5 Tips On How To Date in NYC

While a reporter wants to figure out the perfect neighborhood for singles in NYC, we believe the whole city is perfect for dating. From the north Bronx to Coney Island, just about everywhere in NYC is a great place to find a date. The trick is knowing where to look, how to snag someone, and when to set a boundary in figuring out how to date in NYC.

Here are five tips to help you date in NYC.

1. Use Apps And Keep Your Head Up

When you’re dating in New York City, you’re in contact with six million people a day via the transit system. While lots of people who come from the suburbs or other places get overwhelmed by the way of life, if you open yourself up, there are people everywhere.

The number of people here comprises a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the number of people here creates a lot of variety for you to engage with. On the other hand, the amount of variety means that people will be rude to strangers or ghost on them, counting on never seeing them again.

Apps are just a part of the equation in NYC. Use apps, especially ones with location-based searching. When you’re off the app, remember the faces that connected with you the most because you could use your common love of a local coffee shop to start a convo.

Just riding the elevator into your home or office building can be a dice throw of interesting people. Be safe, be smart, and be aware.

2. Join a Team

One of the best ways to meet lots of people your age with your interests is to join a team. Every local park has a bunch of events going on all the time. There are adult softball leagues, kickball, and even biking teams.

If you like any activity at all, there are thousands of people here who like that activity too. You don’t need to expect to meet someone the day you join your team, but you’ve just multiplied your social world. When you join a team, you connect with dozens of other people who know dozens of other people.

Go out for a drink with your team after work or meet up on the weekend for a practice or training session. If you meet some interesting people, link up with their group of friends, and you’re going to be down a rabbit hole of a new social network.

If sports isn’t your thing, there are faith communities, political groups, and professional networks of all stripes across the city. Dive into common interests and expect to come up with at least some good friends.

3. Find a Few Local Gems

Every neighborhood is like its own little village in New York. Across every borough, you’ll find local color, businesses that have survived for 100 years, and great places yet to be discovered.

Go off the beaten path and find some places that feel uniquely you. Don’t let your age, background, or expectations get in the way of what could be the perfect bar, diner, or bookshop.

Everyone has their own aesthetic interests and things that pique their interest. In New York City, there are places to serve every kind of taste.

These are your secret weapon in the world of dating. Ask if they’ve heard of this place, and if they have, ask if they want to meet you there. When you have a special little dive bar to share, it’s like your own private in-joke, starting from date number one.

You’ll be memorable and less generic than asking your date to go to that same loud cocktail bar that everyone waits outside to get a table at on a Friday night. In some cities, a crowded place seems cool. In New York, there are 15 places in spitting distance, so why not find a place where you can hear your conversation.

4. Set Your Limits

Long-distance relationships are a nightmare. While absence makes the heart grow fonder, subway rats can chew away at that fondness during a 90-minute commute to go four miles.

Some people go as far as only dating near their subway station while other people are more flexible. However, the struggle is real. You might be up for a long ride with a book on a Tuesday evening but imagine how hellish that train ride is if you’re in a fight.

Set limits not only for how many roommates they have, what kind of work they do, and what their favorite pizza joint is. Set limits for how far you’re willing to travel for your partner.

5. Everyone is Busy

While everyone is busy, we make the time for the people we like. Work things come up for all of us. If you’re going out with someone and you think you want to see them again, make a solid plan. If they always claim they’re busy, give them a chance.

Rent is expensive, opportunities require action, and there are legitimate reasons for scheduling problems in the city. However, if you’re always being led around by someone who claims to be busy, start looking elsewhere.

On the flip side, offer to help someone if they’re busy. Nothing brings a New York couple closer together than moving out in the middle of the night, in the middle of the month, because a landlord sold their building. If you’re up for the adventure, you’re going to end up making a memorable and fun connection.

Figure out when to take something personally and when not to.

Learning How To Date in NYC isn’t That Difficult

If you can figure out how to survive in NYC, you can figure out how to date in NYC. If you’re a resilient, clever, and creative person, you’ll find someone just as clever as you in no time. Approach it with an open heart and you’ll attract good people.

If you’re keeping your options open online, follow our online dating guide for setting up a perfect dating profile.  Looking to find a online dating photographer near you?  We can help you find the best dating photographers just enter your zipcode and book!