1) There are A LOT of options
Popular
This can be great and also rather horrible. Since you're not in a small town, you're not forced to date the same 5 people that you've known since you were 12 years old. Also, if someone doesn't work out then having tons of options means there is always someone else right around the corner.
However, having a lot of options can not be so awesome when everyone just wants the next best thing. People don't necessarily give the date they're on a chance because they know they can get on their phone and keep swiping away.
2) You might wind up with a great story
New York City is full of creative, inspiring, and just straight up interesting people so when you're going out with someone from the internet or someone you met on the subway, you never really know what you're getting yourself into. A dinner date can turn into a date that doesn't end for 24 hours or that super seemingly normal dude can wind up taking you to his amazing rooftop where you'll makeout for a couple hours under the city lights.
3) You'll see people IRL that you've seen on Tinder/OkCupid/Bumble/etc.
I'm pretty sure the majority of the single population in New York is on some sort of dating site. And while you'd think it's very hard to run into people in a city of 8.4 million, I definitely saw plenty of dudes that I saw on Tinder a few days prior.
4) Expectations are very low
WAIT. He asked me on a second date and figured out all the details? What is this…a f*cking fairytale? People are so flakey with dating in large cities that the second a guy actually follows up after a first date or offers to come to your neighborhood, you're in love. Dating in NYC for so long leaves you with no expectations. You can go on a first date that seems to go perfectly and you might never hear from that person again. So when you do meet someone that follows through with their word and shows you the slightest bit of interest post-first date, it's a miracle.
5) Dating is expensive
Well, less expensive for women, but still expensive. Drinks and food aren't necessarily cheap in New York. A drink usually runs you around $10-15 and if you go somewhere decent to sit down for a meal, you're gonna spend some money. And if you're doing this multiple times a week, some of those dates better be a walk around the park.
6) Ghosting is very common
It's really easy to never run into someone ever again in New York so if someone who doesn't feel like dealing with confrontation decides they're not interested in you, prepare to never hear from them again with no explanation.
7) Everyone has weird schedules
A 9-5 job can be rare so when everyone is working crazy long hours and attending lots of events finding a time to actually date can prove difficult.
8) Women tend to date older
There's just something about a city that makes the dudes not want to "settle down" til they're 40 or so. When I was living in New York, I seemed to date about 10 years older than me at all times and wouldn't even mess with anyone under the age of 30 because they most likely still lived with 3 roommates and wanted to go out drinking every night.
9) Most everyone's style is pretty casual
Dating isn't such a big deal because everyone is doing it and doing it often. You'll rarely find a girl in a glamorous dress and heels going on a first date. You're walking around constantly so heels are usually a no-go and most first dates start at a bar so what's the point of dressing up? New York is all about casual style and looking confident even if you're wearing a t-shirt and jeans.
10) Be prepared to date someone in your borough
My Tinder radius was always set for 'within 2 miles' of me. If it wasn't, chances were that my prospective boyfriend lived in Manhattan or Queens when I lived in Brooklyn. When you don't have a car (like most people in New York) most places over a couple miles are FAR. And when I say far, I mean it can take you a hour to get 5 miles. I'm not saying it's not impossible to date someone outside of your borough but I am saying it's quite the commitment.
Popular by Lauren Urasek out 11th August RRP £8.99 (Blink Publishing)