I would like to give a shout out to one of my personal favorites, The Penguin! Burgers and beer, a true crowd pleaser. (1921 Commonwealth Ave.)

-- Andy Ellenburg, advertising director

U.S. National Whitewater Center. The wooded trails have challenging hills and riverside views. My husband biked it and I hiked it -- keep an ear out for the mountain bikers, you'll have to jump out of the way! We tailgated lunch in the dirt parking lot -- not for girlie-girls I guess. Since it was a cooler day, we then bought a coffee at the clubhouse and walked around the complex to watch the kayakers. Great day date! (820 Hawfield Road)

-- Sally O'Donnell, ad account executive

The diversity of shopping. I can rack up credit card bills almost anywhere I go -- from the malls like Northlake, Carolina Place and South Park, to the smaller stores like Paper Skyscraper, Niche and American Apparel. I am almost always discovering new places to feed my shopping addiction.

-- Kimberly Lawson, operations editor