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Want to Avoid Cupid? Some Ideas for Those Who Aren't Into Valentine's Day

By Ben Fractenberg | February 13, 2012 2:35pm

MANHATTAN — For some, Valentine's Day is one of the most romantic times of the year. For others, it's the epitome of Hallmark greeting card schmaltz. If you tend to agree with the latter, we've put together a guide to avoiding Cupid and his stupid arrows.

Chelsea Piers:

If the thought of Valentine's Day makes you want to hit something, why not, well, hit something. Chelsea Piers offers one-hour personal boxing lessons. A single session goes for as little as $90 for an hour. To book a class call the fitness desk at 212.336.6099.

The piers are open from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

IFC Cult Carpenter:

While it's not technically on Valentine's Day, if you're still looking to avoid the love birds this weekend you can check out John Carpernter's 80s cult classic "They Live" playing at midnight at the IFC Center.

The movie involves aliens impersonating humans in order to enslave us through subliminal messages on TV. Oh, and it stars Rowdy Roddy Piper.

Coney Island Polar Bear Club:

Instead of taking a cold shower after Valentine's Day you could take a cold bath — in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Coney Island Polar Bear Club meets every Sunday at 1 p.m. at the New York Aquarium Education Hall, on the boardwalk at West 8th Street. Membership is closed for this year, but guests can join them for one swim. Why not make that one swim happen after you've waded through drunken public displays of affection all night long?

War Photography:

Love is a battlefield, as Pat Benetar sang, and if you're planning to be a conscientious objector Tuesday, you can always check out an exhibit of photography from an actual battlefield.  

"Conflict Zone," a new exhibit on photos from Iraq and Afghanistan, opened this past Friday at the New York City Fire Museum in Hudson Square. The show is raising money for photographer Joao Silva, who lost both his legs after stepping on a landmine in Afghanistan in 2010.

White Castle:

Maybe you aren't trying to avoid Valentine's Day but instead want to break things off with the person you're dating. Tuesday probably isn't the best day to do that, but maybe you can incite them to call things off by being clever.

White Castle is giving out free desert when you make a reservation (!) at one of their New York City locations between 5 and 9 p.m. Tuesday, according to their website. If you give your date the gift of a White Castle candle lit dinner, he or she may be running for the hills before dessert even arrives. So, double bonus, more free dessert for you.

For information on the White Castle nearest you call 718.899.8404, ext. 330.

Doc Holliday's:

This perennial East Village dive assured us they will have no Valentine's displays in the windows and will be solely focused on doing what they do best Tuesday: serving cheap beer and playing old school country music on the jukebox.

Others may be on a romantic date, but you'll be surrounded by "friends in low places, where the whiskey drowns — and the beer chases — your blues away."

The bar will be serving all-you-can-drink Bud Light draughts from 8 to 11 p.m. for just $7, their bartender said.

"And f**k Cupid!" she added, for good measure.