A Single's Guide To Dating In Seattle

Seattlites: the nicest people you will never get to know. That’s right—we’re talking the Seattle Freeze and dating in the Emerald City. With the city’s weather showcasing the sun for approximately one third of the year only, its citizens aren’t terribly motivated to leave their houses, not to mention meet other people. Seattleites are reserved and passive; add the presence of Microsoft and Amazon into the mix and you get a city full of people who aren’t very practiced in socializing. What to do? Here’s a single’s guide to dating in Seattle.

Statistics

For a city that not only finds numbers interesting but potentially even romantic, here are the dating digits to know. Despite the environment, culture, and industry arguably working against singles, Seattle has been ranked the 3rd best city for singles out of the nation’s 150 most populated cities. Not only is Seattle’s population 58.42% single (relative to the country’s 49.42%), with the fifth highest LGBT percentage in 2015, it is the fifth fastest growing large city in the country. So if you haven’t found who you’re looking for yet, your options are good and growing.

Technology

Seattle is famous for its technology, so of course Seattleites use it in their dating. The most popular dating apps in Seattle are the ones that most people have heard of: Tinder, Bumble, and OKCupid. The more uncommon ones? Coffee Meets Bagel (#LandOfCoffee), MapleMatch (because apparently Seattle has some love for Canadians), and—new this year—The League. Otherwise, Meetup is a great space for singles as well. Events are categorized by age group, neighborhood, and interests!

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Bars

Two bars well-known to the singles scene are Shorty’s and Lava Lounge, both located in Belltown. Other than that, each neighborhood has its own nightlife vibe. There are clubs for those who plan to dance their way into someone’s heart; those who are LGBTQ-inclined will find most like-minded individuals on Capitol Hill. Check out Pony and The Wildrose Bar for gay and lesbian bars, respectively.

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Words of Advice

Keep the following in mind while dating in Seattle.

A large portion of the population is involved in some sort of technology, so expect that to come up in conversation. You don’t need to know how to code to find love, but being a good listener and showing effort, even when it gets technical, won’t hurt.

The combination of coffee and rain in Seattle makes coffee shops almost as perfect a place to pick people up as bars.

The rise of hipsters and nerd-chic also make books incredibly popular. Peruse a bookstore and keep your eyes peeled for your next beau or babe!

Best of luck finding your Tom Hanks or Meg Ryan!