What is it about summer that makes the season feel especially ideal for dating?

Extra-long hours of daylight that allow for twilight strolls? Warm, humid evenings that beg for late-night ice cream cones? Nostalgic memories of childhood, when our biggest summertime worry was how many lightning bugs we could coax into a waiting Mason jar? Whatever it is, it’s palpable. And fortunately for us, summers here in Atlanta are long-lasting.

To capture that spirit, writer Claire Ruhlin went in search of 26 date ideas that are just as perfect for first-time get-togethers as they are for date nights with your long-time love. Of course, many of them will still be options long after the last light of summer has faded, so I suggest hanging on to this issue and pulling it out again in a few months when you need to refresh your routine. And a special thanks to real-life lovebirds Holly and Joseph Peed and Daniel and Jillian Stevenson, who modeled for our cover and cover story.

For even more dating ideas, be sure to look beyond our cover story. Our resident restaurant reviewer, Hope Philbrick, and her husband sat down to dinner at Better Half and discovered that it’s one of the city’s most eligible date-night eateries (“Perfect Fit”, page 24). Writer Lia Picard profiled comedian Greg Behrens, a story that might inspire you to take your next date out for a night of comedy (see “Make ‘Em Laugh” on page 22). And of course, few things are more romantic than being whisked away for a romantic weekend, whether to a nearby bucolic spot like Serenbe (see “Intown Escapes” on page 17), or to the Gulf Coast for a weekend of seafood feasting (“Out of Town,” page 18).

But, first things first: Pour yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and make a date with this issue—you’ll be all the more ready to make that next real date a winner. Enjoy!

Lindsay Lambert Day
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF