By: Benyamin Davidsons
Romance is in the air, or is that sewage?
Valentine’s Day tours of a Brooklyn wastewater facility have been oddly popular annually, selling out soon after release. Now, with the pandemic, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection and Open House New York’s are offering the tour virtually, hoping they will continue to reap the benefits.
As reported by the NY Post, this year, the tours of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, will take place on Zoom from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 14. Tickets are going for $5 per person, and now that the event is virtual, there will be room to accommodate a larger crowd than usual. “Grab a date (or join solo) and take a peek inside the city’s largest sewage treatment plant, where wastewater — collected from storm drains and the toilets and sinks of more than 1 million New Yorkers — is cleaned each day in a complex system, including eight giant stainless steel digester eggs,” says the Eventbrite ticket page describing of the event. The program will delve into the plant’s architecture as well as “how the digester eggs got their shape, why you should not take a shower during a rainstorm and the real problem with ‘flushable’ wipes.” The tour will also include a behind-the-scenes video tour, a conversation with DEP director of public design outreach, Alicia West, and a Question and Answer session with participants. The DEP also has tours available in April and October.
Other ideas for Valentine’s Day events include the Edge, which is the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere. The site will open at 6 a.m. on Feb. 14, allowing couples to watch the sunrise together from 1,131 feet in the air in the COVID-19 safe, in-person setting. The deck offering 360° NYC views is located at 30 Hudson Yards on the 100th and 101st floors. Tickets for the “perfect date” are $100 for a sunrise slot. The tickets went on sale Feb. 8th and sold out by that evening. There are also general admission tickets available for $36, or $34 for NYC residents. There are also V-Day special options for sale including champagne, rosé champagne and “Cupid’s Cocoa” add-ons.
Other options include “GLASSHOUSES” at the WATERMARK WINTER WONDERLAND. Located at Pier 15 on South Street, waterfront dining inside heated “glasshouses” are being offered starting at $200.
