In 2012, Tinder introduced its swipe feature. Other apps followed suit, making the feature ubiquitous, and matchmaking was never the same. And now, 12 years later, people are tired: tired of transactional swiping; monotonous getting-to-know-you first dates; and conversations that fizzle out in days.
Many people, young people in particular, are open about wanting the spark that can feel missing when mindlessly scrolling an app. There’s a yearning to return to the days of meeting someone in person, a longing for human connection.
But, if it’s serendipity you crave, where do you go to meet new people in New York? A lot has changed post-pandemic — old staples have closed, new places have opened.
Of course, you could have a meet-cute anywhere in New York. But that doesn’t mean that it’s always easy to figure out where to go to meet other singles.
Three Styles reporters combed the city for fun places for all kinds of people — whether you’re a book lover, a partygoer, a fitness enthusiast, an introvert or an extrovert. Below are 14 places in the five boroughs to meet people in real life.
