Single women outnumber men in metropolitan area, mag says

Girls hunting for a date for Valentine's Day may want to consider packing their bags and heading west. But single guys are better off staying in New York City.

National Geographic magazine analyzed Census Bureau data and discovered that if you're a single man looking for a woman, the best place to be is the New York metro area - where there are 185,000 more single women than men.

On the other hand, if you're a single woman looking for a man, the best place to be is the Los Angeles area, where there are 40,000 more single men than women.

National Geographic's findings, which will be detailed in the magazine's February issue, could explain why so many women in New York say they just can't find a good man.

"It doesn't surprise me," said Jennifer Willard, 33, an occupational therapist from Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. "In a city like New York I think it's hard to meet people."

"But I'm not discouraged. I will never be the woman sitting at the bar draping myself across a bar stool, so I've got to remain hopeful I'll still meet someone."

The city's single men are happy to be outnumbered.

"I don't go out of my way to find girls. If they want me they can come and get me," said Matt Burniston, 24, a designer from the East Village.

Along with New York, Baltimore, Washington and Boston rank highest on the list of cities with the largest number of single women.

Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Seattle have more single men.

Even though the odds are stacked against them, several New York women said they weren't concerned about the city's lack of eligible bachelors.

"Girls in New York are way more comfortable being single," said Andrea DeBellis, 25, during a night out in Puck Fair on Lafayette St. in SoHo.

"We don't just want any guy - we want a good one."

Azadeh Amani-Taleshi, 28, agreed: "I think standards here are higher in New York. I think women in New York are goal orientated and career focused."

Cities with more single men than women: