[VanillaCokeGoonLord]

I'm a 26 year old single white man who has spent his entire life in the Seattle, WA metro area (Tacoma). I've grown weary of the area and all of its problems (CoL, constant drizzly weather, insane traffic, political smugness of the people, and the ever-present threat of 'The Big One').

I have several family members in TC and I have visited many times in my life, and I absolutely love the natural beauty, slower pace of life, and kindness of the people. I was recently offered a job in TC and I'm 90% sure I will be packing up my few belongings and driving out there to stay.

I obviously have a few concerns, however. I've been thoroughly warned about the brutal winters, so I'm expecting the worst in that regard. But I'm more curious about the social aspect of the city. I am NOT necessarily a SUPER extraverted and social guy, but I do enjoy making friends and trying to meet women. What is the dating scene/experience like out there? Is it super scarce? Is it relatively easy? I'm expecting it to be a little harder, coming from a large metro area like Seattle -- but I would like to know how much of a challenge I can expect.

Sorry if this sounds dumb, but any answers would be appreciated

[jdhpa]

TC has about 15k people, and the entire micropolitan area has about 140k. The size of the pool is tiny compared to what you're used to. Maybe Detroit or Grand Rapids would be a better fit until you're settled in dating wise.

Good luck!

[DTWflyer]

Its going to all depend what you are looking for...if you expect TC to be anything like Seattle in terms of the culture, entertainment, dining, and shear number of upwardly mobile young professionals you are going to be in for a big, big, big disappointment.

If you are looking for a place that like you said is much smaller, much less global/worldly/transient, and embrace all that Northern Michigan has to offer then you will enjoy it.

TC has a small, but vibrant local arts/culture/dining/entertainment scene but nothing like Seattle. It holds its own.
There are relatively few "young professionals" in there 20s/30s. The region suffers from a lot of "brain drain" due to lack of high paying jobs in the region, but many yearn to return to the region to settle down later on. The vast number of 20/30 somethings are either small business entrepreneurs or work in service-industry type jobs that are geared toward the regions tourism/vacation-home businesses.

I'd say from a dating perspective its going to depend on what you are looking for....

[VanillaCokeGoonLord]

I suppose I'm just curious about the size of the "dating pool". Obviously it's going to be much smaller than Seattle, but is it a struggle for most guys in TC? Is it an isolating place? I'll probably be fine, and I'm probably just overthinking like a dummy.

[tuebor]

The number of permanent residents is small, so there will be fewer eligible women to choose from, but by the same token, you'll have less competition, and if you're the kind of worker who gets recruited all the way from Seattle, you may be ahead of the pack in some ways.

Apart from the permanent residents, there are also many tourists and part-year residents who may be interested in a summer fling that might turn into something more, and of course, there is online dating. TC is a very desirable location, and I'd bet there are many women outside the immediate TC area who would be willing to travel there to meet you and eventually move there if something serious develops.

There are also a couple of big summer music festivals in the area, such as Blissfest, which I imagine would be a good place for a young guy to meet women.

The winters are real, but it looks like they'll be getting a bit milder from now on, while conditions worsen in the South and West. Climate change etc.

If the job looks good, I'd say go for it!