Chicago Dating

Top 10 Original, Mostly Free, Date Ideas for Chicago American dating Singles

Where do you take a date in Chicago? If your answer contains the words "dinner" or "movie" then you need some help. People who live in Chicago have so many options available to them that to go with hum-drum traditions automatically puts you in the "friend zone."

Singles moving to Chicago American dating must be prepared. Dates don't have to be expensive, but a successful date should be fun, exciting, and original. Your dates are a reflection of who you are as a person, so show her (or him) how creative you are by trying out one of these imaginative, but simple, date ideas.

Best part - these suggestions are free, more or less. So you can impress your date while being kind to your wallet.

10. Butterfly Room at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - Having hundreds of insects flying around and landing on you may not sound very romantic, but it's a whole different story when they are butterflies. Get there around feeding time when you can see the most species of colorful butterflies at once. 2430 N. Cannon Drive

Cost: Free

9. Green Mill - I wanted to limit this list to just once bar, music, and dancing venue so the famous Green Mill was the natural choice. As people who live in Chicago know, the Green Mill was an old hangout of Al Capone and it still has that roaring 20s vibe. Every night you can dance to jazz or swing music with your date. 4802 N. Broadway

Cost: $5-$10 Cover

8. Myopic Book Store - Book stores are great date locations because thousands of books can stimulate a thousand conversation topics. But Myopic in Wicker Park is more than just a used book store; it is a funhouse labyrinth of books. There are so many winding old passages of books, you feel like Indiana Jones exploring some secret ruins. 1564 North Milwaukee Avenue

Cost: $0. Unless you buy a book. The people at Myopic probably wouldn't like it if I didn't mention that.

7. Duck Feeding - Try this. Take your date to Walgreens and pick up a loaf of bread. Then head to the nearest duck pond and sit by the water's edge and laugh with your date as you watch feathered friends scramble for morsels. There are a number of ponds with ducks in many Chicago dating parks, but a good one is near the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Maybe go for some butterfly on duck action? 2430 N. Cannon Drive

Cost: $1.50 for the bread

6.Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind Chicago is known for comedy and there are many different comedy shows to take a date at places like Second City or iO. But I have to recommend "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind" by the Neo-Futurists. Short, sweet, and lots of variety, you get to see 30 plays performed in 60 minutes. These plays are constantly changing you can swing back here a few months later. 5153 N. Ashland

Cost: Tickets are $9 + the roll of a single six-sided die ($10-$15 depending on your luck)

5. Dave & Busters Hear me out, Dave & Busters can be an awesome date if you plan it right. Have your date pick a prize from the ticket prize booth, then spend the evening playing games together trying to earn enough tickets to win it. Suddenly, your date has a goal that you can work together towards. Yes, the prizes suck, but it will be a symbolic reminder of your victorious teamwork that won it. 1030 N. Clark

Cost: About $20. Go on half price Wednesdays.

4. Picnic at a Nearby Park Simple? Of course. Effective? Absolutely. There is no overpriced restaurant on Earth that is more romantic than a picnic outdoors in a secluded location. Keep the foot simple, remember to bring napkins, eating utensils, and a napkin, and sneak in some wine too while you're at it. You can do this at any Chicago Dating park, so pick one close to you or your date for convenience.

Cost: $10-$20 for food

3. Piano Bars Why sit and drink at a bar when you can sing and interact with a live show while you're at it? Piano bars like "Howl at the Moon" or "Davenports" are a fun and exciting way to spend an evening with someone you want to get to know better. Listen to show tunes or make requests - the shows are pretty interactive. Howl at the Moon - 30 w. Hubbard St, Suite 200. Davenports - 1383 N. Milwaukee.

Cost: Possible Cover Charge + Tips for the Pianist

2. SummerDance or Ice Skating at Grant Park This one is a twofer since I don't want to recommend any date ideas that are seasonal. During the summer months, you can take your date to a free dance lesson at SummerDance and you can ice skate for free at Millennium Park during the winter.

Cost: Free for SummerDance. Ice Skating is free although you have to pay to rent skates if you don't have your own.

1. Osaka Japanese Garden - You can find this hidden gem behind the Museum of Science and Industry. This beautiful garden has a variety of unique flowers and plants that grow mostly in Japan. Tended with care by the Chicago Dating Park District, this often secluded location features the Moon Bridge and East Lagoon waterfall. Take a camera and compete with your date for the best photograph. 5800 S Lake Shore Drive.