Tampa Bay has no shortage of options when it comes to date spots. You’ve got some of the best beaches in the world right down the street with award-winning restaurants. Between the Bucs, Lightning, and the Rays, you can catch just about any of these teams playing throughout the year. But, what if you’re looking for something different? Here are a few spots for an ’80s-themed date night in Tampa Bay.
Picture this: It’s a Friday night and there’s no internet and no cell phones. You just locked in a date night with the chick you’ve been sweet on and the bowling alley is going cosmic. The neon lights are flashing through the cigarette smoke lining the lanes as the synthesizers play the soundtrack to your night like you’re starring in the next John Hughes movie.
We’ve seen the dating world change tremendously over the last few decades with the addition of dating apps and modern technology. Face-to-face relationships have been traded in for algorithm updates and the not-so-secretive “Netflix & Chill” DMs.
Movie theaters aren’t even exclusively playing most new blockbuster hits (RIP Blockbuster). These days, you can rent the biggest movies right in your own home and watch from your couch. This wins the convenience factor, but it takes away from the experience.
What activities can you do to throw it back to a time before smart tech took over? We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite date night activities that have stood the test of time. Spend the night cracking the whip under the disco ball at the local roller rink. Or, maybe you want to go head-to-head in Pac-Man in a dim light arcade. Want to catch the next showing at a drive-in theater? Whatever it is, we’ve got you covered.