Atlanta Dating: Guide for Atlanta Singles

Everyone loves Atlanta. The fast-growing capital of Georgia is the world headquarters for major corporations like Coca Cola and Turner Broadcasting. It boasts the world’s busiest airport. It’s home to the most interesting of the “real housewives.” National Geographic even praised the cosmopolitan city for its lush tree coverage, naming it a “Place of a Lifetime.”

Looking for a love of a lifetime in this “place of a lifetime”? Here are 10 great date ideas for Atlantans:

Dating in Atlanta: History Buffs

For a taste of Civil War history, go to the Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum in historic Grant Park. Or plan to visit Atlanta-area battlefields.

The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site is comprised of a series of buildings surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr.’s  birth home. A museum traces the history of the civil rights movement. Admission is free, but first-come, first-served tours of the home are limited to 15 people at a time.

Take your date to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, near Emory University and walk through Georgia’s natural history, checking out the world’s largest dinosaur. On Friday evenings, the museum is home to “Martinis and IMAX,” a popular first-date drinks-and-movie event.

Dating in Atlanta: Nature Lovers

Take advantage of Atlanta’s “city in a forest” reputation. Walk hand-in-hand through Piedmont Park, or explore Atlanta Botanical Garden. The Garden’s Canopy Walk lets you stroll 40 feet above the ground on an elevated walkway through a 15-acre hardwood forest.

If you’re looking for more of a challenge, seek out the nearby Stone Mountain trials. The steep Walk Up Trail will lead you to gorgeous panoramic views at the top of the pink granite dome.

Dating in Atlanta: Animal Lovers

Piedmont Dog Park is Atlanta’s largest dog park. If you and your date are pet owners, explore the fenced area with your favorite canine friends. A separate area is designated for smaller dogs, so there’s no need for a tiny Spot or Fido to feel intimated.

The Georgia Aquarium is the world’s largest indoor aquarium. The 60-plus exhibits will keep you entertained all day.

Founded in 1889, Zoo Atlanta, located in Grant Park, is home to more than 220 species and boasts the largest collection of gorillas and orangutans in the country. Be sure to check out the giant pandas, as only four American zoos currently house them.

Dating in Atlanta: Art Admirers

Atlanta’s High Museum of Art is a must-visit for art-lovers. “The High” is the Southeast’s leading art museum and has more than 11,000 works in its permanent collection.  In recent years, the museum has more than doubled in size and has featured partnerships with other high-profile museums. A deal in 2008 with the Louvre established a three-year revolving-art loan, and a new partnership with New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is promising more major loans in the future.

Spelman College Museum of Fine Art is free and open to the public. Despite the fact that it’s an academic resource, the ever-changing exhibitions are often poignant and edgy. Located in the Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Academic Center, built in honor of Bill Cosby’s wife, it’s the only American museum that focuses on “art by and about women of the African Diaspora.”

Check out contemporary works at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, drool over design at the Museum of Design Atlanta (across the street from the High Museum of Art) or peruse the largest ancient art collection in the Southeast at the Michael C. Carlos Museum.

Dating in Atlanta: Theatre Geeks, Literary Buffs and Opera Aficionados

Trivial Pursuit buffs will know that Atlanta hosted the premiere of the classic film Gone With the Wind. While that theatre has since been demolished. The Margaret Mitchell House and Museum, however, allows visitors to view the Peachtree Street apartment where the novel was written. If you and your date are so inspired, sign up for a creative writing class together.

Theater company Alliance Theatre won the Regional Tony Award in 2007. Check out one of its ten annual productions.

Dress to impress and take your date to see the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Ballet, or the Grammy-winning Atlanta Boy Choir.

Dating in Atlanta: Kids Stuff

The most successful dates are laughter-filled, so embrace your inner children and explore Atlanta like two crazy kids! Be sure to check out the Center for Puppetry Arts — Jim Henson’s Ernie and Swedish Chef are inside!
End the evening with a sundae for two. Or visit Atlanta’s King of Pops and indulge in all-natural frozen yogurt.

Dating in Atlanta: Festival Fun

Atlanta’s mild climate makes it an ideal city for festivals. In April, take your date shopping for arts and crafts at the Atlanta Dogwood Festival. Festival Peachtree Latino celebrates Latino culture every August in Piedmont Park. And for those who mourned the cancelation of Music Midtown, 2011 marks the return of the music festival after a six-year hiatus.

The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is a safe bet when it comes to successful dating adventures, as is the annual Taste of Atlanta.

Dating in Atlanta: Eat!

As the age-old adage goes, the way to the heart is through the stomach.

Buford Highway, Atlanta’s international corridor, has a farmers market packed with foods and spices from all over the world. Pick up some new ingredients and whip up a romantic dinner for two. Tackle a new recipe together.

Even locals need to play tourist sometimes. The Varsity, the world’s largest drive-in restaurant, has been serving chili cheese fries, onion rings and fried pies since 1928.

If the idea of fast food on a date makes you cringe (or vomit), wow your non-vegetarian date with dinner at Fogo de Chao Churrascaria, a popular Brazilian steakhouse. Or opt for casual and charming at the Brick Store Pub.

Dating in Atlanta: Sports Fans

For your next date, go sporty. Take in a game among the Atlanta Braves (baseball), Atlanta Falcons (football), Atlanta Silverbacks (soccer), Atlanta Hawks (basketball) and Atlanta Dream (woman’s basketball), as well as sports hosted by local colleges and universities.

Home of 1996 Summer Olympic Games – improved park land, sports facilities, transportation.

If you don’t have tickets to the big game, cheer from the comfort of High Velocity, an upscale sports bar at Atlanta Marriott Marquis with leather recliners and a 40-foot projection screen.

Dating in Atlanta: Pop Culture

Whether you’re new to the city or have lived here your entire life let your dating experience take you to places often targeted at tourists. Take the Inside CNN Studio Tour. Visit the World of Coca-Cola. Learn about each other while you learn new things in the beautiful city of Atlanta.

Learn more about Atlanta singles here!