Why are casual ‘walk in the park’ dates becoming so popular nowadays?

[muscularbumblebee]

It seems it first used to be let’s go for dinner then it was let’s grab a drink/ coffee. But the trend these days seems to be ‘let’s go for a long walk in the park or just chill indoors’

Assuming they want a serious relationship, is it because people have lower expectations of dates? Or society is getting lazier? What do you think

[Lliam]

Are the guys too cheep to pay for a meal? Are they afraid that women take advantage of them for free food?
Maybe they don't want to go to the trouble of wearing something other than casual clothes.
I don't know.

If I asked a girl on a date, I would always take her someplace nice the first time. A decent restaurant with good food. Not super expensive but nice. One reason was to see if she went to any trouble getting ready and trying to look nice. That would tell me if she was excited about the date and wanted to make a good impression. I could also see what was her idea of looking nice and if she had good taste. Over dinner, I could see her manners. Of course, it gave her the opportunity to observe me, as well.

On subsequent dates, I will say that one of my favorite things was to go, not to a regular park, but to someplace beautiful like a botanical garden. I find places like that with flowers, landscapes, sculptures, quiet benches on which to pause, to be romantic. It's a good sign if we walk around holding hands or sit on a bench to kiss. I might prepare a picnic with a blanket, snacks and a bottle of wine. Or we could go to a restaurant after our casual stroll.

But going to a park on a first date requires no thought or preparation. It doesn't make the date seem special.

[Kiss_Me]

It encourages face-to-face communication.
It's low budget.
It also gets both of you "outside." Covid has kept people indoors way too long.
It's safer because the setting is way more public. A good thing for first dates.

[DaveJord]

Well these dates are becoming so popular because guys like me have cracked the code on it about 5 years ago and have been coming here telling guys that walks in the park are the best first date options. When I was on line dating I had like 17 dates with 14 different women in like a two to three month time frame. Over the course of 6 month I went on 34 first dates and honestly I became really good at it because I did a lot of first hand market research.

When I started I was naïve about it at first, because I had been out of the game for 20 years. I was taking these women out to dinners and drinks and spending like $80 bucks or more on women that honestly didn't rate that. Finally I had a freind tell me what I was doing wrong, he said your trying to court these women like you're looking for next wife, when in reality your only trying to date them... and you should just be honest about that from the start. He was right you come off as trying to hard at the start, can seem desperate or make the women think your moving to fast into a serious and committed relationship with her. Seriously, this can freak women out... when a lot of them are just like me trying to get back into the game a 40 years old.

Then I did the coffee thing, but think about it... you're there with all the first date anxiety sipping down caffeine while she hides behind a table. I mean its award to really connect with someone that way then they are guarded and at a distance from you with a table between you, with all the formality of a first date hanging in the air.

So I started going with the walk in the park dates, and that was amazingly the smartest move I ever made. First off any women that will not go for a walk in the park for a first date or initial meet and greet is not worth a guys time. If she expects you to wine and dine her on the first date and really make you wow her then she's not in the right head space for a guy like me. Because honestly she needs to be wowing me, and I am a cheap date.

So walks in the part are more intimate... you get her out from behind the table and doing something with you. It makes it easier to do those casual touch things to really allow you to get a feel for her vibe... you can sit on a park bench and just talk, at face level with each other and really connect with her. If you are not vibeing her then its easy to cut it off and go you own separate ways, no need to suffer through a meal or slow service when get the feeling that you just want to get out of there.

My current girlfriend and I met on line this way, we did a walk in the Chines Garden. $5.00 to get in the door. So it was a $10 dollar date. We sat by the Koi Pond on this little stone bench feeding the fish. Talking and laughing I was able to touch her leg and caress her hand in a casual manner... we told story's and walk through the garden... by the end we were holding hands and she even put her arm around me. None of that would of happened if it was at a coffee shop or restaurant. We would of sat there staring at each other over our drinks trying to find things to take about while waited on our food. Then we would eat, trying to talk around mouthfuls and then we would of left when the meal was over saying we should do it again some time. But whole time it would had this awkward first date formality to it, when in reality it it should be a casual inexpensive first meet and greet. With a walk in the park there is none of that awkward who should pay or concern over the cost, cause lets be honest if you desirable man you could be spending upwards of $500 to $1000 bucks a month taking women out. So $50 to $100 for meal is not worth it to guy to an there in no expectation on women to make it worth it to him over walk in the park.

16 months later we are still happily together and talk so fondly of our amazing first date, and the second date was even better because "SHE" took me to the zoo an it was amazing walking, talking and looking at the animals hand in hand.

[ArtemisSilver]

I have no idea, I've got pins in my leg, I don't want to go on any fuckin walk in the park. Probably get hastled by a crackhead or an angry goose or a fuckin mime or some shit. No thanks.

Terrible date.

I'd much rather get drunk together and watch stand up.

[muscularbumblebee]

Hassled by angry goose got me laughing lol but fair enough

[ArtemisSilver]

They call them cobra chickens around here. They're the size of a child, hiss, bite and chase people, and shit all over the place.

[motownplayer2000]

Nope. It’s because women are taking to much advantage of men. Go to a fancy dinner and she doesn’t call or text afterwards.. and then tells all her friends she scored a free, expensive meal. I applaud men that do that. If she is really with you, for you.. she will happily do several walk in the park dates. Maybe stop for a snack treat. Until she is worthy to get that expensive dinner.. or she will go in half and pay. That would be super ideal. But alas, women in society really want equality in certain things, not everything

[Adam1978]

Because the odds of someone being of good value has plummet so the investion on the first dates value has done the same. You need to filter many people cheaply and can spend a bit more further in. A walk in the park is a good way of getting a chance to see what they are in person and still not commit any money until you found them worth it.

[zagor]

A fancy formal dinner on a first (or second) date is just plain stupid. If it's a disaster it is inconvenient to leave early as dinner takes a while. It is a waste of money if things don't work out. It is usually noisy. All in all, a pain in the ass.

Grabbing a drink and a snack makes a lot more sense.

[tzdc21]

It's so guys can still get to know the girl they're seeing and not invest so much time and money with the risk of it all being for nothing. This way, you save some money, AND you still get to know the girl. And what's more is that if she refuses to go on a walking date, then you know she wasn't all that into you to begin with and you dodged a bullet.

[Anonymous]

I think it's partly because in spite of so-called gender equality men are mostly still expected to pay for dates, and going out to dinner is expensive. You never know whether a woman is going to offer to pay or judge a man if he lets her. It's safer to do something free or inexpensive and get to know the person before risking all of that.

[exitseven]

I blame it on covid. It was so hard to meet up with somebody and figure out who wears a mask and who doesn't and what your vaccination status was. A lot of people just stayed outside and went for walks.

[BarryLiverstone]

Think it’s a result of the pandemic. Walks in the park are seen as safe on multiple levels. Meeting in the park with people is safe. Also can socially distance if either person is sick. Better than a loud bar because you can talk and have an engaging conversation. Finally if you met online you can have a casual walk and if not feeling vibes just say goodbye

[BarryLiverstone]

Are your expected date ideas more than a walk or would that be boring?

[becee23love]

Of course going out to a fancy dinner is romantic and lovely but a walk in the park on a nice day is beautiful and relaxing

[NamerOfStars]

No small part of it is from the economy going to hell over the last two years. Doing stuff that's cheap or free gives you a LOT more freedom to do it.

[kinggeorge007]

I think the first one. Lower expectations. And also this way you can get to know the person better without the pressure of a formal setup of a "date". I like this setup.

[Redstang88]

Yeah probably something like that. And with how expensive things are now it can be hard to justify spending the money on a fancy date when chances of it leading anywhere are slim to none

[HighValue]

More guys don't want to be taken advantage of for a free meal which was very common for decades.

[Fireguy17]

No pressure dates are great, you, a nice day, a pretty park, food trucks, what could be better?

[genericname85]

well cause in covid time, cafès or restaurants were not usually an option xD

[Anonymous]

Women use dates as a free meal ticket instead just saying that not integrated in the guy.

So a guy doing financial sound

[Anonymous]

You get to know the person without spending needless amounts of money and without outside distractions. Which is kind of the point of it all.

[CuriousMufuxka]

Because they work! The walk and talk is the greatest icebreaker of all time.

[TallAnon]

Oh god, really? That sounds like a pain

[muscularbumblebee]

Every guy that has asked me out lately has only offered those as date ideas anyway so maybe my experience but I know other girls too I don't know

[Waldoe]

Covid Lockdown... everything is closed

[lofii]

Not in my case bc I'm not poor

[mandyfire98]

Because inflation