I have a plan. I’m taking my girlfriend to New York for new year & I’m going to ask her to marry me. I have everything planned except just where to do the asking as I have never been to NY.

Please give me your ideas whether they are romantic, memorable, funny or whatever. Ideas along the lines of ‘don’t do it’ or ‘go to London and take her up the oxo tower’ are fine but I’ve already considered and discounted those specific two 🙂

So, can you help me or am I left to work it out when I get there?

Thanks in advance.

Go skating at Rockefeller Centre. Memorable, fun, lots of happy people around to cheer you up if she says no.

Woody Allen fan – by the Brooklyn Bridge?

Up the Empire State? (bit busy, even in the extra cost higer up bit)

Central Park?

Statue of Liberty? (not been up it).

Times Square on New Years eve!?

Madison Square Park

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQVoAWSP7k4[/video]

😀

End of holiday…she’ll be thinking the excitement is over then boom, you ask her and it’ll all be very good.

Head out to Rockaway and propose on the boardwalk. Not everyones cup of tea but I love Rockaway.

Kat’s Deli. Will she say Yes, YES, YES! like Sally?

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-bsf2x-aeE[/video]

We went for our honey moon and there are plenty of options.

How about Grand Central Station (very impressive building and you will always remember your day when you see it again)

“The Grand Central Whispering Gallery

The “whispering gallery” is located on the Grand Central Terminal dining concourse near the famous Oyster Bar & Restaurant. Here, the acoustics of the low ceramic arches can cause a whisper to sound like a shout. Sound impossible? To test it out, you and a friend will have to stand in opposite corners of the large arched entryway. Now face the corner and whisper. Your friend should be able to hear your voice as if you were right next to them, not whispering into a far-away corner.

According to experts, this happens because the whisperer’s voice follows the curve of the domed ceiling. The Whispering Gallery is a popular spot for marriage proposals – and a unique place to whisper sweet nothings to your main squeeze.”

And then off for food in the Oyster bar. May not be very private and personal if you like that sort of thing, but hey, it NYC.

One of the best sights in NY is looking back at the city sky line when you are actually outside of the city. Go on the Staton (sp) Island ferry there and back, it’s free and goes past statue of liberty.

It’ll be bl00dy cold mind, so maybe not the best place to pop the question. She might not be able to say yes through chattering teeth.

I think you should do it sooner rather than later as well. It’ll be on your mind for the whole time until you do it. And she will be sooo happy you’ll have an extra special trip.

echo !

Best place to propose is wherever you are at the time imo.

As Ro5ey. But over the Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn Heights (with the Manhattan skyline behind you).

Top of the Rock (Rockefeller centre) would get my vote, if it’s a clear day/night. Great views of the whole area, the Empire State building, Central park etc..
If she says yes, Bingo!
If she says no, just chuck her off!

Thanks for all the good ideas, I got a much better response than I was expecting. Plenty to inspire.

Have to respond to ‘wherever you are at the time’ with ‘where else would I be?’ But I understand the sentiment that it’s about the moment rather than where you are.

I’m so looking forward to this trip.

Try here, expensive, but it feels special, great view too!

http://www.rivercafe.com

You’ll need a Dinner Jacket/Suit, request a window seat and tell them your planning to propose.

I didn’t propose here though, I could have but, . . . I left it to a sweaty Miami nightclub, now that’s classy!

I did this in 2007. I proposed in Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant at The London (NY Hotel) which I had booked a couple of months prior. It was no surprise though, my missus booked the trip specifically for ring shopping. We went for 5 days and choose a ring from a well known store on 5th Avenue.

We also went to The Top of The Rock, which is much better than the Empire State.

The whole trip was fantastic, she got the ring she wanted, I paid much less than I would have in the UK and we both had a memorable break. The Ramsay experience was also special, fortunately for me the exchange rate was much better in ’07.

Wherever you choose it’ll be special.

Have you both seen “Sleepless In Seattle”?

Another vote for skating. V romantic 😀

Go during the week though rather than on weekend as the que can be massive

Go during the week though rather than on weekend as the que can be massive

Emsz is spot on & I’m not sure that you can book. That said, the rink’s open to midnight and it dies down a bit after 10pm.

Grand Central Station is awesome as already mentioned!
top of the Rockefeller centre as already mentioned get the best views of Empire State, Central Park.
I had a friend who proposed at the top of Empire State building and as she swung around he nearly launched the ring over the edge!!
Another friend got engaged in Central Park, as it’s beautiful there especially if you get it snowy!
Brooklyn Bridge is fab! But I’d go for ice skating or Grand Central.
Then take her for dinner here:
http://aguadulceny.com/media/aguadulce.html

Quirk, different, atmosphere ace, like no-where I’ve ever been and reasonably priced, they do ACE cocktails too (of which I’m not realy a cocktail drinker).

Just on the other side of Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn Heights in the small park looking back over toward the Manhattan skyline – thats where I did it and it worked for me (similar time too, 28th December) 😀

PS
DO NOT GO TO TIMES SQUARE ON NYE (hours stood in the same spot, no beer, no toilets and no real iudea of whats happening as you’ll be so far away from the square irtself unless you fancy getting there about 18 hours early) – go to Greenwich Village, way more fun IMO

Yoshimi, if you mean the park which has the plaque commemorating Harry Chapin, then that’s a really good call. Fantastic view of the skyline.

The view’s not bad from the top of the Empire State either 🙂

I’d go downtown, it’s a nicer atmosphere. (Little!) Bit less of the hustle and bustle, and the buildings are nicer. Or, how about Coney Island? Not “New York” but maybe a bit different?

Nickf – not sure about the plaque but it was here(ish)
(Ive stolen this pic off google images, not me or any relation)

+1 for Top of the Rock. Great view of the whole city.

I did this 4 years ago. Went up to the top of the Empire State Building right on a Saturday at the end of the night. If you plan to do this you need to make sure that when you empty your belongings and go through the scanner, the ring is inside a bag or something. Mine was in my pocket but luckily it went unoticed.

Also, there’s still plenty of people around so be prepared to look like a complete pumper if you’re going for the one knee scenario. ( I chickened out on that as I was too embarrassed).

Great views and memories from up there.

Coney Island Boardwalk at sunset. It’s quite nice.

EDIT: Or in Battery Park at night. Looks out at the Statue you have all the watery harbour sounds all around you.

Somewhere high up. Proposed to my wife on top of the leaning tower of Pisa. To this day I think the only reason she said yes so readily was to get down off the damn thing.

For my money, I’d god fr the nighttime skyline choice. Empire state or that other one with lots of art deco styling in it. As long as it is a clear night it should be stunning.

Thanks again everyone for the suggestions. I’m going to keep them all in mind then go with whatever feels right once we are there.

I will give an update on the outcome in the new year 🙂

Outside Tiffany’s… but could prove expensive 😆

An ex contacted me last night to ask me to +1 djaustins suggestion.

A friend of a friend proposed in this way and she thinks it’s one of the most romantic proposals she’s ever heard of.

djaustin & Southern Yeti, you both need more romance in your lives. Propose in a busy shopping street outside an expensive jewlers? Really? Not for me. I opted for a very picturesque snow covered central park after a snowball fight in a patch of virgin snow. Then we brushed the snow off & I took her to Tiffany to choose a ring (she’d said yes).

Best thing I’ve done to date, she looked so happy 🙂

(Sobs into hanky)

Excellent.

I can’t see what’s wrong with proposing outside Wimpy in the Whitgift Centre in Croydon myself, dunno what all this New York and Tiffany’s nonsense is all about, but there you go. 😀

Elfin, I have been to the Whitgift centre & though I am not familiar with the Wimpy I feel New York probably made the whole occasion feel a little more special 🙂

Hurrah! We were up Top of the Rock at sunset on Xmas eve where a couple had just got engaged. Lots of congratulations from random people, which would have been nice for them. And it made me think of this thread!

Congratulations!