1. Floating date
Drop the “g” and go floatin’ down the Edisto. Grab your suit, find a float, pack the cooler (don’t forget to BYOB) and head north for a lazy day on the river. Leave your car at Messervy Landing and start your trek at Givhans Ferry State Park (don’t forget $2 for admission). The blackwater river is the perfect place to keep cool and show off your chill side while taking part in a South Carolina pastime.
 

​2. Bookish date
There's a story for everyone at Blue Bicycle Books, the King Street collector of used, rare and out-of-print titles. Seeing which one your date picks out might say more than any conversation over coffee could. A cookbook could lead to a future dinner date, while a mystery may present a challenge. If your date selects a visual index of handguns or a self-help book, don't dog-ear that number; it'd be best to check out of there fast.
 

3. Speakeasy date
The romance of the forbidden pulls you in; the glamour of the never-ending party keeps you until the late hours. With perfectly crafted cocktails, dim lighting and mixologists—never bartenders—speakeasy-inspired bars are quickly gaining favor in the hearts and livers of Charlestonians. Take a hop, skip and a jump back to when the times were good and booze flowed freely—behind closed doors, that is.
     Start early (5 p.m.) on Upper King Street at The Cocktail Club, home of the Bourbon Happy Hour Wednesdays. Bourbon’s not your style? Try a specialty cocktail like the Lavender Vesper, inspired by James Bond’s cocktail of choice, with Tito’s vodka, Blue Coat gin, Lillet Blanc and lavender tea.

     Continue the evening at The Gin Joint on East Bay, where the mixologists dress the part in suspenders and bowties. Don’t know what you’re craving? Answer a few select questions, and your very own cocktail specialist will whip up a custom gin-centric drink. ​

     End the night up the street at The Speakeasy, arguably the most authentic of its kind in Charleston. So secretive there’s not a single advertisement to hint a bar even exists. Look for a door discreetly to the left of Club Light or a dapper gentleman outside to guide you to some serious cocktails.
 

4. Griswold Date
Admit it. There’s a little tacky tourist in all of us. Embrace that Griswold DNA and explore Charleston’s most hyped hot spots. Start the day fanny pack in tow at the Charleston City Market, and don’t even think about leaving until you’re the proud owner of a sweetgrass basket. Next, catch a Palmetto Carriage Tour ride at the “Big Red Barn” just off the Market to get a SparkNotes-style whirlwind tour of Charleston’s rich history. After expanding your knowledge of all things Charleston, fill up the tank at Hyman’s Seafood on Meeting Street. We recommend anything seafood and deep-fried. Visors, Hawaiian shirts and socks with sandals are the attire of choice.

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5. Splash date
It’s hot. Like really hot. You’re also with your secret crush, so you want to impress him or her with your creativity. Where’s the one place you could go in Charleston to cool off without suggesting a cliché trip to the beach? One of the area’s three water parks, of course. Relive your youth with your date at James Island County Park’s Splash Zone. Ride down the two 200-foot slides or relax in a double float as you drift along the 500-foot lazy river. For only $11.99 per person (or less on Extra Value Days or with Piggly Wiggly Greenbax), it’s a sure way to cool off while heating things up.
 

6. Speed date
Speed dating may not be for you, but this kind of speed date will certainly make a big impression. Thriller Charleston is a high-speed boat ride that takes you through a tour of historic forts and scenery narrated with rock music to get your blood flowing even more. The tour lasts an hour and takes you on a 30-mile trip through Charleston’s waters. You should probably wait until a nicer day with no wind, or you may end up soaked in sea spray. Plan ahead and book your tour online (adult tickets are $25 to $35) so you can pre-order a Thriller poncho for your adventure.
 

7. Walking date
First dates can be nerve-wracking, so why not walk off the stress? Throw on a pair of sneakers, snag a camera and prepare for a romantic stroll in the Holy City’s backyard. Half your work is already done thanks to the charm and Southern sophistication of this American coastal gem. It’s an easy city to get around without a car, but it’s more fun to get lost in the mysteriously hidden nooks and crannies.

     Stoll’s Alley is a particularly magical place, nestled between East Bay and Church streets. Take your date down this quant alleyway and bathe in its shade and mystery. It’s roughly six feet wide and is surrounded by three-story Charleston homes and an eight-foot tall privacy wall covered in fragrant jasmine.

     Just off Market Street lies Philadelphia Alley, known to most as Dueler’s Alley. The site of a duel gone wrong, it is said that Philadelphia Alley still carries the sound of pistol shots and the smell of gun smoke. It is considered one of the most haunted lanes in town, but the crumbling brick walls and green foliage replace fears with curiosity. Look at the walls left and right of the bricked entries and you’ll find what appear to be bullet holes.

     You can’t roam the streets South of Broad without a picture in front of the pastel facades of Rainbow Row, one of the most photographed spots in Charleston. This was once the city’s colonial commercial district; shops and markets were on the first floor, and merchants lived on the upper floors. If your date is a hit, you can show the photo to your grandkids.

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8. Music date
Want to go on a date where you don't have to talk or listen to your date talk? The Music Farm is Charleston's favorite music venue. Whether you like Wiz Khalifa, We The Kings or the local Long Miles, you can catch a great show in this tiny concert hall. There's a bar and balcony as well as a dance floor close enough to the band that you're likely to get sprayed with their sweat. There are cheap (as low as $10) shows every week, and it’s right down the street from upper King’s bustling bar scene, so you can rock on long after the concert.
 

9. Progressive date
Foodie adventurers, try a progressive dinner date to satisfy your stomachs. Grab an app and a glass of wine at Social, then head down the street to SNOB or Magnolia’s for your main course. Next, walk down the Market to Kaminsky’s for dessert and an Irish coffee before calling it a night. Want to stretch out your date? Throw in a soup/salad course at the East Bay Meeting House.

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10. Kodak date
With all there is to do in Charleston, sometimes the simple beauty of the city itself can go unnoticed. Take it all in by snapping photos together. A great place to start is the top of the parking garages downtown. Sunrise or sunset, the shining Charleston vista will be different each time. Go high, go low and travel to places you haven’t seen yet. Taking pictures forces you to put your surroundings under closer observation. You may fall in love with Charleston all over again, or spark a new fire with your date. And if you don’t want your date to end, remember the old saying: Take a picture. It’ll last longer.

 

11. Sporty date
Take me out to the ball game—but first take a few swings yourself. Head to Frankie’s Fun Park in North Charleston and swing for the fences in the batting cages ($2 for 16 pitches), then head to The Joe for a Riverdogs game. Snuggle up in the bleachers up and watch the sun set over the Ashley River, then heckle the visiting team. What could be more romantic? Glad you asked. Make it a Friday night, when home games end with “oohh, aahh”–worthy fireworks displays.
 

12. Bowling date
Forget about your hometown bowling alley. Forget the greasy cheese fries and the screaming kids in the lane next to you. Upper King’s new hotspot, The Alley, welcomes you with a retro vibe in a surprisingly modern space. Instead of the typical pepperoni pizza, try the roasted beet French bread pizza, courtesy of Home Team Kitchen (the folks behind Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ). Juggle your time bowling in one of the eight lanes, sipping a Westbrook White Thai and challenging buddies to a game of Skee-ball.
 

13. Swamp date
Birds squawk and chirp past your gently floating rowboat. Massive cypress and tupelo trees loom above as the sun creates leaf patterns on every seeable surface. Lily pads litter the water, their white and pink flowers a shocking contrast to the dark pond. Cypress Gardens, only a 45-minute drive from the heart of Charleston, may as well be a world away. For $10 a head, you can see one of the most beautiful outdoor gardens in the Lowcountry, with three and a half miles of flower-strewn walking paths that give the air a sweet smell. The romantic Swamp Boat Adventure, as seen in the movie The Notebook, is its best attraction. Just watch out for the gators.
 

14. Movie date
Want to go old school with dinner and a movie? Combine the two at Mount Pleasant’s Cinebarre, a restaurant inside a movie theater. Waiters quietly pass through the aisles while the film mesmerizes audiences. The menu consists of meals named after classic films like Fight Club and the Blue Velvet Burger, as well as a selection of wine and beer. On Tuesdays, tickets are $5 for any showtime.
 

15. Painting date
It’s hard for dinner dates to feel repetitive in a foodie city like Charleston, but sooner or later you crave something different. Grab an ice-cold beer (or a generous glass of wine) and your significant other, and prepare to unleash your inner Picasso. No painting experience? Not an issue, because there are a number of local studios that help amateurs create works of art. Bottles and Brushes in West Ashley and Summerville and Wine and Design in West Ashley have professional artists who help you every step of the way. You complete and take home your painting in one class.
 

16. Dancing date
Feel the music, kick up your heels and show off your rhythm (or lack thereof) with a dance lesson at Fred Astaire Studios in West Ashley or Mount Pleasant. Regardless of your date’s foxtrot, tango or shagging skills, this date is bound to bring you closer. A high-energy group lesson or romantic private session might be just what you need to get a few laughs and break the ice on the dance floor.
 

17. Midnight date
If it’s tough to carve out time from your busy days to meet up with a friend or special someone, make the most of Butcher & Bee’s late-night dining option Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and schedule a midnight dinner date. The popular Upper King Street restaurant, open from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., is BYOB, so don’t forget to bring a bottle of Italy’s finest or a six pack of your favorite craft beer. A word to the wise: Get there before the bars let out, or you’ll be fighting for a spot at the community tables.