail
Go for a walk. Seriously. The value placed on long strolls these days is at a near-criminal low. They are a great way to get to know someone, plus you get some fresh air. The trail is so long you can't do it all, but chances are if you live in North Seattle somewhere it's nearby.