February 14th is coming, and all the lovebirds anxiously await. However, single people should not be left out, especially those in New York City. What makes this Valentine’s Day more special is that it immediately precedes President’s Day, leaving you with a long weekend full of various activities. Heart-shaped chocolate and restaurants are nice, but why not try some new things? No matter what your relationship status is, check out the below recipe for a legendary Valentine’s Day experience.

Play Any of These Unconventional Romantic Movies (Netflix & Chill)

That’s right, we don’t mean sappy romantic films such as A Walk To Remember, The Notebook, or Serenity! Love comes in all shapes and sizes, and some motion pictures highly utilize this to their advantage. If you want to watch a couple that had a bad breakup and consequently erased each other from their memories, go for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, starring Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey. Aside from winning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, the film effortlessly blends romance, comedy, drama, and science fiction with a nonlinear narrative. The main characters might have forgotten one another, but you’ll remember this film for years to come.

 In Her Shoes is a hilarious and dramatic portrayal of the bond between two completely different sisters (who wear the same shoe size), played by Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette, and how they reconnect with their grandmother (Shirley MacLaine). Aside from a stellar cast, one of the film’s best features is its realism, particularly when the sisters argue. Although it is lengthy for a ‘dramedy’, the scenes are appropriately paced to showcase the layers of each character.

Another one-of-a-kind romance movie would definitely be the delightful About Time. The plot revolves around Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson), who possesses the gift of time travel (like his father and all the men in his family), and uses it to win the heart of Mary (Rachel McAdams). Cheesy? Don’t be fooled. The main storyline is the friendship between Tim and his father (Bill Nighy), revealed by the latter’s time travel lessons and events following his terminal cancer diagnosis. Nevertheless, the film maintains a light, bittersweet mood while squeezing in a few laughs. For those who consider Sunday a family day, watch this with your folks.

Watch Your Love, Our Musical!

Are you a musical fan in need of a hilarious comedy show? Don’t miss this musical-comedy improv at Littlefield on Saturday, February 13! The talented and witty pair, Rebecca Vigil and Evan Kaufman, select a couple from the crowd and ask them how they fell in love. Then, they use the unusual experiences from the story to produce an impromptu musical performance. Buy your tickets now for $10-12 here!

Feel The Love In Times Square

Whether you’re looking for a new romance, planning to propose to your longtime partner, or simply love witnessing romantic gestures, head over to Times Square, Duffy Square this Sunday in order to see live marriage proposals, vow renewals, and wedding ceremonies! Not to forget, you can kiss in private using the Heart of Hearts kaleidoscopic kissing booths. Finding love in the big city just got easier.

Slow Jam The Night Away

Go back to the good ol’ ’70s on Saturday with this musical event presenting five supreme soul artists: The Stylistics (“You Are Everything,” “Break Up to Make Up,” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New”), Dramatics (“In the Rain” and “Whatcha See is Whatcha Get”), New Birth (“Dream Merchant,” “It’s Been A Long Time,” “I Can Understand It”), Ray, Goodman and Brown (“Special Lady”), and Jobie Thomas’s Enchantment (“Gloria,”“Sunshine” and “It’s You That I Need”). Upper West Side residents who enjoy the powerful and social messages of soul music have to immediately reserve for the 3pm or the 8pm show at The Beacon Theatre. Prices range from $49.50 to $79.50, which is a great deal given the amount and quality of performers!

Have a Bloody Valentine

Horror fans (or anti-Valentine activists), add Varick Street to your weekend destination! Blood Manor, the city’s leading haunted attraction, is organizing the 2016 Bloody Valentine from Friday until Sunday. Enjoy scaring your friend/sweetheart while walking through the haunted house. You can also trade candy and flowers for bloody hatchets plus gore-stained chainsaws. American Horror Story and The Walking Dead have got nothing on this! Several ticket packages include one black rose in memory of your ill-fated love. Click here to see the event times for each day and purchase your tickets (Tip: Prices are reduced by $5 for both General Admission and RIP Express Entry!).

Which activities will you go with? Answer in the comments below.

The post 5 Recommendations for a Unique Valentine’s Day appeared first on NYC Luxury Apartments for Rent | Glenwood Management.

Even if you think Valentine's Day has become less a celebration of love and passion and more a blatant money-grab, with everyone trying to guilt-sell you stuff that you "need" to "prove" your affection, there's still an undeniable feeling of romance in the air come the night February 14. And if you haven't already made plans (or if you'll be rolling solo that night) and want to laugh and cry and swoon a bit in the cozy comfort of your home, here are five romantic-comedies (loosely defined) from 2014 that I really liked, and you might, too. All are currently available for streaming on either Netflix or Amazon.   

Obvious Child 

Jenny Slate won the Critic's Choice award for her role in this very funny maybe-love story, and deservedly so. I laughed harder and more often during Obvious Child than any other movie in 2014, and she also nails the vulnerability and vague fear of life that so many of us have/had in our twenties. The plot here involves a one-night-stand (or will it be more…..?), an abortion, a bunch of stand-up comics, and lots of great Brooklyn and Manhattan settings. Oh and my teenage daughters liked it as much as I did.  

What If

I was kind of surprised this didn't get more box-office love, considering it stars Harry Potter, not to mention the adorable Zoe Kazan (and an appearance by the always-a-pleasure Adam Driver), but believe me, if you like that old rom-com chestnut about best friends, one of whom (both of whom???) secretly love the other, you will be totally engaged and entertained by What If. No new ground is broken, nothing edgy here, just a delightfully-performed story about that sweet, terrible feeling of meeting the right person at the wrong time.     

The One I Love 

Lots of good, semi-creepy fun (and love, of course) going on in this small, wholly original story about a married couple–an excellent Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss–who are sent by their therapist to work out their issues at a weekend retreat. The hideaway is lovely, everything seems to be going fine, and then…. well, you'll find out. The One I Love was definitely unlike any other romance I saw all year.

God Help the Girl

I loved this musical both times I watched it last year–yes, it's a straight-up musical, with full songs and dance numbers functioning as narrative–from Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch. If you like the twee pop of Belle and Sebastian, and/or the twee stylings of Wes Anderson, you will likely love it too. Set in a cute Scottish town and starring a winning trio of young actors, God Help the Girl is as much about growing up as it about love and crushes, and the music is fantastic, and it was one of my favorite movies of the year. 

The Lunchbox

Finally, for a more mature–and entirely (maybe!) epistolary–romance, last winter's The Lunchbox will warm your heart this winter as well. Set in Mumbai and using the city's legendarily (and bafflingly) efficient lunchbox delivery system as its plot device, this story of a lonely married housewife and a gruff-but-lovable older man who connect via mistaken identity is charming and well played all around.      

The post Snuggle Up to These 5 Netflix Romances on Valentine’s Day appeared first on NYC Luxury Apartments for Rent | Glenwood Management.