FEBRUARY 2020 I BOROMAG.COM
Photos courtesy of Ricky Whitcomb Photo by Meg Cameron @meg.nyc Photos by Traverse the Tides @traversethetides
Nikki Pelazza
and Mike D’Amico
On New Year’s Day in 2016, Astoria couple
Nikki Pelazza and Mike D’Amico matched on
Bumble. Both of their resolutions were to make
their dating life a priority. A few days later, they
spent their first date at The Sparrow and started
their romance.
“At the end of our date, Mike insisted
on walking me home. This would be a
kind gesture under any circumstance, but
when we first met, Mike and I lived really
far apart and he walked me the entire
way and made his way back home after I
got inside. That really stuck out to me and
made me think, ‘Wow, this guy is a genuinely
good person,’ which is hard to find
dating in the city,” Pelazza said
Nearly two and a half years later,
D’Amico was back in The Sparrow, down
on one knee.
“Mike allegedly headed out early for a
golf game with his buddies at 8 a.m., but
what I didn't know was that Mike actually
spent the morning wandering around Astoria
with a change of clothes and a very
important box in his pocket. I thought I
was meeting my girlfriends at The Sparrow
for brunch,” Pelazza said.
After the proposal, the couple and their
friends headed across the street to the
Beer Garden to meet with family and celebrate
their wonderful news. The smitten
couple will be getting married this November
in Long Island.
FAVORITE LOCAL DATE SPOTS:
PINK NORI
TELLY’S TAVERNA
SANFORD’S
SWEET SPOT
THE BONNIE
THE SPARROW
NEPTUNE’S DINER
Ricky Whitcomb and
Matt Napolitano
Close to fed up with dating, Ricky
Whitcomb mustered up the courage to
meet his now partner, Matt Naplitano,
at Diamond Dogs in August of 2017,
where they instantly clicked.
“Once I realized it was him, I was very
relieved that his profile picture was current
and was surprised by how easy he
was to talk to,” Whitcomb said.
Whitcomb, coming into the date a
little tipsy from trivia, was expecting
to just get one drink and leave. They
ended up chatting and hitting it off for
hours in the cozy bar.
“My favorite moment to this day was
when I told him I was a Jets fan, he said
he was a Bills fan. We then concurred
that we can at least both hate the Patriots,”
Napolitano said.
The couple now finds themselves
settled in an apartment off 30th Avenue
in Astoria, where they feel rooted physically
and emotionally.
“Moving in together, and creating
a home, then getting a puppy in this
amazing neighborhood where we’re
surrounded by friends has been a
dream come true. No matter where in
the world our careers or life take us, Astoria
will always be where we fell in love
and started our family,” Whitcomb said.
FAVORITE LOCAL DATE SPOTS:
HALSEY’S
JUDY & PUNCH
TRESTLE
THE SOCIAL
MILKFLOWER
MOM’S
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