Now, a few of these ideas might be a little too cheesy or \u201cWalk on the Wild Side\u201d for you, but hear us out, there are some feasible ones here. Whether you just texted this article to your partner passive-aggressively or you just found it on your own, we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n
A quick note: some of these activities can also be enjoyed solo. No need to pout at home.<\/p>\n
1. Buy some roses\u2014or 48<\/h5>\n
We thought we\u2019d start off with an easy one. Most people like flowers, other people love flowers. With this gesture, you really can\u2019t go wrong, especially on Valentine\u2019s Day. Harry Goldman, whose family has owned and run Allen\u2019s Flower Market since 1977, knows this better than anyone.<\/p>\n
The family-run shop offers floral arrangements ranging from $20 up to $700. The most popular order year-round is a classic bouquet of roses. For those who want to think outside the box (or inside the box rather), the Noir Heart of Roses, a luxury heart-shaped box that can hold up to 48 roses, is another option.<\/p>\n
Last year on Valentine\u2019s Day, he said the shop helped 1,200 customers, who walked through the doors of the shop. A majority of that frantic crowd, he mused, were men coming in at the last minute.<\/p>\n
This year, he expects the shop to be just as busy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be crazy,\u201d he said. \u201cOn Tuesday, we will probably be serving 1,300 to 1,400 customers. But we are pretty organized, we\u2019ve done this rodeo a bunch of times.\u201d<\/p>\n
So don\u2019t let the deadline discourage you. Goldman says he and his staff of about 37 florists and drivers in the city are more than up to the task of fulfilling every online and in person order, even the most last minute requests.<\/p>\n
Before the pandemic, Goldman\u2019s family used to keep the shop open 24 hours on Valentine\u2019s Day. Eventually, he says he will do it again, and he plans to bring a taco truck and maybe even a mariachi band.<\/p>\n
Goldman helped open the Long Beach location with his father in 1977 when he transferred to Cal State Long Beach.<\/p>\n
\u201cBest thing I ever did,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Another quick note: Allen is not his father\u2019s name\u2014back in the day, he says, that name was merely a shortcut to the top of the phonebook.<\/p>\n
Browse specialty arrangements and place an order online here<\/a>. Allen\u2019s Flower Market is located at 600 E. Willow St. in Long Beach.<\/p>\n No one is necessarily suggesting that you get each other’s names stamped, but hey, it’s always an option\u2014and one you won\u2019t forget. There are several shops in Long Beach offering deals on Tuesday from small themed flash tattoos (think cupids and little hearts, etc.) to a bargain price for two ink jobs.<\/p>\n Outer Limits Tattoo and Museum<\/a>, open since 1927, will have several tattoo artists available to make this Valentine\u2019s Day one you\u2019ll never unsee. Also, this shop is the oldest tattoo parlor in the United States so, it functions as a museum as well.<\/p>\n Other shops offering flash tattoos and deals are Bixby Knolls Tattoo<\/a> and Red Sea Tattoo<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve driven or walked along Shoreline Drive by the Rainbow Lagoon, you might have scoffed at a gaggle of folks pedaling along the water in swan-shaped vessels\u2014or you might have stared at the spectacle longingly. Either way, now\u2019s your chance to take your date on this fowl voyage either during the day under the sunshine or at night when the city, and the boats themselves, are aglow.<\/p>\n And we\u2019re willing to wager that it\u2019s a darn good time. Don\u2019t believe us? Check out this video<\/a> of Post reporters Jackie Rae and Cheantay Jensen enjoying the ride.<\/p>\n Swan boats are $12 an hour, per person, and can be found at the intersection of Shoreline Drive and South Pine Avenue. Make a reservation ahead of time here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n All right, we know we told you to skip the dinner and a movie routine, but here\u2019s an exception. For one night only, The Art Theatre in Long Beach is showing the 1927 silent classic \u201cSunrise\u201d\u2014but with a live score.<\/p>\n The Jack Curtis Dubowsky Ensemble is known for its work adding scores to classic silent films such as “Nosferatu,” “The Golem” and more. On Valentine’s Day, you can catch the group\u2014with flutes, harps, violins and all\u2014right in Long Beach on Retro Row.<\/p>\n Bonus: You can grab a glass of wine on the low-lit patio at Art du Vin next-door.<\/p>\n \u201cSunrise\u201d is the story of an urban woman who seduces a farmer in the hopes that he will murder his own wife to run away with her to the city. We won\u2019t spoil the rest. Grab a ticket for this romantic musical-visual experience here<\/a>.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a couple of options here. You could pack a cute blanket and hit Olive\u2019s Gourmet Grocer<\/a> on Broadway for some specialty charcuterie and other goodies on your way to set up a spread at Bluff Park, the beach or the Colorado Lagoon.<\/p>\n Or, you could hire Long Beach couple Olga and Vlad Davniuk this weekend or the weekend after Valentine\u2019s Day to do the job for you (they are completely booked for the big day). For the past two years, they have been setting up decadent, luxury full-service picnic experiences around Long Beach parks and local beaches under their business Picnic Makers.<\/p>\n You will pick a place, the occasion and a color theme, and the Davniuks will help you do the rest. The picnic includes two hours with a designer setup, post-clean-up, custom handmade low picnic tables, cozy-chic pillows, flatware and tableware, snacks, flowers and other decor, starting at $249.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity to enjoy Valentine\u2019s Day in a different way than just going to a restaurant,\u201d Vlad told the Post.<\/p>\n Find out more or make a reservation here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want to go nuts and get a tattoo, you can lock in your love with an actual lock and key on the boardwalk at Shoreline Village. The \u201cLove Locks\u201d installation was inspired by the Jewetts, a couple who met and later got married at Shoreline Village more than three decades ago.<\/p>\n You can either bring your own special lock or purchase one from kiosk vendors along the boardwalk. Find the iconic spot at 429 Shoreline Village Drive, right outside of Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt on the Boardwalk and the The Village Hatshop.<\/p>\n OK, here\u2019s a quirky one. But you have to admit, it\u2019s creative. Clay on First is hosting another year of its special Toast-To-Ghost pottery class, where couples will reenact that one scene from the classic 1990 film \u201cGhost\u201d with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze.<\/p>\n Pairs will quite literally \u201cstraddle up,\u201d and recreate the scene as they find their way around a pottery wheel. Sessions are two hours long and the experience includes beer, wine and snacks. There\u2019s even a point in which \u201cUnchained Melody\u201d by the Righteous Brothers begins to play before the class ends. For a fee, couples can select creations to be finished with a glaze and fired with their names engraved.<\/p>\n Spots are available for Feb. 11, Feb. 12 for $195 per couple and for $210 per couple on Feb. 14. More information here.<\/a><\/p>\n If music is your fancy, the Long Beach bar scene has a lot going on next week. Here’s a few options.<\/p>\n You can belt a ballad to your loved one at karaoke on Alex’s Bar<\/a>‘s huge stage this Tuesday, but be sure to get your song choice in early\u2014it’s typically a busy night.<\/p>\n2. Get matching tattoos<\/h5>\n
3. Ride the swans<\/h5>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/09170239\/SWAN-BOATS_4886.jpg\")
4. Catch a not-so-silent silent film<\/h5>\n
5. Organize a luxury picnic<\/h5>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/10125317\/IMG-2229.jpg\")
6. Cinch a love lock to the boardwalk<\/h5>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/09170235\/LOCKS-OF-LOVE_9499.jpg\")
7. Be Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore for two hours<\/h5>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/07103642\/IMG_3478.jpg\")
8. Sing, dance or catch a live band<\/h5>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/24225546\/bar_inside-scaled.jpg\")