Dating: Best Places to Meet Singles In Any Town

The best places to meet other singles are by doing what you like to do, and living your life well. It sounds corny, but it’s true. If all you do is work and stay in the house, your options of meeting people are limited. But if you have interests that you pursue — like traveling, volunteering, practicing a hobby like collecting or river rafting — even if you’re a good aunt or uncle and take your niece or nephew to the playground or to one of those indoor gym clubs for kids — you’re sure to strike up a conversation with someone interesting who sees that you have that glow that shows you’re taking care of yourself — your body and your soul by looking good and living well.

Things that you do every day but don’t pick your head up to look around, may be breeding grounds for Mr. or Ms. Right. Like what? How about:

- The car wash

- The dry cleaners

- The bookstore

- The health food store

- The post office if you live in a small town

- The beach, the pool, the park

Any of these places that you would go if you had a boyfriend or girlfriend or not — are the places you’ll be most prone to meet someone. In fact, they’re better than bars because you get to see the other person in his or her everyday gear — not all spiffed up for action.

And then there are those seek out and find venues:

If none of the above works and you have to put a little elbow grease into your hunt for love, try these summer sizzlers:

- The ice cream or frozen yogurt parlor

- Take your nephew to the water park

- The air-conditioned art museum on a sizzling hot day

- Summer school — regardless of your age

- Summer workshops

- Language classes

- Travel groups — to Europe, river rafting, or wine tasting and gourmand journeys

- Fundraising ventures for your favorite political party or action or charity

Where are the successful, single men? I’ll tell you, because….

Where They Are Is Where You’ll Want To Be

The Office - Successful men work. If you happen to work in a law firm or a business where there are successful, single men, don’t hesitate to use work as a resource. While you have to be more careful to avoid office politics and job interference, most people meet their boyfriends and girlfriends at work. That said if you don’t work at one of these companies, but you have a friend who does, stop at her office regularly to pick her up for lunch! Get there early, and wait for her. While you’re waiting, keep your eyes open, and your smile ready.

Company Christmas Parties - These celebrations are rituals, and big companies often go all out on these bashes. Get yourself invited! It isn’t that difficult. If you already have friends who work at the company, then ask them to invite you. If you don’t, call the customer service or public relations department, and ask them for an invitation. When you do go, don’t arrive hours late. There is always a contingent of employees who uses the company Christmas party as a high-class frat party and gets wasted. You don’t want to be around those people. You do want to go early in the party, and stay for an hour. Scope out anyone who looks interesting, and make yourself available.

Sports - Golf courses are man magnets. You will find successful men at every tee. Take lessons. Go with a friend. And once there, ask for help. Country clubs and exclusive sports clubs are also great venues for meeting successful men. Try going early in the morning. Like 6 a.m. At that time you’ll catch all the guys who want a work out before work. If you go regularly at the same time, you will have made yourself available. Hire a personal trainer to work with you at the club, and ask him about different men you’re interested in. The trainer will have the low down, and may even make introductions. If you live near the coast, and more specifically, near the beach, go to the beach that is adjacent to expensive real estate. Successful men will be jogging early in the morning. If you have a dog, and dogs are allowed on your beach, take your dog for a run with you. Men borrow babies for female bait - you can use your pooch for man bait.

Boating - Men love boats. Hang out at the wharf, at the boat club or even sign up for sailing lessons.

Spectator Sports - Successful men will be sitting in the good seats. Forget about nosebleed seats. You won’t meet anyone but the paramedic bringing you smelling salts for the thin atmosphere. Get the best seats. You won’t be wasting your time. Basketball games, tennis matches and baseball games are all great places to meet successful men. Find out if the best seats are on the floor, or in a skybox and make sure you’re sitting there! If you can’t buy your seats, or if they’re all subscription seats, and already sold out, ask around! Lots of times big corporations have seats for the company, and your accountant or someone who works for you may have access to the seats. Ask! If you know someone who has the seats, ask them to let you know if they’re ever not using them. Lots of fundraisers for charity often sell great seats at silent auctions. Bid on them. When you find yourself seated next to someone successful and interesting at one of these events, you don’t want to seem too available, but it’s perfectly reasonable to ask them to clarify a referee’s call for you, or explain a rule. Making yourself available and open is important.

Fly First Class - Flying first class is the most wonderful way to meet a successful man. In fact, any two, three, four or five hour flight in first class, seated next to a successful man, practically counts as a first date! Cocktails, dinner and a movie are involved, so why not? If the cost of a first class ticket is prohibitive, there are lots of ways to get them. Frequent flyer mile points is the cheapest way to obtain a first class ticket or upgrade, although there are lots of rules and regulations. Many airlines will sell you an upgrade for a nominal fee from $100 to a few hundred dollars. Some airlines even offer this service at check in. Well worth the price.

Make sure that you ask the airline attendant who is assigning your seat to seat you next to anyone he or she thinks is successful and attractive. While they may not know if the man is single or not, it sure doesn’t hurt to ask.

Also wonderful venues are members-only airport lounges. The membership fee is often under $100, and well worth the price for the company you’ll get to keep and the men you’ll get to meet.

Expensive Restaurants - Successful men have to eat, right? Have lunch alone at an expensive restaurant. Or meet a girlfriend for lunch. And I don’t mean expensive restaurants that specialize in tea and scones with crust-less sandwiches. Men like meat. Dine at the most expensive steak house in town that is near a major business outlet.

Don’t do dinner - eat lunch! Lunch is when busy, successful men eat. They work late at night, and often skip dinner, or they may have a date for dinner. But lunch is when you will often find successful men taking a break from the office and eating with other male friends, or often alone.

Expensive bars that are near business outlets are great places to meet men. Men often meet a buddy for a drink after work, and Happy Hour is a great time to find successful men catching a quick drink and a snack before going back to work late in the office. Happy hour is also a time when successful men will be more aware of who’s in the room, since hors d’oeuvres are often served at a table away from the bar, so everyone who snacks, has to travel across the room and serve themselves.

No late nights! Don’t go to expensive bars looking to meet successful men late at night. Successful men don’t stay out late at night in bars - especially on weeknights. They either work late or they get their sleep, and they get up early.

Online Dating - Make sure you are either using a dating service that specifies wealthy, successful men, or else make sure that you are specific in what you are looking for, to weed out anyone who is not successful. Don’t waste time on men who aren’t right.

Political Events - Great places to meet successful men are political events. Expensive fundraisers that are either sit down dinners or walk around cocktail parties, where you can circulate and increase your exposure, are great ways to meet men who are successful, socially active and politically involved. You also have the event at hand to automatically talk about.

Charity Events - Do something good while making yourself available. Attend a charity fundraising event. You’ll increase your odds of meeting a successful, straight man by attending a fundraiser that doesn’t involve AIDS or breast cancer.

Cigar Clubs are also great places to meet successful men, as long as you don’t mind smoke!

Single Parents Date, Too! Don’t forget that successful single dads take their children to Little League, T-Ball and School Open House. Whether you’re a single mom, or just know one who can take you along to one of these events, you’ll find some terrific men. School fundraisers - especially private school fundraisers are great places to meet these successful, single dads.

Expensive Department Stores - Shop in the men’s department at a top-notch department store like Neiman’s or Barney’s or Saks. Buy your father or your brother in law a sweater and ask for help when you see a single guy buying a great, expensive suit.

The Expensive Book Store Right Next to the Expensive Department Store - Beautiful independent bookstores attract successful men who like to read. Less so a good bet are the super-bookstores that carry lots of paperbacks. Instead, make your way over to the specialized stores either next to Barney’s (or Nieman’s or Saks) or in an expensive neighborhood, where the owner knows all the clients and customers, and can guide your or make introductions if you’re a regular. Which…you need to become!