Sure, I get cards, candy and chocolate. But I still find Valentine's Day one of the most stressful holidays. Feb. 14 often leaves lovebirds tense, unsure of how to concoct a perfect romantic evening. For the unattached, it is a depressing reminder of how much it sucks to be single. Regardless of your status, Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of Boston and the romantic atmosphere of New England. 'Activities for the Attached'

If you like to cuddle and can deal with the cold, go ice skating at Frog Pond in Boston Commons. Afterwards, get Boston's best hot chocolate at Burdick's Chocolate.

Forget pre-packed, heart-shaped candy boxes! Get your sweetie some quality sweets at Boston's finest dessert establishments. Finale in Cambridge is the place to go for gourmet desserts and its famous honey-flavored apple orchard cake, as well as a winter trio of desserts featuring chocolate mouse, roasted pear wedges and gingerbread cake. You and your honey can share the Chocolate Bliss, which features an espresso mousse torte, caramel gelato and a molten chocolate cake with a liquid warm fudge center. If you don't like chocolate, try the Fantasia, a concoction of fresh strawberries, almonds and peach tarts. Watch out, these high-class desserts come with a high price!

No food says romance quite like Italian, so head to the North End for authentic pasta and pizza plates. In addition to its comfy decor, Terramia Ristorante has one of the most inventive seasonal menus. The pasta and seafood dishes at Dolce Vita are highly recommended by Boston.com users, who also call the bistro one of the best first-date restaurants in the city. Taranta, known for its blend of Italian and South American cuisine, is offering a special, $70 prix fixe menu for Valentine's Day. Guests can choose from lobster and crab ravioli, pan-seared filet mignon and a Venezuelan chocolate sauce.

Since college budgets don't always permit high-class dining, use Valentine's Day as an excuse to eat at the many other Boston restaurants that will be offering prix fixe menus. From Feb. 12 to 14, Azure in the Lenox Hotel will offer a three-course dinner including dishes like foie gras, chocolate brioche, rib-eye steak and-for dessert-dark chocolate cake with white chocolate bark for $60 per person. Sidney's Grille has a three-course Valentine's meal that includes a complimentary bottle of champagne and delectable dishes like truffled potato gnocchi with braised beef shortribs, lavender-honey grilled chicken, grilled swordfish and a chocolate sorbet for dessert for $35 per person.

If you and your significant other want to spend your Valentine's evening in a more romantic atmosphere than your dorm room, why not stay in a hotel? In the heart of city, the Ramada Inn Boston has rooms for $80 a night, and the Midtown Hotel in Copley has special Valentine's Day packages for around the same price.

All aboard the Love Boat! Hurricane O'Reilly's "Love Boat" will be rockin' for a night of '70s-style lovin' on Feb. 10. Sponsored by Bacardi, the Creole-, Irish- and American-style pub will have frozen Island Oasis cocktail stations aboard, and party-goers can compete for prizes, including a Valentine's Day dinner cruise on the Spirit of Boston. For a more refined time, Odyssey's Valentine's Day package offers a three-hour cruise with a four-course dinner, dancing and other entertainment, as well as a complimentary bottle of champagne and a spectacular view of Boston.

Spend the day skiing the slopes and curl up at night by a fireplace. Blue Hills Ski Area and Nashoba Valley are both less than hour away.

'Suggestions for Singles'

Finally, a place to put those cheesy pick-up lines to use! The Fifth Annual Flirt Fest-held on Valentine's Day at the Big Easy bar-is an enticing alternative for the dateless. With more than 1,000 attendees each year, the Flirt Fest offers an open bar and encourages guests to participate in a night of drinking, dancing and flirting. Informal contests are held, including a best and worst pick-up line contest. Show up to see if your best line can top past winners such as "Is that weed I smell? Because you're making me high," and, "Excuse me, but I couldn't help noticing that I've been staring at you for the last 20 minutes."

n If your pick-up lines don't work with the ladies, why not try lady luck? Only an hour and a half from campus, Mohegan Sun Casino is a great place to blow off some steam and some money, especially since you won't have to spend any on a significant other. Foxwoods Casinos and Resort is about the same distance from campus, which, in addition to gambling, has golfing, night clubs and plenty of entertainment acts.

Ladies, pamper yourselves with a soothing facial or relaxing massage at one of many Boston's day-spas. Citysearch.com users rate G-Spa as one of the best locations in Boston for manicures and hair styling. Violet Skin Boutique receives the highest rating for body-relaxing services. The boutique offers a full range of massage options, from Swedish massages to aromatherapy, as well as special Valentine's Day packages.