(click map to enlarge)
Just a month or two ago, a friend and I — both of us relative Memphis noobs; she’s been here about a year and I’m coming up on two and a half years — were having lunch and the conversation inevitably turned (okay, I steered it there) to how to meet dateable people in this city. We kicked around the obvious places — bars, music shows, school, etc. — and then pondered the online dating scene in the Mid-South and if it’s even worth diving into. She moved here from San Francisco, where dating via Craigslist is somewhat popular, but as Memphis isn’t quite the tech-y city that San Francisco is, I can’t imagine that online dating would be nearly as rewarding.
Now that I’ve seen this map (which many people are comparing to a high-school dance, with boys on one side of the room and girls on the other), though, it looks like an uphill battle for straight women in this city no matter what the strategy. Memphis seems to have upwards of 20,000 more single women than men. That helps explain why a lot of guys I know date a lot more women than you’d think (I’m kidding … sort of). It’s sheer demographic hooey.
So, how to overcome such numeric inequality? How do you meet people in Memphis? And am I wrong about writing off online dating? Or should I just move to the west coast?
Hat tip: Pharyngula
Responses to “This explains a lot”
June 28th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Oh, it’s bad - but I don’t think the pickings are much better online. Studies show that black women are the most unmarried group, but I hold out hope that my Prince Charming is still out there. Where, I have no clue, but he’s there.
As for where to do - I dunno. If I did, I would be there now instead of online typing this.
June 29th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Well, the map looks correct to me!
There are almost NO single men here in this city, but plenty of single women. I guess if what Wendi is saying is true, I’m GLAD I’m not a black woman in this city or it would be worse than it is already!
Met my newest SO online, not through a “match.com” or “eHarmony” but on a discussion board that revolves around one of my hobbies. He’s from Phoenix (see map–lots of single men there) and is moving here. He’s never been married, well-educated, financially stable and has no kids with other women that he has to support. yea!! It’s ON!!!
If there’s a good way to meet great single guys in this city, nobody has told me how. I noticed back around Valentine’s day (when I got dumped) that cities like ATL have SINGLES parties. Theirs is called the “Bitter Ball”. Why are we not doing this type of thing here?
June 29th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
I don’t know who Paul is directing his question toward, but if we are looking for men, chances are better than fair that we’re hetero, so I guess dating any women would probably be out. But that’s just a guess.
September 7th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Church is sooooo out!! Some of the biggest jerks and freaks breed in churches…espoecially in Memphis! Church USED to be THE place to meet dateable, single men and women, but that has changed sooo much. Most of the single women in churches now are after the pastor anyway! The single men in church are just like the ones on the outside…..since they have a ‘plethora’ of women to choose from they feel that they should try out each and every one of them.
The doors of the church are now CLOSED and nailed shut!!
June 28th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
You might try going to church.