johnnymk
02-13-2008, 06:20 AM
http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/491083.html
COLUMBIA --Amazon.com has announced its list of the Top 20 Most Romantic Cities in America, and Columbia gained romantic recognition with a sweet little 16.
Yes, that's No. 16, as in right behind No. 14 Seattle and No. 15 San Francisco.
Amazon.com based the list on sales data compiled on romance novels, relationship and sex books since Jan. 1.
So can book sales really determine how romantic a city is? Andy Graves, owner of local bookstore The Happy Bookseller, isn't so sure.
"I'm as surprised as you are that we came in that high," he said.
Has he spotted couples holding hands as they shop together for relationship books?
"Not that I've ever noticed," he said. "Maybe they're hiding from me."
But he does see a correlation between his sales and the Amazon rankings.
"Relationship books are very strong sellers," he said. "We don't sell a lot of bodice-ripper type books, but we do sell a lot of historical fiction, which has some romantic elements to it."
Um, what about sex books?
"We don't sell a lot of sex books," he said. "You see the occasional high school boy stealing back to that section."
Graves did relate a story of a woman who came into the store last fall as part of a treasure hunt looking for relationship books. At the end of her citywide search, her boyfriend proposed to her.
"That's a pretty romantic thing," Graves said.
So maybe Columbia is a romantic place.
Not that other purveyors of romance -- florists, jewelers, restaurateurs, and lingerie -- think so.
"Columbia? Shut up!" said Mary Beth Holman, owner of speciality accessories shop Mary Beth's Boutique on Main Street. "That's cool, but it's pretty funny."
Said Kristy Ray, who owns Tullulah, a lingerie shop on Devine Street: "I don't believe people think of Columbia when they think of romance."
But Ray, whose business had a special Men's Night until 7:30 Tuesday with drinks and snacks to help guys out, came up with a theory on the high ranking.
"People in Columbia like where they live," she said. "A city is only as romantic as the people who live in it.
"Maybe we're all happy to be with each other."
Roger Patton, owner of The Blossom Shop in Five Points, said he expects to see plenty of romantics on Thursday.
"They'll be lined up to the door from 10 in the morning to five in the afternoon," he said, as they wait for the old reliable. "You cannot go wrong with roses. That's the bottom line."
Isn't it romantic?
Amazon.com's Top 20 Most Romantic Cities in America, based sales data of romance novels, relationship and sex books since Jan. 1, per capita in cities with more than 100,000 residents:
1. Alexandria, Va.
2. Cambridge, Mass.
3. Miami, Fla.
4. Irvine, Calif.
5. Ann Arbor, Mich.
6. Orlando, Fla.
7. Berkeley, Calif.
8. Scottsdale, Ariz.
9. Arlington, Va.
10. Atlanta, Ga.
11. Washington, D.C.
12. Pasadena, Calif.
13. Bellevue, Wash.
14. Seattle, Wash.
15. San Francisco, Calif.
16. Columbia, S.C.
17. Tallahassee, Fla.
18. Austin, Texas
19. Richmond, Va.
20. Knoxville, Tenn.
COLUMBIA --Amazon.com has announced its list of the Top 20 Most Romantic Cities in America, and Columbia gained romantic recognition with a sweet little 16.
Yes, that's No. 16, as in right behind No. 14 Seattle and No. 15 San Francisco.
Amazon.com based the list on sales data compiled on romance novels, relationship and sex books since Jan. 1.
So can book sales really determine how romantic a city is? Andy Graves, owner of local bookstore The Happy Bookseller, isn't so sure.
"I'm as surprised as you are that we came in that high," he said.
Has he spotted couples holding hands as they shop together for relationship books?
"Not that I've ever noticed," he said. "Maybe they're hiding from me."
But he does see a correlation between his sales and the Amazon rankings.
"Relationship books are very strong sellers," he said. "We don't sell a lot of bodice-ripper type books, but we do sell a lot of historical fiction, which has some romantic elements to it."
Um, what about sex books?
"We don't sell a lot of sex books," he said. "You see the occasional high school boy stealing back to that section."
Graves did relate a story of a woman who came into the store last fall as part of a treasure hunt looking for relationship books. At the end of her citywide search, her boyfriend proposed to her.
"That's a pretty romantic thing," Graves said.
So maybe Columbia is a romantic place.
Not that other purveyors of romance -- florists, jewelers, restaurateurs, and lingerie -- think so.
"Columbia? Shut up!" said Mary Beth Holman, owner of speciality accessories shop Mary Beth's Boutique on Main Street. "That's cool, but it's pretty funny."
Said Kristy Ray, who owns Tullulah, a lingerie shop on Devine Street: "I don't believe people think of Columbia when they think of romance."
But Ray, whose business had a special Men's Night until 7:30 Tuesday with drinks and snacks to help guys out, came up with a theory on the high ranking.
"People in Columbia like where they live," she said. "A city is only as romantic as the people who live in it.
"Maybe we're all happy to be with each other."
Roger Patton, owner of The Blossom Shop in Five Points, said he expects to see plenty of romantics on Thursday.
"They'll be lined up to the door from 10 in the morning to five in the afternoon," he said, as they wait for the old reliable. "You cannot go wrong with roses. That's the bottom line."
Isn't it romantic?
Amazon.com's Top 20 Most Romantic Cities in America, based sales data of romance novels, relationship and sex books since Jan. 1, per capita in cities with more than 100,000 residents:
1. Alexandria, Va.
2. Cambridge, Mass.
3. Miami, Fla.
4. Irvine, Calif.
5. Ann Arbor, Mich.
6. Orlando, Fla.
7. Berkeley, Calif.
8. Scottsdale, Ariz.
9. Arlington, Va.
10. Atlanta, Ga.
11. Washington, D.C.
12. Pasadena, Calif.
13. Bellevue, Wash.
14. Seattle, Wash.
15. San Francisco, Calif.
16. Columbia, S.C.
17. Tallahassee, Fla.
18. Austin, Texas
19. Richmond, Va.
20. Knoxville, Tenn.