Get Off Dating Apps! (And meet singles IRL)

Welcome to Part 2 of our “How to Meet Singles IRL” series!

Last week, we talked about the exact script and psychology you need to employ in order to get your friends to set you up. This week, we’re getting into where to go to meet singles in real life — and it’s a lot more straightforward than you think.

I’m sure you’ve all felt this — there’s really no culture of “going out and meeting people at bars” the way there used to be. Once dating apps became ubiquitous, it was as though your phone was the “correct” portal for meeting people, and anyone trying to chat you up at a bar was a creep.

So if you’re feeling dating app fatigue, it’s tough to know where to go to try to meet singles! Activities, of course, are always a great option. Volunteering, taking intro language or music lessons, hosting friend-of-a-friend dinners, and joining low-key rec sports leagues are all ways friends of mine have put themselves out there to meet people (and have gotten dates!). Even non-runners are joining running clubs hoping to find love.

But there are more direct ways to ensure that the events you’re attending actually have single people, who are actually looking to meet other singles.

In short: singles events!

Did you just shudder a little bit? I get it. “Singles events” used to have a shudder-worthy connotation. Are you catching yourself thinking “only people who are desperate or weird go to singles events”? Well, even if that used to be the case, I can tell you: it’s not anymore. Singles events are cool now!

There are some specific organizations that have been recommended to us by clients and friends who have used them. In New York, we’ve been hearing great things about Luvvly. In Chicago, Meet IRL is all the rage. Then there’s Thursday, which is going strong in 37 cities across North America, plus nearly 30 more around the world. And though it’s not exclusively for romantic purposes, TimeLeft is bringing cool strangers together over Wednesday dinners across 10 cities in the US and dozens all over the world.

But perhaps the most helpful resource I can give is Eventbrite. If you’re unfamiliar with the platform, Eventbrite is essentially a search engine for events across the U.S. and a handful of other countries.

So, for example, if you’re a man in your 60s in the Boston area, you could enter “Speed dating 60s” in the search bar, select Boston as the location, and bam! — you’ll get a list of upcoming events that match your criteria. If you’re a woman in your 40s in Chicago, you could enter “40s singles events” and you’ll get that list.

I want to hear from you! Are there singles events in your area you’ve loved? Let me know so I can help spread the word!


Happy IRL Dating,

Alyssa

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Hi! I’m Alyssa Dineen and I’m a personal stylist and dating coach all rolled into one. I started Style My Profile to help other online daters feel better about getting out there— and staying out there— in the world of online dating. Whether it’s to meet your soulmate, to find a fun person to have dinner with or even just match with more people, I can help you from the ground up.

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