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2010: Top 10 Cities for Single Women
By Paula Santonocito
3. New York, New York. So nice they named it twice, and it might have gotten top billing on the Top Cities for Single Women list were it not for the high cost of living and the rate of unemployment, which was 9.1 percent at the time of our analysis. The financial services sector took a huge hit during the recession, and as a result New York was dealt a blow. And it wasn’t only Wall Street jobs that were impacted; the trickle down effect of the economy hurt the entire city.
Be that as it may, the employment outlook is improving, in financial services and other industries. It’s also worth noting that New York offers far more than bulls and bears in the way of employment. Advertising, fashion, theatre, business services, technology, and of course tourism are all big in the Big Apple. The legal profession is a top employer here as well. Although it too was hurt by the recession, like finance, it shows signs of bouncing back.
Professional positions in New York tend to pay well. However, it isn’t cheap to live in this metropolis. Fortunately, home and rental prices have dropped because of the economy, and in fact there are deals to be had.
There are also a wide variety of neighborhoods and housing choices, from Greenwich Village with its brownstones to lofts in SoHo to doorman buildings in Midtown, and more.
As the fashion capital of the U.S., New York is a singleista shopper’s paradise. Whether you favor the high-end fashion of Fifth Avenue or downtown’s boutiques, you’ll find something to suit your style in Manhattan.
When it comes to entertainment, this truly is the city that never sleeps. New York is a bustling center of commerce and tourism by day, but at night it glows, literally. The bright lights of Broadway, the soft glow of the Empire State Building, and the shimmering Chrysler Building are just a few landmarks that continue to dazzle, regardless of how long you live in New York.
And of course there’s no shortage of entertainment. Besides Broadway, there’s Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, concerts at Madison Square Garden, countless clubs and other music venues, and restaurants galore.
Few, if any, cities rival New York in terms of art museums. Meanwhile, the Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium allow for journeys far beyond the city.
Sports fans will find top teams to root for in New York. Sports enthusiasts will also find plenty of opportunities for play as well. Central Park’s 843 acres include 58 miles of pedestrian paths where, yes, you can train for the New York City Marathon.
Weekend getaways to the mountains of Upstate New York for camping and hiking in summer or skiing and snowboarding in winter are easy. The world famous Hamptons, with their incredible beaches, are also only a short distance away.
Long distance travel is convenient from JFK International Airport or La Guardia Airport. Rail and bus offer travel options as well.
There are slightly more women than men in New York, but as in Washington, D.C., approximately 33 percent of the population is single. What’s more, in New York there are no shortages of opportunities to mingle. If you’re interested in a fast-paced, exciting city, where you can also shop till you drop, you might want to make a brand new start of it in old New York.
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Great article, well thought out! I packed my bags and I’m moving to Boston!
I live in Dallas. Even though there are almost 20,000 more males in this city than females, this figure is a bit deceptive. There is a high number of gay males, as well as immigrant workers, who skew the numbers. All of the places on the list appear to be big cities that probably have similar types of populations. If you’re just looking for a great place to party then it is great. If you’re looking for a boyfriend or husband, you will be disappointed.
Thanks for your feedback. Singles population is only one factor we considered in evaluating top cities. As noted, employment opportunities carried more weight, as did cost of living.
I absolutely agree with your post. I’ve lived here for nearly 3 years now and you are so right about the deceptive numbers. Fun place to do things and party, but boyfriend and husband are few and far between. My single friends have told me stories that have made me think twice about staying here. Once my contract is up in 17 months, I’m outta here.
After readinging this article, I had to comment on your section of Washington, DC. I agree with all of the activites and employment opportunties, etc that the area has to offer. But I would have to disagree that “there are slightly more women than men in Washington, D.C., but approximately 33% of the population is single.” Slightly is an understatement! There are MUCH more women than men, about 7-8 women more than men. Considering the population’s ethnic background, dating preferences and sexualty, these stats vary. Many social organizations, meetups, and clubs host social and cultural events, including dating events that always are in need of more men. And due to there be more men than women, many of them want to continue to be single and enjoy the many single women in the area instead of settling down to have a family. I invite you to take a video camera to the streets of DC and interview the women and see what kind of feedback you get contradictory to your stats.
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I live in Seattle. I have seen my lovely city on several “Top 10″ lists for dating or for singles. If you want to STAY single, then this is an amazing place to come to. There are so many fun things to do here, places to go, and experiences to be had. However, this is one of the worst places to find a mate. Below I list four phenomena that I and my other single friends (both male & female) have observed time and time again regarding the dating scene:
(1) Men & women do not make eye contact, on the street, in a coffee shop, and sometimes even in bars.
(2) Men do not approach women very often here. If they do, they are definitely not from Seattle. (there are reasons for this, and it is not all they guy’s fault! women can be a tough crowd for guys out here)
(3) Often, Men do not treat women with respect.
(4) The communication style here in town is called “northwest nice” or in plain speak: passive-aggressive.
If you are happy being single and staying that way this city is paradise. There are lots of smart, driven people here who have an amazing diversity of interests mixed in with a nice dose of being laid-back. Museums, art galleries, outdoorsy & sports activities, the symphony, the opera, boutique shops, music scene and too many cool coffee houses to count are all here. It is good living here. However, be warned on the dating front. You can have an excellent life if you are okay to not change your relationship status while you are here.
thanks for this post paulina01123. As a Seattle native born and raised, I couldn’t agree with you more. It was the driving factor in my relocation. Great place for family, lousy place for being single, especially and 30+ year old woman.
In reply to our single friends in Seattle, Dallas, and Washington, D.C., please keep in mind that dating was only one aspect of our criteria for best cities selection. Employment opportunities and cost of living carried more weight. Access to travel and entertainment options were also factors.
Hi Paula,
Thanks for the article, but it’s a bit frustrating how you keep pointing out that dating is only one of the factors. I’m a single woman in NYC and am sick and tired of the dating scene here. I was just googling a better place to go on vacation or even to live, and came across your article. Frankly I was just looking for pure statistics, but that information is hard to come by. This article seemed perfect. And yet I was shocked to find New York on it! With a title like ‘Top 10 cities for single women’ this article should have really focused on the dating scene and the male to female ratio, not jobs! Jobs are much easier to locate. We don’t need an article for that. Just go on a job board. With dating it’s not so simple.
But anyway, from what I’ve figured out so far, based on other research, is that the East coast generally sucks for single women. There are very few single men, and the ones that remain become assholes as a function of their being in high demand.
“based on other research, is that the East coast generally sucks for single women. There are very few single men, and the ones that remain become assholes as a function of their being in high demand.”
I definitely agree with Jules638. I plan on leaving the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area and will relocate west of the Rockies. I’m particularly interested in mid-sized cities. I am tired of dealing with the big city male imbalance advantage.”
Hey ladies – check out the 2011 Top 10 Cities for Single Women: http://singlemindedwomen.com/money-tips/2011-top-10-cities-for-single-women/
Right, New York is number one – for men! I love it how everything is always by default from the male perspective, unless otherwise noted.