Somewhere between the chaos of the summer and the seriousness of Elul, there’s Tu B’Av — the day the gemara calls one of the happiest on the Jewish calendar. No tachanun, no pressure, just a day that says: slow down and appreciate what you have.
For a married couple, that’s an invitation. Not to a grand production — the babysitter logistics alone would ruin the romance — but to something simpler and, honestly, better. A quiet villa in Lakewood, just the two of you. Dinner out. An evening walk. Time to talk about something other than the grocery list.
Here’s how to make Tu B’Av a real getaway without leaving the state.
Why a villa for two works
Hotels are fine, but they come with noise — slamming doors, thin walls, a lobby full of people you know from shul. A villa is private. You unlock the door, and the whole place is yours. A kitchen if you want to cook together (or heat up a really nice takeout spread). A living room where you can actually hear each other. A porch or backyard where you can sit outside in the summer evening and not be watched.
When you book, look for the smaller villas — plenty of Lakewood rentals are big family houses, but there are cozy ones too, with one or two bedrooms and a nice outdoor space. That’s the sweet spot for a couples’ trip. Check that the listing has what matters for a romantic stay: a comfortable main bedroom, a decent shower, outdoor seating, and a kitchen that’s actually pleasant to be in. At LakewoodHosts, our team can point you to the listings that couples tend to love — just ask.
The restaurant plan
Lakewood has come a long way on the date-night front. There are several genuinely nice restaurants in town now — the kind with low lighting, real tablecloths, and food you’d be proud to serve at a sheva brachos. Call ahead for a reservation, because Tu B’Av night fills up; every couple in town has the same idea.
A few practical tips from couples who’ve done this:
- Eat late. The 8:30 or 9:00 seating is quieter, and the kitchen isn’t rushed. You want the meal to be an event, not a pit stop.
- Order the thing you’d never order at home. The interesting appetizer, the dessert with three forks. It’s Tu B’Av.
- Skip the phone. Not a joke — agree in advance that the phones stay in the car or on silent. An hour and a half of uninterrupted conversation is the rarest gift a married couple can give each other.
If you’d rather keep the evening at the villa, the other move is a takeout upgrade: order from a nice restaurant, set the table properly (real dishes, candles — the villa will have them), and turn it into a private dinner. Half the cost, all of the atmosphere, and nobody’s rushing you out for the next seating.
The evening walk
This is the part that makes the getaway. Lakewood has several beautiful options for a summer evening stroll:
- Lake Carasaljo — the classic. The lake loop is peaceful in the evening, with the water on one side and the trees on the other. Walk slowly. This is the whole point.
- The neighborhood streets — some of Lakewood’s older residential blocks, with big trees and beautiful homes, are lovely for wandering with no destination.
- Just the villa’s street — honestly, a slow walk around the block holding hands, watching the neighborhood settle for the night, is as romantic as anything.
Go after dinner, when the heat of the day has broken. Summer evenings in Lakewood are warm and soft, and the walk gives the night a rhythm — dinner, stroll, then home.
The small touches that matter
The difference between “we went away for the night” and “that was a real getaway” is the details. Borrow these:
- Flowers. Stop at a florist or even the supermarket floral section on the way in and put them on the dining table. It changes the whole feel of the house.
- Chocolate. Buy the good stuff — the kind you pass in the store and never buy. Tu B’Av is the day.
- A note. Leave a card or even a folded note on the pillow. It doesn’t need to be poetry. “Glad it’s you” has launched a thousand happy evenings.
- Music. If the villa has a speaker or you bring a portable one, some quiet background music in the evening transforms the space.
Making it happen
The logistics are the only hard part, and they’re manageable: book the babysitter early (other parents have the same Tu B’Av idea), book the villa for one or two nights — even a single night, arriving late afternoon and leaving the next morning, counts — and make the restaurant reservation. Pack light. Tell work you’ll be offline.
One night is enough. Two is a luxury. The couples who do this every year will tell you it’s become one of their favorite traditions — a small annual anchor in a life that otherwise revolves around everyone else.
Tu B’Av comes once a year. The mishpacha will survive one evening without you. Go make the day what it’s supposed to be.
