Top 3 Valentine’s Day Ideas If You Are Single in Binghamton

Cheer up, guy (or girl)! You can still have an excellent Valentine's Day in Binghamton - even if you're completely and utterly alone single!

Binghamton has plenty to do whether you're coupled or single on Valentine's Day, but we'll focus on the latter.

While couples are cramped in crowded restaurants and crumbling under the intense pressure of having a 'perfect date,' you can spend this time doing you (Not literally - get your mind out of the gutter).

What I mean is, you can take Valentine's Day as a day to be your own date - treat yourself to the nicer things in life (or at least in Binghamton) and take your mind off of finding the elusive 'one.' In fact, let's just say YOU'RE #1!

3. Take Yourself to the Movies

"Now, hold on!" you might be saying. "The movies are an inherently romantic place with lots of making out and hand holding. Why would I go there?"

Well, before you interrupted, I was planning to tell you a secret: going to the movies alone is awesome. Or, at least, it can be, depending on the movie. Let's say that movie is A Good Day to Die Hard starring Bruce Willis in an R-Rated installment of the Die Hard franchise (which coincidentally, hits theaters on February 14th, which shares the date with - you guessed it - Valentines Day).

A Good Day to Die Hard is the perfect movie to see by yourself. In fact, making out while McClane crashes trains into spaceships, blowing up Russian terrorists, would be offensive. Movies like Die Hard (and The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises) demand your full attention. It's an adrenaline rush that would only be doused by worrying about hand holding or answering a tedious question about the plot.

A good day to Die Hard? Yes. A better day to see a movie by yourself? You got it.

Grab one of the reclining seats at AMC Loews on the Vestal Parkway.

2. Cook Yourself an Elaborate Meal

While cooking is often categorized as a 'go to' romantic gesture, I would guess that many of you reading this right now (provided you're in your mid-twenties, like me) don't cook for yourself regularly, anyway. So, why not treat yourself to a stellar home-cooked meal on Valentine's Day? After a gauntlet of canned soups, peanut butter & jelly, and pasta, whip up something unusual and make it an event.

Depending on what you like, a special meal might be a steak or maybe an expensive fish. You could have a stir fry or bake lasagna. You could make a full-blown meal with a skillful entree and sides.

Whatever you decide, make sure it takes a while to prepare. That way, you've spent the whole day learning a new skill, you kept busy, and now you get to have a peaceful feast in the comfort of your own home. Not bad, right?

Head over to Wegman's in Johnson City for supplies. I've always had luck finding what I need there and the meats are top notch.

1. Start a Personal Project

Valentine's Day is an excellent day to start that thing you've meaning to start. You know the one (it's marathon training, right?).

If you do feel left out being single, use that to motivate you to better yourself. If you want to get into better shape, schedule a long run for Valentine's Day. If you want to get published, dedicate yourself to finishing your first chapter on the 14th. Want to mysteriously learn aeronautics out of the blue? MIT offers a free online course for that.

Whatever your personal goals are, Valentine's Day is a great day to kick-start them. You'll feel refreshed, you'll feel motivated, and most of all, you won't get bogged down wondering why you don't have a date (And I hear aeronautics experts get all the girls).

But, let's be real: being single isn't all bad anyway: