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Where do post-college-age single people in Allston/Brighton go to meet other singles? Sometimes it’s just as close as the local supermarket.
Tired of bars and fed up with the overblown promises of online dating, many residents are finding more creative ways of hooking up, often while simultaneously learning a skill or doing something fun, whether it be gastronomic, athletic or charitable.
Case in point: the Whole Foods Market on Washington Street in Brighton drew more than 100 people to its second "singles night" in as many months several weeks ago, proving that supermarkets can breed a hunger for more than just organic spinach.
Marketing Director Lauren Klatsky attributes the event’s popularity to the fact that, unlike a bar, the supermarket environment is relaxed and casual enough that people don’t feel like they’re on a date.
"It’s just people hanging out, buying food, chatting and maybe finding something in common," she said, adding that she hopes to hold several more singles nights over the next few months.
To promote mixing and mingling, the store offered a henna tattoo kiosk, food tasting stations, a raffle and a "matching" game where a patron is given a card with the name of a food item, and instructions to find the person of the opposite sex holding the card with the same item.
"M," an attractive, dark-haired, forty-something single shopper, said that though she usually meets people through dance events or friends, she was open to the idea of hooking up while shopping.
"You just come in to buy something, and you never know what might happen from there," she enthused, while showing off her tattoo to a group of twenty-something men who had gathered to admire.
For foodies who prefer to meet their mate after the meal is already prepared, there is always Brighton institution Lunch Dates, which has been successfully matching people for the last 25 years.
"When people are in college, that’s the best dating service in the world," said Lunch Dates manager Marty Sack. "But when you get older, you get busy and sometimes lose that built-in social network." He said that most of his members are either graduate students or professionals, ranging in age from 25 to 60.
Sack sees his company’s role as providing an organized way for people with common interests to connect and explore the restaurants of Boston. "You can’t just rely on meeting by chance in a cafe or a Laundromat," he said. "Our approach is a lot more organized and specific - we act as a social secretary."
But the opportunities to meet a mate as a by-product of doing some other activity are not necessarily limited to food-related pursuits.
Single Volunteers Boston, which was on hand at the Whole Foods event to promote its organization, is a group that embodies the concept of "hooking up while doing something else." By helping out at the Greater Boston Food Bank, and events such the Franklin Park Zoo’s Halloween party, members cultivate new friendships while effecting change in their community.
Marketing Director Lauren Klatsky attributes the event’s popularity to the fact that, unlike a bar, the supermarket environment is relaxed and casual enough that people don’t feel like they’re on a date.
"It’s just people hanging out, buying food, chatting and maybe finding something in common," she said, adding that she hopes to hold several more singles nights over the next few months.
To promote mixing and mingling, the store offered a henna tattoo kiosk, food tasting stations, a raffle and a "matching" game where a patron is given a card with the name of a food item, and instructions to find the person of the opposite sex holding the card with the same item.
"M," an attractive, dark-haired, forty-something single shopper, said that though she usually meets people through dance events or friends, she was open to the idea of hooking up while shopping.
"You just come in to buy something, and you never know what might happen from there," she enthused, while showing off her tattoo to a group of twenty-something men who had gathered to admire.
For foodies who prefer to meet their mate after the meal is already prepared, there is always Brighton institution Lunch Dates, which has been successfully matching people for the last 25 years.
"When people are in college, that’s the best dating service in the world," said Lunch Dates manager Marty Sack. "But when you get older, you get busy and sometimes lose that built-in social network." He said that most of his members are either graduate students or professionals, ranging in age from 25 to 60.
Sack sees his company’s role as providing an organized way for people with common interests to connect and explore the restaurants of Boston. "You can’t just rely on meeting by chance in a cafe or a Laundromat," he said. "Our approach is a lot more organized and specific - we act as a social secretary."
But the opportunities to meet a mate as a by-product of doing some other activity are not necessarily limited to food-related pursuits.
Single Volunteers Boston, which was on hand at the Whole Foods event to promote its organization, is a group that embodies the concept of "hooking up while doing something else." By helping out at the Greater Boston Food Bank, and events such the Franklin Park Zoo’s Halloween party, members cultivate new friendships while effecting change in their community.One organization where men and women seem to join in equal numbers is the Boston Ski and Sports Club, a Brighton-based group that caters to more than 30,000 active, athletic-minded professionals from as far afield as New Hampshire and Rhode Island. It offers sports leagues, ski trips, foreign travel and special-event parties.
"Not all of our members are single, but about 75 to 80 percent are," said Patty Desmaisons, the club’s marketing director. "People don’t necessarily join to find a partner, but sometimes it happens as a by-product of the activities they do and the friends they make." Desmaisons speaks from firsthand experience - she met her husband through the club’s volleyball league several years ago.
John, a 26-year-old professional who has been a club member since the summer, decided to join because he wanted to play sports and expand his circle of friends, many of whom have moved away from Boston since graduating from Northeastern four years ago.
"I had a ridiculous amount of friends in college, and could hang out with them any night of the week," he said, "but now that I work, it’s more difficult to stay active. It’s great to have a bunch of people my age trying to do the same things I am interested in. In fact, I double the amount of friends I have every time I attend an event."
Though John does not currently have a girlfriend, he knows that by putting himself in a situation where he is meeting so many people with common interests, it’s bound to happen sooner or later. "The more I get involved in the club’s various events and activities, the more likely that I will eventually meet somebody. It’s definitely in the back of my mind," he said.
Like many other singles his age, John turned to the club because he felt the bar scene was an inefficient way of meeting people. "When you meet someone at a bar, it’s hit-and-miss whether you have any of the same interests," he said, "and you can’t even talk without yelling because it’s so loud."
Those sentiments are repeated by Gail Randlett, director of Tempo Dance Studio on Washington Street in Brighton, which offers lessons in everything from salsa to swing, as well as dance parties and socials.
"It’s hard for some people to meet people in bars," she said. "On the other hand, dance is an easy, fun way for people to connect. Some come here looking specifically for love, some come just to learn how to dance. Often friendships and romantic relationships result from it. I have known a lot of people over the years who have met and gotten married through my classes."Randlett also touched on two recurring themes - that many singles, instead of just seeking a night of fun, would rather build a group of friends, and connect over a shared interest. Old concepts with a new twist.
"My clients love the fact that you have a group of people that you can become friends with, and feel comfortable with," she said. "Eventually you may end up dating someone or meeting other people through that group."
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