Go Local for Valentine's Day Activities

Redondo Beach is an eclectic city with a lot to offer, especially around Valentine's Day. Here are a few suggestions for people who procrastinated on their holiday planning and/or shopping.

Say it with flowers—or chocolate

Patch has already profiled several , but there are always other options. on Pacific Coast Highway is under new ownership and has dozens of arrangements available, while in Riviera Village does more than flowers—it also offers unique trinkets and handsome shaving kits, among other items.

Redondo Beach-based will be at the Torrance Farmers Market at Wilson Park on Tuesday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. and at the Manhattan Beach Farmers Market next to the from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Choose from several varieties of (the double dark chocolates and the sea salt caramels are simply wonderful) or pick up some of their delicious chocolate croissants.

Don't forget the card! has a wide variety of greeting cards for every occasion.

Jewelry and shopping and more, oh my!

Redondo Beach has three major shopping destinations: Riviera Village, the and the area around the (including Artesia Boulevard and the Marketplace just south of the Galleria). All three areas have stores that offer delightful jewelry, hip clothing and accessories, and unique gifts. With all the options, you'll surely find something to delight your Valentine.

Spend some time at home—or eat out

Cook up a Valentine's Day dinner for your date with some of the recipes we've featured on Patch. Start out with a and some  . For the main course, try a —and for dessert, check out these recipes for , and . For those who plan dinner and a movie, check out our list of for ideas.

Some of us, however, would prefer to eat out. , and are just some of the Redondo Beach restaurants with special Valentine's Day menus. As an added bonus, couples who dine at one of the 's many restaurants can get a from a pop-up photo studio with their dinners. Just make sure you've got a reservation!

Plan a date night for another time—or let someone else do it for you

NightAway, a recently launched subscription date night service for the greater Los Angeles area, provides date packages ranging from the extravagant (horseback riding and wine tasting in Napa) to the standard dinner and a movie.

In an email to Patch, founder Ryan Hudson called the service "perfect for the spouse that already has all of the jewelry she could ever wear."  (Full disclosure: Hudson and I worked together at the Los Angeles Times.)

Here's how it works: For $50 per month, customers get five date credits that they can use as they please. Credits roll over from month to month, so if none of a given month's dates are appealing—or they're looking for something really special—customers can hang on to their credits until something better rolls around. For more information, visit NightAway.com.

Happy... SAD?

Those who don't have a special someone to spend time with on this romantic holiday, never fear. Patch has a roundup of for those plan to celebrate Singles Awareness Day.