You’re chatting up a real cutie at the bar. They’re hot, they’re funny, they’re even super smart! The whole package.
But then the dreaded question:
“So where do you live?”
“I’m in Fairfax”
…And thus dies yet another promising romantic rendezvous. Because you live in San Pedro.
With LA traffic, that is not a half-hour drive!
Finding love can be tough as an Angeleno. There are so many amazing things about living in LA, but let’s not forget the place is 472 square miles, and could comfortably subsume several other U.S. cities within breaking its borders. That means it sometimes feels impossible to forge a meaningful long-term connection with someone living in the same city yet totally outside of reach. If only there were another way…
Well, maybe there is. And I’m going to tell you all about it. But first, let’s look a little more closely at love in the City of Angels, because sometimes it’s easier to understand the lovescape of your hometown when viewed through an outsider’s lens. As a matchmaker with a thriving introductions agency in LA, I hear the same things from clients time after time. How many of these 8 truths do you wish you’d known before entering into the LA dating scene?
1. Location > everything else
If they live beyond a 5-mile radius, this thing’s dead on arrival. It’s the Angeleno way, nothing personal. Seriously, the traffic is like nothing you’ve ever seen, you out-of-towners out there reading this. How is one meant to respond to a booty call if one lives at the other end of the 405 from one’s hot new love interest?
2. Some people obsess over hooking up with celebrities. Avoid said people.
If you live in LA, chances are you know at least one person who’s got with someone who was sort of semi-famous 20 years ago. That’s normal—but for some Angelenos, seeking out celebrities for hookups is a pastime, an adrenaline sport, a full-time career. They grant themselves bonus points for varying the genre of their bedmates (actor, musician, breakfast show host). The wild pursuits of these people certainly make for a solid 20-minute conversation at a dinner party, but it seems unlikely your future One is that guy or girl with a raft of Disney stars from 20 years ago under their belt…
3. You’ll get in a relationship soon enough… with your car
Life in LA means a lot of driving. A hell of a lot. You spend so much time in that little box that you’ve started wondering whether you’ll ever meet someone again. How are you meant to respond to your myriad Hinge messages when it’s eyes-on-the-road for the next two hours straight?
4. Beware dating someone “in the industry”
It seems like half the people you ever meet in LA work “in the industry.” Camera operators. Screenwriters. The guy who occasionally walks the dog of that sound operator on late-night TV. It comes with the territory, and it isn’t always a bad thing: Dates at industry events can be fun! But there’s also a high chance that work will always come before you in a relationship with one of these folks. So unless you’re okay with long stretches on location or continually being flaked on, you might want to dip your toe into other dating pools.
5. Believe it or not, it is possible to date in LA without blowing half your savings in one night
City dating never comes cheap, and LA is no exception. Budgeting is tough when there are so many awesome bars and restaurants at your doorstep and you want to make a great first impression. But have you considered the alternatives? Going for a hike, to the park, to the beach… The opportunities really are endless in this beautiful part of the world. And if someone suggests such a date to you, don’t write them off as a cheapskate: Maybe they’re just one step ahead of you when it comes to budgeting… (And besides, if there’s thought behind the date idea and it goes swimmingly, what difference does it make?)
6. Don’t hate on couples. If you want a relationship, aspire to emulate them.
Everyone is in a relationship. Or that’s how it feels, at least: like a city divided. Into the single and the coupled. The lucky-in-love and the disastrous-in-love… But as we’ll see in a moment, there are tons of ways to meet people if you just put the effort in. So try to withstand the pull of envy, and instead look at your loved-up friends and think, ‘Yeah. That could be me if I sort my priorities out.’ It is possible to meet someone, because…
7. Meeting people gets easier if you have the motivation
Volunteer. Take up a hobby. Join a Meetup, a sports team, a gym. Hang around in the corner of your local health food co-op. (Okay, maybe not that last one.) Save the meet cutes for the movies: When it comes to dating in LA, make your own luck. Take along a fellow single, or do this thing solo and fling yourself in at the deep end. There are literally thousands of hot singles all around you—and what’s more, lots are looking for the same thing as you. Maybe they’re even looking for someone exactly like you.
8. Matchmaking can revolutionize your love life
Dating in LA can be an unenviable endeavor—no one’s denying that. Even when you do have some precious time to allocate to dating, it can be hard knowing where to start. One solution is matchmaking. Just picture it: A bona fide professional in the field of love, dedicated to finding you The One: someone who doesn’t just match your criteria physically but, more importantly, someone whose values and outlook on life genuinely align with yours, too.
Sure, you could bump into that very person as you both reach for the last artichoke at the farmers’ market—but while you may live in Hollywood, your life isn’t Hollywood. And that’s okay—that’s good. Because the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can get on with real life—and real love.
Maclynn is a boutique, multi-award-winning introductions agency with offices in New York, New Jersey, California, and London. We’re world-renowned for bringing together highly compatible singles within our vast network of attractive, intelligent professionals, and our matchmakers are relationship experts in their own right. Get in touch today!
