You’re just a Local Single standing in front of the internet, asking it to love you. Or at least help you find a date. You’d think it’d be easy-peasy in this day and age, right? What more immense, lush dating pool is there than the world wide web? And yet plenty of available daters struggle to find someone in their area.
But no more. Your pals at DoubleList have just the thing to help you track down whatever (and whoever) you’re looking for, wherever. We’ll tell you the best ways to meet other singletons and get into the details of online dating near you.
3 Places To Meet Local Singles
Let’s start with the basics. What’s the biggest roadblock regarding dating in your zip code? Figuring out how on earth you actually meet local singles. You know there out there. You can’t be the only unattached person in your area. But somehow, you’re still coming up empty.
Whether you’re shy, new in town, or freshly single, this first step is the hardest. Hell, it’s even challenging for the regulars. Maybe you’re a seasoned vet on the dating scene, but you’ve been striking out lately. Talk about a hit to your confidence. Either way, you must leave your comfort zone and put yourself out there.
Across the board, we recommend stopping overthinking, returning to the beginning, and starting small. There are three common sense places to kick off your quest for another local single.
- Nightlife Spots
- Hobby Groups
- Online Dating
Keep reading to learn more about these options and which works best for you.
1. Hit the Nightlife Scene To Find Local Single People
Bars, clubs, and restaurants—oh my! Nightlife is that old tried and true breeding ground for local singles. Even if you’re a hermit, you know plenty of lovelorn folks go out on a Saturday night. They put on their best outfit and hit the town to find a partner.
That’s the most significant advantage of this method of finding someone to date. There’s no shortage of singles making a beeline to the hottest club or drinking hole. We recommend exploring the nightlife in your area at least once. You’ll see who else is out there and identify which option matches your interests.
The disadvantage of this method? It’s a lot of work. You dress up, get a crew together or go alone and search for the cool spots in town. Then the hunt begins. You must approach random people, deal with rejection, and spend more money than you want on drinks. Plus, if you go to the same place enough times, that dating pool starts to dry.
2. Explore Hobby Groups
Is staying out late not your thing? Then give hobby or special interest groups a try. Think of something you enjoy, like a sport, craft, or leisure activity. Then search for groups based around that activity in your area. If you love playing flag football, join a league Facebook group to find out where to play. Love to knit? Go to your favorite yarn store and ask the salesperson if there’s a knitter’s night.
There are also specific sites like Meetup to help you connect with people in your location with your same interests. Join as many groups as you like and give them a try. Now the downside to this is how much time it may take. But if it works out, you’ll have someone to date and new activity on your schedule. Even if you don’t find a partner right off the bat, you might make new friends. And who knows? Maybe those friends have friends you could date. Networking is everything, right?
3. Log in to Online Dating To Meet Local Single People
If you were Googling how to meet local single people and ended up here, you’re already on this path. Online dating services, including apps and websites, exist to bring available daters together.
The “pros” of this route are ease, convenience, and plenty of fish in the sea. If you don’t like the nightlife vibe, cool. The internet can be your virtual club. If having the same hobbies as your partner isn’t a deal breaker for you, welcome. And if you’ve exhausted all your usual pursuits, get ready for a new dating market.
There are thousands of online dating platforms out there. You can take your pick from small, niche sites for specific interests to large, mainstream sites. Internet dating allows you to lay all your cards on the table. You build a profile or write a personal ad that lists exactly what you want. It’s also much faster than traditional dating. In seconds you can chat with your next fling or relationships. All it takes is the click of a mouse or a swipe of the finger.
The downside of virtual dating? That it’s virtual. If you’re not a big technology person or struggle to make connections online, stick with the first two methods.
How To Find Local Single Women
We’ve covered the broad strokes of how to meet other local single daters. Now it’s time to get a little more specific and focus on finding local single women. First, we’ll share our tips for women seeking women.
Tips for Local Single Women Looking for Women
If you’re a lesbian, bisexual woman, or another type of queer woman interested in in-person dating, try a lesbian bar. Note that we didn’t say gay. Lesbian. You might find the girl of your dreams at those gay bars with male dancers and pounding club music. But if you don’t want the distraction of a hundred gay guys (and drunk straight girls), stick to femme spaces.
Not a drinker or club-hopper? Attend a live music event. You don’t have to stick to Hayley Kioko and Girl in Red concerts to hit on local singles. (Though those are safe bets.) But any place with music lovers and good vibes likely has a gal that catches your eye.
You’ve got a few different options for online daters out there. You can stick to women-geared apps such as HER or websites like LesbianPersonals. However, these options may have fewer users. For a larger selection, try Hinge, Tinder, or Bumble. Just select your dating preferences and tap away.
Tips for Men Looking For Local Single Women
Our dating advice for local single men who want to date women is somewhat similar to our advice for women. Instead of going to a gay bar, go to any bar, restaurant, or club where the heteros thrive. The real tip here: don’t be creepy. Women respond better to the relaxed, friendly guy than the rude dude who can’t take a hint.
Same with online dating. Hinge is an excellent app for locking into a serious relationship, while Tinder is perfect for finding a hookup. For websites, older guys and ladies can match up on platforms like eHarmony and Match.com. Spicier daters can find luck on websites like Craigslists with adult classifieds.
Where To Find Local Single Men Online
At this point, you probably understand how to find local singles in person (hobbies or nightlife). So to find local single men, we’re focusing on the online sphere. Keep reading for advice for straight women lusting after a man and men seeking men.
The Best Services for Local Women Looking for Men on the Internet
If you’re among the list of local women looking for men, the world’s your oyster. It all comes down to what you’re in the mood to try. For example, the ladies who want to hit it and quit it can browse the top hookup apps like Tinder. Similarly, AdultFriendFinder is a desktop option for finding casual encounters, exchanging photos, and other NSFW relationships.
In terms of relationship services geared towards local single women seeking men, Bumble is your best bet. Why? Because in this app, women message first. No more sifting through your countless unsolicited messages and dick picks. Here, the ladies call the shots, and the men do the waiting.
Must-use Services for Local Single Men Looking for Men on the Web
Gay and queer local single men, you have your pick of the dating litter. To start, you can go on all the same sites and apps as your cishet friends. Or, for a more tailored experience, you’ve got you’re ride or die: Grindr. Hookups, NSA arrangements, dirty pics, and casual dating thrive there.
In terms of websites for picking up local singles, you have a couple of different avenues to explore. For lovers of the anonymous, straightforward style of Craigslist personal ads, you need something to fill that void. Here’s the good news: Craigslist man-for-man alternatives are making a comeback. Websites like Reddit r/r4r and DoubleList are top choices.
But if you want something closer to the traditional dating site experience, set up accounts with paid sites like Adam4Adam. Just be sure to keep internet safety in mind when sharing personal information over the web.
The Top Sites to Chat With Local Singles Instantly
Regardless of gender or sexuality, sometimes you just want some good ol’ fashion conversation. Okay, maybe it’s some naughty ol’ conversation. The best way to chat with local singles isn’t speed dating or mixers. It’s (you guessed it) the internet. Here are two of our favorite sites exclusively for chatting:
- ChatRoulette. Yes, that old relic from your wild internet teen years is still alive and well. Try ChatRoulette if you want an element of chance in how you chat with other local single people. After creating your account, CR randomly pairs you with another user over webcam. You can leave whenever you want by connecting with another user or logging out.
- Zoosk. Zoosk operates like a dating app, but users particularly love it for free chatting. The advantage of using Zoosk over ChatRoulette is you have greater control over who you talk to and their location. You can set your radius to only chat with local single daters and accept or reject users based on profiles. However, unlike CR, it’s not webcam-centric.
Which site sounds like your steamy cup of tea?
Are There Any Free Online Local Dating Sites?
Yes, there are free online local dating sites. If you’re hoping to meet other local singles and don’t want to break the bank, try DoubleList. This personal ad site is perfect for meeting DTF locals, relationships, and chatting. It’s also totally anonymous, so you don’t have to worry about sacrificing your privacy.
All you have to do is create a username and password, confirm your email, and you’re in. You’ll know you’re only talking with other local single people because DoubleList has separate forums for different locations. Just click on the section for your city, and you’re good to go. Sign up for your free account today!
