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Cornell’s 5 Most Romantic Date Spots

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Amanda Quain
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Elisabeth Rosen
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cornell chapter.

Picture it: you and your boyfriend are hoping for a nice, romantic evening together. It’s been a stressful week, filled with prelims and papers, and you need something to de-stress. He suggests going out to a movie, but neither of you have a car and you don’t want to be held to the schedule of the TCAT. You suggest dinner in Collegetown, but he doesn’t feel like dealing with the drunken students that will inevitably stumble past you on your way back to campus. Since those are pretty much the only two “dates”either of you can think of, you head back to your dorm room. At least you can be together there, right? Of course, it’s a little awkward to do much more than twiddle your thumbs and shoot glances at each other while your roommate is lying on the other bed, only pretending to be watching TV. So much for romance.

But there’s more to romance at Cornell than making out for the five minutes your roommate is brushing her teeth! Cornell collegiettes™, I present to you…Cornell’s 5 Most Romantic Date Spots! 

  1. Top of the Clock Tower Sure, the 161 steps to the top can be tough, but the view is completely worth it. Make the trek up for a concert and listen to the bells pounding out a tune behind you while you take in the beautiful scenery in front of you. The best part? The viewing area in the clock tower often clears out once the concert begins because it’s so loud-so if the two of you can handle it (or if you were smart enough to bring earplugs!) then this can be a perfect time to be alone. Spenser ’13 remembers bringing his girlfriend to the top of the clock tower only a few weeks before they started going out. “Climbing the clock tower is a must-do at Cornell,” Spenser says, “and it makes even better to do it with someone special.” 
  2. Suspension Bridge at Midnight The story goes that if a man asks a woman for a kiss on the bridge at midnight and she refuses, the bridge will tumble into the gorge. That’s probably the reason kissing on the suspension bridge at midnight made it onto the Cornell Daily Sun’s infamous list of “161 Things Every Cornellian Should Do.” While the bridge hasn’t collapsed into the gorge yet, we can only assume it is because nobody has ever refused a kiss! Besides the kiss itself, making the trek down to the suspension bridge at midnight (especially if you go when everything is covered in snow) adds just enough excitement to the expedition to make it romantic. And there, is after all, no rule about stopping after just one kiss. 
  3. Beebe Lake Like the suspension bridge, Beebe Lake is surrounded by Cornell legend. If you walk all the way around Beebe Lake holding hands, legend has it that the two of you will get engaged. Now, I’m not recommending you jump into marriage just yet (especially if this is your first date!) but the walk around Beebe Lake can certainly be a romantic one, especially when taken in the summer or fall. The lake offers endless beauty-so whether you’re planning on running laps around it, taking a leisurely stroll, or even swimming in it (which, if you do, please do carefully, and only in areas where you see others swimming), there’s something for everyone.
  4. Plantation Picnic Cornell has a fantastic Plantations system- why not take advantage of it with that special someone? Because the grounds are so large you are unlikely to run into anyone, and taking a picnic with you means you can keep the romance going even longer. The beauty surrounding you will make romance a lot easier than in your dorm room. More adventurous collegiettes™can also try this same date at midnight- just please dress warmly! 
  5. Library Stacks Even though it’s cold most of the time, a lot of layers can usually make it bearable to be outside. For days where you absolutely need to have an indoor date, however, without resorting to the same old movies and Collegetown restaurants, the stacks in a library might be the place for you. I’m certainly not recommending the infamous “sex in the stacks”- no matter how secluded your spot is, people are always around! But there are often several floors of libraries (particularly in Olin) that are completely unoccupied. Grab a hot chocolate from a café and sit in the corner together, grateful, at least, that your roommate isn’t staring you down anymore (and maybe stealing a few kisses when you’re sure the coast is clear.)


Have more suggestions for romantic spots at Cornell? Leave them below in the comments! 

Sources
Cornell Daily Sun
Spenser ’12
 

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Amanda is a senior at Cornell University, where she studies Communication and Theatre. She just got back from a semester in London, where she studied theatre to her heart's content and was able to eat all sorts of wonderful food (her other major love- besides writing, of course!) Guilty pleasures include watching the Bachelorette alone on the couch. Regular pleasures include Her Campus, theatre, reading and obsessing over food blogs, and geeking out (see: Harry Potter.)
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Elisabeth Rosen is a College Scholar at Cornell University with concentrations in anthropology, social psychology and creative writing. She is currently the co-editor of Her Campus Cornell. She has interned at The Weinstein Company and Small Farms Quarterly and worked as a hostess at a Japanese restaurant.