Dating in New Orleans... (Scott, Atlanta: living, move, beaches)

[Melissa78703]

Originally Posted by lmcintyre1s

Here's a recent article...Best Cities for Singles

America's Best Cities for Singles

Austin (where I live) always tops those lists. As a girl friend of mine said, "Austin is the best place for singles because people want to stay single." And it's pretty much the truth. Austin is a very young town--ginormous university with several slightly smaller flanker universities. Most people here are single because the unmarried population is still in their early 20s.

[NOLAJim]

Originally Posted by batgirl52

Can you send me #s I'll have to check out your hangout tips!

Oh boy. I dropped the ball on this one I guess. Regrettably, the professional technical field we were all employed in was space exploration, and with the recent re-financing work by the government, the Michoud plant is seeing some rough times, and many were being laid off.

Unfortunately, even without being laid off, those of us who have the capacity to do so have started to flee elsewhere in the country for work. Which means the single, moderate-income, child-free bachelors and bachelorettes .

I relocated myself to Philadelphia in June, and I believe only two of the 5-6 guys I hung out with are still in NOLA as of now (or at least still there and gainfully employed). The crazy thing is, there are singles everywhere here in Philly. I've been here a month and have already met more eligible bachelorettes (and cute, child-free ones at that!) than I can remember meeting in a year in NOLA. So perhaps it is rougher there.

Still, I think any given young adult's best chance at a first-meeting will be to get whatever group of friends you can muster to back you up at an Abita bar crawl. I also still recommend checking out the roller derby scene, if you've got a saturday night free, as the crowd there is as diverse as any social activity I've encountered, and while I never did find myself a girl through it, their after-parties (open-invite) are usually a lot of fun. The one bachelor I know left in town Refs for them, and we got into it by just walking up to a group of skaters and asking to buy them a drink for their recent victory. We were friends instantly!

[dailysounds]

Originally Posted by Melissa78703

Brad, there's also the single woman's POV--in my case, the POV of a divorced woman without children who had the prescience of mind to get out of a bad marriage rather than trying to jerryrig it back together with a small, helpless human (with the same inevitable outcome). Apparently, my dating pool is now fairly restricted to the male counterparts of the women you just described in your post. Read: Men kvetching about spousal and child support who are forever hampered by their own ongoing obligations. No, most of these men are not primary conservators, but the song is very similar. If I were to get involved or marry any of these men, I would, like some women in my family, end up playing a distant third, fourth or fifth chair to the first wife and children who came before me. Oh, glee.

Gotta love the divorced guys who admit that there were problems in the marriage before the first child was born, but went for it anyway. Then went on to have a second and a third with the same woman. If someone can please explain how that's supposed to work, I'd love to hear the logic.

I'm not a financial opportunist; I support myself quite well and always have. I worked my a&& off at university (started at Loyola, BTW) with the intent to always be a joint contributor. But the thought that my lifestyle may never reach its full potential because the man I marry is straddled with ongoing debt is rather despiriting. I don't dislike children at all, but I have zero desire to pull weekend soccer mom duty for someone else's pre-made family, and I get the niggling suspicion that a lot of these guys are simply looking for a way to minimize their duties by putting a third caretaker into the picture. Call me unabashedly old-fashioned, but I expect my spouse to treat me as a first priority in any relationship or marriage, regardless.

As my mom would probably say, "Good luck with that."

I know several people, both men and women, who tried to save their marriages with babies. None of them succeeded, and are now divorced with kids.

I've not been married, but I applaud your instinct to get out before there were additional circumstances that would lead you to always be connected to the ex. Don't let anybody tell you that you have to settle for a man that already has children of his own. I've had people telling me that I need to stop excluding women with kids from my search because I have no choice at 35. I have a choice and so do you. It just might be more difficult.

[dal2aus]

Melissa78703: As a girl friend of mine said, "Austin is the best place for singles because people want to stay single."

Man, I miss Austin. I used to say that all the time about Austin. Ironically, I met my husband there and moved to Mississippi the same year we got married 2 years ago. It's probably why we're still happily married...fewer "distractions". We're now getting ready to move to New Orleans. This is an interesting thread, even for married people. A vibrant singles scene makes for a fun city, even when you're not single.

[Melissa78703]

Originally Posted by dal2aus

Man, I miss Austin. I used to say that all the time about Austin. Ironically, I met my husband there and moved to Mississippi the same year we got married 2 years ago. It's probably why we're still happily married...fewer "distractions". We're now getting ready to move to New Orleans. This is an interesting thread, even for married people. A vibrant singles scene makes for a fun city, even when you're not single.

I miss New Orleans sometimes, too. (Sadly, that out-of-state tuition ate too deeply into my college fund and I finished at U.T.-Austin.) But, it's still very much a place to be and remain single. None of the men who want to seriously date me live in Austin--they actually live out of state.

[allcladrad]

BradfromNO,
Thanks for the tip, I will give that a look. Any ideas about a wine tasting set?

[cabanagrl24]

This thread needs to continue! I am a transplant and find the exact same problem. Lack of single, educated men in NOLA. Let the secret out! Where are you guys hiding.

[UKWildcat1981]

Austin TX I agree if the best place in the world to be single.. wow the women are insanely gorgeous and super friendly..that place is amazing.. Nashville, TN is great as well. New Orleans is probably the best town to be a drunk..I don't know about dating in New Orleans it has a really amazing bar scene and no closing times.

[norb123]

If you visit New Orleans and spend all of your time on Bourbon St., then I can see how New Orleans would be a great place to be a drunk. Next trip get out and explore the city. I have lived in Atlanta, Miami, and Birmingham. I have also spent a lot of time in Phoenix and San Fran. N.O. is better than all in my opinion.

[norb123]

BTW I,'ve been to Kentucky a couple of times. I think that would be one of the best places to be a drunk.