About Single and the City | NYC Singles Events
How One Bad NYC Speed Dating Experience Raised the bar on Singles Events
1. It Started with a Painful Eight Minutes (and a Very Short/Angry Man)
After ten years of living in New York City, I realized it really is the city with everything—except, sometimes, a meaningful relationship.
Starbucks? Everywhere. Ray’s Pizza? On every corner. An emotionally available man over six feet tall? Now that’s a rare find.
Like so many NYC singles, I was navigating a dating scene filled with dating apps, endless swiping, career-obsessed professionals, and commitment-phobes still living with roommates in their 30s and 40s.
So when I attended my first NYC speed dating event, I thought I’d finally found a better way to meet local singles. Instead, I walked into a room full of people I simply didn’t connect with. We didn’t share the same interests, values, lifestyle, or chemistry.
Then my first “date” looked up at me—all 5’3″ of him—and said:
“I know you. You’re on Match.com. I emailed you five times and you never wrote back. I paid $40, so now you have to talk to me.”
Eight minutes never felt longer.
That unforgettable experience inspired me to create something better.
In 2008, I founded Single and the City to reinvent NYC speed dating, singles events, and singles parties. My goal was simple: create professionally hosted events where successful, relationship-minded singles could meet in a fun, relaxed atmosphere with people they were genuinely excited to get to know.
Today, Single and the City has hosted thousands of speed dating events, singles mixers, themed parties, and matchmaking events in New York City and beyond, helping countless singles make real connections—without endless swiping.
Because meeting someone special should happen in real life, not just on an app.
2. I Wanted to Raise the Bar on Singles Events in NYC
Back in 2008, nearly every NYC speed dating and singles event grouped people by age—25–35, 35–45, and so on.
But I believed real chemistry couldn’t be reduced to a number. Attraction is about shared interests, values, lifestyle, personality, and yes—even the qualities and deal breakers that matter most to you.
So I reimagined speed dating by creating themed singles events built around compatibility, attraction, and common interests instead of age alone.
Instead of simply matching people by birth year, we created experiences for singles looking to meet people they were genuinely excited to connect with, including:
- Size Matters Speed Dating — for women who prefer men 5’11” and taller.
- Rescue Me Singles Parties® — bringing together single firefighters, police officers, EMTs, military personnel, and the people who admire them.
- Hot for Teacher/Nurse Speed Dating — for educators and those who have always had a crush on them.
- Fitness Singles Dating — for active, health-conscious singles.
- Asian Persuasion, Hung, Afrodesiac Night, Hot or Not, and many more themed singles parties designed to make meeting people more fun and more personal.
We also challenged the traditional speed dating format. Instead of long, awkward conversations, we introduced quick three-minute dates because attraction usually happens within moments.
Our philosophy has always been simple:
Quality connections over endless introductions.
Because when the chemistry is there, you know it.
3. Our Mission: Make Dating in NYC Fun Again
At Single and the City, we believe meeting someone should be exciting — not exhausting.
4. Why Themed Speed Dating and Singles Parties Works (and Why It’s So NYC/Austin)
Why Themed Singles Events Work
Dating in New York City and Austin isn’t easy. Whether you’re searching for NYC singles events, Austin speed dating, or a better alternative to dating apps, the challenges are often the same:
- Too many options.
- Too little time.
- Too many people who “aren’t looking for anything serious right now.”
That’s why themed speed dating events, singles mixers, and singles parties work.
Instead of meeting random strangers, you’ll meet local singles who already share your interests, lifestyle, profession, or the qualities you’re most attracted to. It’s a more natural, more fun way to make meaningful connections.
Over the years, we’ve watched countless couples meet at our Rescue Me Singles Parties®, Hot for Teacher, Size Matters, and other signature NYC and Austin singles events. Many have gone on to get married, get engaged, and start families.
Because when you bring the right people together in the same room, real chemistry has a chance to happen.
5. Fast Forward to Today: Still Changing the Dating Game in NYC and Austin
More than 15 years later, Single and the City continues to redefine speed dating, singles events, and singles parties in New York City and Austin.
From NYC speed dating and Austin speed dating to singles mixers, themed parties, silent discos, networking events, and seasonal celebrations, we create fun, professionally hosted experiences where local singles can meet face-to-face and make genuine connections.
Our events have been featured in The New York Post, Time Out New York, Howard Stern, and numerous dating blogs, podcasts, and media outlets for helping singles meet in real life—not just through dating apps.
Whether you’re looking for speed dating in NYC, Austin singles events, or a unique way to meet relationship-minded singles, we’re always creating new event themes and unforgettable experiences.
Have an idea for our next singles event? We’d love to hear it. Contact us!
And yes — we’re still coming up with new themes every month. Got an idea? Drop us a line.
6. So, What’s Your Dating Dealbreaker?
Everyone has dating preferences—and that’s okay. In fact, that’s what makes meeting someone exciting.
At Single and the City, we believe great relationships start with real attraction, shared interests, and genuine chemistry. That’s why we create themed speed dating events, singles parties, and singles events that bring together people with similar lifestyles, professions, values, and dating preferences.
Whether you’re looking to meet someone who’s tall, fit, a firefighter, police officer, EMT, teacher, healthcare professional, or simply someone who shares your interests and values, you’ll find a NYC or Austin singles event designed to help you meet the right people.
For more than 20 years, we’ve helped thousands of local singles connect through NYC speed dating, Austin speed dating, themed singles events, and professionally hosted singles parties—proving that meeting someone special is easier when you’re surrounded by the people you actually want to date.
Because the best relationships don’t start with endless swiping. They start with the right introduction.
