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On many clear Sunday afternoons, Shannon Hallmark, 34, makes his way to a corner of George Ward Park referred to by many as the Dog Park. People in their 20s and 30s gather with their canine "kids" to sit on blankets and mingle with fellow animal lovers, maybe playing disc golf or drinking a cold one.
Hallmark doesn't own a dog. Comfortably single, this is just one place he goes to meet new people and spend an afternoon off of the couch.
Nearly 30 percent of Alabama households are single households, which means a lot of people live alone. In Birmingham city limits, more than 100,000 adults have never tied the knot or are divorced, separated or widowed.
They are just a sampling of the 89.8 million unmarried and single Americans, according to a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau on the nation's uncoupled population.
"I would say there are a lot of single people in Birmingham. They're everywhere I go," Hallmark said. "I meet most of the people I hang out with at the park. I don't go there to pick up women, but they're there. It is more of a social thing for me, a place to socialize with other people in my age group."
While many singles are comfortable with their solo lifestyle, others are searching for the right person and some express dismay with the Magic City dating scene. Last year, Sperling's BestPlaces ranked Birmingham as the worst city in the country for finding dates. The frustration has created a market for singles groups and organizations, many catering to people in their 20s to beyond retirement.
In just a few months, Birmingham Myspace, a group created through the popular networking site Myspace.com, grew to 1,800 members. Their monthly gatherings, held at various social venues, bring together Birmingham singles or people just wanting to meet new friends, said Jason Scogins, the founder.
Scogins, 33, started the group in March after being transferred to Birmingham from Huntsville. He said he was surprised by the group's success.
"I did not realize how many people were actually on Myspace," he said. "I didn't start Birmingham Myspace to meet a significant other. I did it to meet new people, and I've met thousands. But it can be whatever you want it to be. Myspace can be your meat market online or just a way to meet other people with like-minded ideas."
Dan Frederick is a charter member and current chairman of Crescendo, a singles group formed in 1983 to support fine and performing arts.
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