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Not sure why night time would preclude a bicycling and picnic date. Total cost can be < $10 excluding gas in total.
I agree ... it's almsot summer. It'll still be light in the early evening, and probably not very warm. (Not sure how hot it is there yet.)
I vote for a scenic little hike followed by ice cream. We have a lovely path along the river here, and you can stop for some refreshments at the end or midway. Surely you have something similar in Atlanta!
Call your local zoo and find out what their hours are; they may have some evening hours, and the zoo is a nice place to stroll and chat.
Bring a small backpack with you, the school variety, and put a few "romantic" (meaning NOT Cheetos) snacks in there, like a bowl with some olives, another with some nice cheese, some nice crackers, and even a small thermos with a NICE soup in it, something you make or buy from a GOOD deli, no BS Campbells soups out of a can. Think PICNIC stuff.
If the zoo doesn't have any evening stuff (although it's close to the height of summer daylight hours now) then check out local parks for things like amphitheaters, shows, plays. You can sit in open air and enjoy the show OR sit near the back and talk some, get up and walk away if you prefer.
If you do this, stick with the picnic stuff but also bring a candle or two for when it gets darker, and maybe a mosquito coil.
The Barnes and Noble idea for coffee wasn't bad (someone posted above), and it's a good FOLLOW-UP for the park, you can get coffee, tea, frappes, what have you. Often you can get cheesecake. Someone above spoke wisdom: Women love cheesecake.
If you don't want the flow of conversation to be awkward, think of a few topics ahead of time JUST IN CASE, so if things lull you can pull one of these out. It's real conversation, it's just also some preparation.
If your city has some small DINERS, these are better than restaurants for chatting and getting to know someone. If you want to take the diner option, then seek out (Google is your FRIEND) a diner somewhere close to a place where you can also spend time strolling. WALKING on a slow, casual stroll is GREAT for meeting someone in the evening.
Be weather-conscious. Check out the forecast and keep track; if the big night looks to be uncomfortably muggy or hot, have a BACKUP plan. Do NOT leave this until the last minute! DO NOT!
If you have a chance to speak to her the day before, let her KNOW where your first plans are, so that she can dress appropriately. Women love surprises and spontaneity BUT don't like to be dressed inappropriately and made uncomfortable. If you don't want to spill the beans about the zoo (just by way of example) then say to her "Hey, the night's supposed to be [insert approximate weather here], so please, feel free to dress comfortably." Don't TELL her how to dress, give her approximations and leave it up to her. Bases covered.
So I made a mistake....instead of a coffee date, I asked this woman out for a real first date. I met her at a speed dating thing. I want to do something fun and inexpensive. I know she likes the outdoors, but this is an evening date. I'm at a loss here. Was thinking about a comedy show, but thats not so great because we can't talk. Of course, it does get us laughing. Suggestions? It will be an evening date, so nothing active outdoors, which is something I would have ordinarily done.
Get take out and eat it in a park, by a lake, on top of some bluff, etc.
I was always the chief planner with my chick friends, so I'm actually pretty good at suggestions for cheap dates (at least one of us is broke at any given time). As a woman, I'm thinking DON'T plan something that involves physical exertion beyond a comfortable stroll unless you know that you are of comparable physical abilities. Keep things in well in each other's comfort zones for the initial date so she'll feel at ease.
Honestly, one of the best times my friends and I had in recent memory was the evening I ordered a couple of pizzas. I grabbed a quilt off my bed and dragged it, my friends and the pizza into the park with a jug of iced tea. We flopped down in the grass and chatted until it got dark. Should the conversation stall, you can get up and go for a stroll. If she can make it at 6, you should be good until dusk hits around 8 or so. If a guy ever did that with me, I would be thrilled to death - honestly.
Just make sure it's a nice park with no homeless folks approaching you for cash or whatever. And if you really want to be on her good side, have some dessert on hand in the form of a couple cupcakes or cannoli, maybe a fruit salad if she's health conscious.
I think Cheesecake Factory is, in terms of vibe, a bit overkill for a first date. Also, I don't know about Atlanta (last time I visited there was 20 years ago, when I was a kid), but the one here in Austin is often very crowded.
The ideas mentioned in this thread about the free movie at a park, or doing some other simple activity at a lake/park, or the B&N cafe thing, or maybe even some combination of those, are much better suggestions.
For subsequent "eating out" dates, should things progress to that point, it might be better and more fun to go to interesting local restaurants or diners rather than chain establishments.
Decided on Park Tavern, which is a restaurant overlooking the park. Made a reservation for outside seats on the patio. Won't be cheap, but oh well.
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