About Single and the City
Home About Single and the City
How One Bad Speed Dating Experience Raised the bar on NYC 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’d learned that this is truly “The City with Everything” — except maybe a committed 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 singles in NYC, I was navigating a dating scene overflowing with apps, career-obsessed workaholics, and commitment-phobes still living with roommates in their 30s and 40s.
So when I walked into my first Speed Dating NYC event years ago, I thought I was finally cracking the code. Instead, I found myself surrounded by a sea of men that I was not physically attracted to or interested in. None shared my political views, my interests or values. ( :
The first “date” I sat with 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—now you have to talk to me.”
Eight minutes never felt longer.
That moment? That’s when Single and the City was born.
2. I Wanted to Raise the Bar on Singles Events in NYC
Back in 2008, almost every singles event in New York was built around age ranges — 25–35, 35–45, and so on.
But I knew that real chemistry doesn’t come from a number. It comes from what you’re attracted to. Your interests. Your values. And yes, your dating deal breakers.
That’s when I created a new kind of speed dating experience — one that was themed around what really matters.
Instead of matching people by age, we curated events by personality and physical / professional preference:
- “Size Matters” for tall men 5’11″+
- “Rescue Me” for sexy single firefighters, cops, and EMTs.
- “Hot for Teacher” for educators and the people who crush on them.
- “Fitness Singles” — for those that are fit and active.
- “Asian Persuasion,” “Hung,” “Afrodesiac Night” and “Hot or Not,” — because, well, why not make dating fun again?
We combined quality over quantity with short, three-minute dates — because chemistry is instant. You either feel it… or you don’t.
3. Our Mission: Make Dating in NYC Fun Again
At Single and the City, we believe meeting someone should be exciting — not exhausting.
We host over 100 speed dating and singles events across Austin and NYC every year at some of the city’s most fun venues like 5th & Mad, House Watch, Bar Avant at Olly Olly Market, Clinton Hall, The Dean, The Belmont and The DL.
Each event attracts real New Yorkers and Austinites who are over the apps and ready to connect — in person, with a cocktail, and a sense of humor.
4. Why Themed Speed Dating Works (and Why It’s So NYC)
Dating in New York and Austin is its own sport. You’ve got:
- Too many options
- Too little time
- And way too many people who “aren’t looking for anything serious right now.”
That’s why themed events work. They help you find your people — fast.
We’ve seen couples meet at our “Rescue Me,” “Hot for Teacher,” and even “Size Matters” nights who are now married, engaged, and starting families.
Because when you put the right people in the same room, the odds of a real connection go way up.
Because when you put the right people in the same room, the odds of a real connection go way up.
5. Fast Forward to Today: Still Changing the Game
More than a decade later, Single and the City continues to redefine NYC singles events.
We now host everything from Speed Dating NYC nights to Silent Discos, Singles Mixers, and Seasonal Parties — each designed to spark instant chemistry and lasting connections.
We’ve been featured in The New York Post, Time Out New York, Howard Stern and countless dating blogs and podcasts for making NYC dating more real, more personal, and way more fun.
And yes — we’re still coming up with new themes every month. Got an idea? Drop us a line.
We now host everything from Speed Dating NYC nights to Silent Discos, Singles Mixers, and Seasonal Parties — each designed to spark instant chemistry and lasting connections.
We’ve been featured in The New York Post, Time Out New York, Howard Stern and countless dating blogs and podcasts for making NYC dating more real, more personal, and way more fun.
And yes — we’re still coming up with new themes every month. Got an idea? Drop us a line.
6. So, What’s Your Dealbreaker?
We all have them — and that’s okay. In fact, it’s what makes dating interesting.
At Single and the City, we celebrate that honesty. We turn dealbreakers into connections.
At Single and the City, we celebrate that honesty. We turn dealbreakers into connections.
So whether your type is tall, fit, a firefighter, or teaches third grade — we’ve got a night where they’ll be waiting for you.
