By Dinah Alobeid

Love is in the air, along with 90-degree temperatures, and the city of Boston is teeming with romantic and plain old sweet summer date activities. For those on a budget or who just don’t want to spend their hard-earned money, there are always free recreational activities. But for all those big spenders, Boston offers an array of romantic and elegant dining, nightlife and activities.

Dining

* Nothing says summer, and savings, like a picnic. Not just any picnic will do when you want to take your sweetheart out. A picnic at dusk at the Boston Common is a different approach to simply picnicking in any old local park. This date idea is fun, old-school romantic and cheap.

The food part is simple enough; either go to a deli and get take out food that you don’t have to prepare, or go to a supermarket and grab your favorite ingredients and make sandwiches and snacks. Freeze grapes and bring them along on your picnic and feed them to each other. The grapes will cool you down as things heat up in the romance department. Grab any blanket or beach towel and head over to the Common. Skip the train ride and walk, that is if you are within a 20 minute walking distance, otherwise the walk can get tiring.

* Have you ever wanted to dress up, take out your loved one to a great meal, and feel like you’re on top of the world? Well, having a meal at the Top of the Hub on the 52nd floor of the Prudential Tower is pretty close to the top of the world. It is also a way to take in the sights of the entire city of Boston in an elegant way. The menu offers an array of intricate and expensive dishes such as the $17 appetizer, Jonah and Lump crabmeat cake and the $29 entree, macadamia nut crusted tuna steak. The menu offers a diverse and fairly large selection while the view during a summer evening or afternoon just gushes with true romance.

* For dessert, head down to the ground level and stop in at the Cheesecake Factory and pick up a piece of your favorite cheesecake from their selection of more than 30 varities. From key lime cheesecake to white chocolate raspberry to original flavor, the dessert is low key and delectable. Grab the cake to go and sit along the Christian Science Center’s reflecting pool, a mere two-minute walk from the restaurant. There, you can bask in the sunlight or sunset and, most importantly, each other.

Recreation

* For a little exercise to go along with your romance, take an impromptu walk and head over to the Charles River Esplanade, a walkway on the waterfront. With direct access by walking down Massachusetts Avenue toward Cambridge, the walk is filled with older couples, children and their parents, runners and athletes and the sights of the Charles River. Whether early in the morning as a jump start to your day or a wind down from a hectic event, taking a walk with your loved one creates a relaxing atmosphere to share good conversation and enjoy the outdoors. For a fun trip back to your childhood, get on the swings at the playground and push each other facing the river. Keeping certain moments light and fun helps strengthen a friendship that exists within each romance.

* Care for a little water action? For a fun and classic Boston activity go on one of the Boston Duck Tours. These land-to-water tours show historic Boston landmarks in a different way. The cost is $25 per adult and the Web site, www.BostonDuckTours.com, describes the experience, “The fun begins as soon as you board your ‘DUCK,’ an authentic, renovated World War II amphibious landing vehicle,” according to the Web site. The tour passes by the Prudential Center, Bunker Hill, Quincy Market and other Boston landmarks.

* Another local bird-related activity is taking a ride on the Swan Boats in the middle of the Public Garden. Renting a swan boat and paddling along the quiet pond makes a peaceful outdoor date.

Travel

* For a day trip, head to the North Shore of Massachusetts. There, you will find a hidden secret: Rockport. The Newburyport/Rockport line leaves from North Station and takes approximately 65 minutes. Although this seems like a long ride, the small and quiet town of Rockport is historic and peaceful. There are miles of quiet beach and it is perfect for a romantic, and somewhat secluded, getaway from college and city life. There are numerous hotels, inns and even summer house rentals for longer periods of time. The town has a population of less than 8,000 residents, according to its Web site, www.rockportusa.com. The town has many museums, local shops and art galleries, as well as recreational activities. Drive a few golf balls at their lone course, Rockport Golf Club, or cast your line while enjoying the many fishing opportunities and boat cruises. For those who want a getaway, this out-of-the-way New England town is worth looking into.