7 Queens date ideas for the state's most eligible bachelor

Vroom vroom. Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

By Dave Colon

The rumor mill was working overtime this week, as the gossip mongers at Page Six went all-in on the scuttlebut that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ended things with his sweets sweet Sandra Lee.

The pair denied it, with Lee taking to Facebook and Instagram to tell Page Six to knock it off, while the Times reported the more sober news that the pair was just selling the big house they no longer needed.

Still, if Albany wags were wagging their tongues, there’s surely something going on here. So in the interests of summer romance, and either rekindling the one he’s got or starting a new one, we at the Queens Daily Eagle have a few local date ideas for the governor, a Queens Boy.

Extreme romance at Gantry Plaza State Park. Eagle photo by Katie Finkowski

Dinner at John Brown Smokehouse and a Stroll Through Gantry Plaza State Park

As a Queens Boy, you can probably get a table and a warm greeting at almost every institution in the borough. But you’ll get no warmer welcome than you will at the unofficial home of the “Welcome Amazon” committee. John Brown has been delighting barbecue fans for almost a decade now with offerings like burnt ends, lamb sausage and even turkey. Don’t eat too much though, because being walking distance from the waterfront means you can take a walk to Gantry Plaza State Park, a truly lovely place, to spend some time with your date. Sit and look at the skyline, and regale your lady with tales of what a beautiful thing you were gonna build here before bunch of bearded tattooed communists ruined things for your Amazambitions.

Photo by Slgckgc/Flickr

Mets fireworks night

We know that you’ve had a bit of a flirtation with the Yankees (what, lobbyists don’t want to pay ten grand to watch Todd Frazier?), but you’re a Mets guy at heart. And what’s better on a beautiful American summer night than baseball and fireworks? Nothing, nothing at all. Who can say where the Mets will be by the time July 6th or August 24th rolls around, but even if the season is over by the end of June, you can still take in a ballgame and then put your arm around Sandra while you watch some explosions in the sky set to the classic dad rock that you love. Will there be Billy Joel? You know there will be.

Eagle photo by Zach Hoffman

Spending the Day in Rockaway

Boy, what isn’t there to do in Rockaway? Why only go to Rippers or Caracas Arepa Bar or Brisas del Mar when you can visit all three AND get yourself a floater at Connolly’s? We know you love to do manly stuff like killing sharks so we’d advise you to swipe left on any Tinder profile you come across that suggests a fondness for animals. Or, just hide your bloodlust for a day and kick it on the sand with your date while you tell her about how you made a tough decision to protect New York’s waters by rejecting the Williams pipeline.

Photo courtesy of the Queens Night Market

Queens Night Market

As you’re so fond of reminding us, governor, you are an immigrant. So how could you not take your Bumble match out to Corona for a worldwide culinary adventure at Queens’ finest outdoor food festival? From the Ukraine to Singapore, Colombia to Vietnam, the melting pot is a bit more than just a metaphor. Maybe you can get a little adventurous and even...take the train out there.

Evil Twin Brewery in Ridgewood. Photo by Steve Hindy

Ridgewood Brewery Tour

As governor, you’ve been a reliable booster of New York’s burgeoning craft beer scene. It’s about time you see the fruits of your labor, with a suds-loving date whose thirst for proximity to power is only matched by her thirst for locally made brews from Finback, Bridge and Tunnel, Evil Twin and of course, Queens Brewery. Definitely have a designated driver or a Metrocard on you for this night out though.

Spa Castle. Google Maps

A Day at Spa Castle

Remember the other day when your brother was talking about how he wished you’d just stop being governor and relax, because we’re all a bunch of jackals asking you horrible questions like “What happened to the Moreland Commission?” and “Where’s the money for the MTA capital plan?” Seems like he’s worried about your stress levels, so why don’t you and a partner hit the sauna, the sun deck and the massage table and let your worries drift away.

Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Flickr

The Sunken Lounge at the TWA Hotel

Okay so uh, recent events might suggest that you already had sex on the brain when you visited this place, but on the other hand, how could anyone not take a look at the plush Sixties chic Sunken Lounge and not think, “Now here is where you impress a date”? We’re not saying that you should give bar management a call and say “I’m the governor, and me and Sandra want a night to ourselves here” but we are saying that there’s no one in the state who seems capable of stopping you from doing that.

Dave Colon is a freelance writer and Thirst Editor-at-large. Follow him on Twitter @DaveColon