It’s that time again! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Once you’ve lined up a great date, the challenge is figuring out how to spend that special evening. It can be tough to think of something to top what you did last year, or to see beyond dinner at the usual place and a movie. That’s where I’m hoping I can lend a hand. I’m lucky as a photographer for AJC‘s Living Intown because I get to shoot many of the fun, quaint and quirky spots that make Atlanta unique. I’ve taken photographs highlighting some of the best places and sights in just about every metro neighborhood. One thing they all have in common: They’re amazing date destinations!
If you want to go the traditional route with a nice dinner for two, you don’t have to settle for boring. Check out Two Urban Licks, a warehouse turned funky restaurant with a sky high wine wall and floating chandeliers. The vibe gets sultry on Saturday nights with live blues. Or, what could be more romantic than sharing a superb meal and a breathtaking view? The Westin Sun Dial, a restaurant on top of the Westin Peachtree Plaza, actually revolves with an observatory level where you get a 360 degree view of the skyline.
Maybe a nice meal sounds great but you’d like to keep things a bit more casual. I recommend the Brick Store, a neighborhood pub in Decatur. The menu offers standard pub fare like burgers but also goes well beyond (like pan-seared rainbow trout with roasted butternut squash). Another gem is Chai Pani in Decatur, serving innovative but affordable Indian street food.
After dinner, there are many options to take you and your date beyond the ordinary. The beauty of the Atlanta Botanical Garden is always a date magnet. At their “Valentines in the Garden” event you can stroll through tropical conservatories (orchid time!), dance to live music and enjoy cocktails and desserts from Atlanta caterers. Another option is Paris on Ponce‘s Luscious Love Valentine’s Weekend Event with vaudeville, cabaret dancing and circus entertainment. Or, if you’d rather keep things light, check out the Laughing Skull Lounge‘s show featuring comedy writer Emo Philips.
Atlanta also has plenty to offer if you want to step out of the ordinary with your sweetheart to experience some fine art, culture or history. There’s the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory, which is also having a special Valentine’s event with The Farmhouse at Serenbe. At the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead you can explore two historic homes, the huge Goizuetta Gardens and the Margaret Mitchell House (birthplace of one of the great romances of all time, Gone with the Wind). Let’s also not forget the High Museum for inspiring art and architecture, and the fabulous Fox Theatre, featuring a Pre-Valentine Weekend Celebration with Eric Benet on the 8th and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on Valentine’s Day.
If you’d like to make a full day of it, or a weekend getaway, try a treatment or two at Bliss at the new W Atlanta-Midtown before turning in at Urban Oasis B&B.
Even if these destinations don’t make it into your date night itinerary, be sure to add them to your list for 2015, as they’re some of the best Atlanta has to offer. Wishing you much love and happiness this Valentine’s season!
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