How to find love in Cincinnati

November 14, 2009 at 1:26 AM EST - Updated June 20 at 11:49 AM
By Kimberly Holmes – bio | email

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19)  - Finding that one special person is no easy task. According to Forbes Magazine, Cincinnati is one of the worst places to be single. Back in 2004, the financial magazine rated our fair city second to last of the best cities to be single in. But many young professionals say that's not the case today.

When Queen City singles step out on the town, they do it in style. But taking a shot at love can be tough. The hardest part is often starting the conversation. And yes, turns out that sometimes pick-up lines can work.

"A guy tonight, he was like, 'Oh, you're super cute, see you later, bye, and I was like come back." Melanie Pugh said while inside a local bar. "Come back. No, you're cute, we'll talk to you."

But usually pick-up lines don't work.

"If it's do you have wings because you just fell out of heaven?" Brooke Eby said. "I mind that."

And best places for a first date?

Many guys we spoke with told us a movie. But the ladies all disagreed. They suggested  going out for dinner and then doing something unique.

Restaurants with late night happy hours and themed-events like Black Finn are great places to mix and mingle, but you can also find love during the day and it won't cost you a cent or any sleep.

Professional matchmaker Cristin McCarthy said you can also meet a mate during the day.
"[Cincinnati Sports Leagues] has great sports leagues and you can go out and meet new people doing that, and you can also have fun," McCarthy said. "Play flag football, things like that, so it's not like you're just trying to meet people; you're also having fun, too."
McCarthy works for "It's Just Lunch."
"Cincinnati can be a little difficult to meet people sometimes because not everyone works downtown," McCarthy said. "It is a big city. People live in Mason. People live in Kenwood. And it does tend to be a little cliquey sometimes. It's hard to get out of your social circles, and my transplants say, it's hard to break into social circles."
Most of the people we caught up with said they met their last partner at work so young professional organizations are perfect to join.
Karen Michelsen helped create HYPE or "Harnessing Young Professional Energy." It's an umbrella organization that connects dozens of young professional groups.
"We have 60 [young professional groups] which I think just speaks to the fact that we have a strong sense of community for young people in Cincinnati," Michelson said. "Whether it's professional, civic, social, volunteer.. There's something that people can get involved in in Cincinnati."
But bottom line, if you're looking for a plus one, get off the couch, get outside, and start talking.
"[Cincinnati] has a good single scene," Pugh said. "There are a lot of single people in Cincinnati. So I think if you're out there, you've got a good chance."
You never know, love just might come looking for you.
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Hot Spots to Check Out (in no particular order):

Downtown:

Black Finn

NADA

Bootsy

Righteous Room

Tonic

FB's

Lavomatic Cafe

 
 

Mt Lookout/Hyde Park/Oakley:

Tellers Hyde Park

Beluga in Hyde Park

MLT 

The Stand

The Pavilion

aliveOne

 

West Chester:

Jags

 

NKY:

Covington Mainstrauss Village

Newport on Levee

Hofbrahous

 

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