How's the dating scene for a mid-30's guy? (Jacksonville: salary, live in)

[mavenmer]

I live in a smaller town in NW Florida and I am thinking of relocating to a larger city. There's just not a lot of fish in the sea here that are single without kids. Plus, I am getting tired of the area and would like to be in a larger city.

Feel free to share your experiences, tips, etc

[kyle19125]

You might do better in Tampa given it's larger population wise, and where it also has seemingly less of a singles scene geared toward twenty-somethings in my opinion.

[mavenmer]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

You might do better in Tampa given it's larger population wise, and where it also has seemingly less of a singles scene geared toward twenty-somethings in my opinion.

Good point as i'm looking to settle down.

I was also considering Jax and Tampa as well. Can you elaborate on the 20something scene. Is the nightlife targeted at them? Orlando, in general, a 20something crowd versus the late 20's to mid 30's?

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by mavenmer

Good point as i'm looking to settle down.

I was also considering Jax and Tampa as well. Can you elaborate on the 20something scene. Is the nightlife targeted at them? Orlando, in general, a 20something crowd versus the late 20's to mid 30's?

I would say yes and mostly. While being "within" at the top of the age range I would worry about fitting in if you're outside the norm of the typical 25-30 year old. Furthermore most in that age group who are out and about at bars aren't usually in the settling down stage. Some might recommend MeetUp groups but they're not always the answer either and can take the settling down aspect a bit too far to the other end. I would recommend investigating Jacksonville and Tampa as I feel they could be better fits, being maybe more well-rounded toward your age and life stage.

[mavenmer]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I would say yes and mostly. While being "within" at the top of the age range I would worry about fitting in if you're outside the norm of the typical 25-30 year old. Furthermore most in that age group who are out and about at bars aren't usually in the settling down stage. Some might recommend MeetUp groups but they're not always the answer either and can take the settling down aspect a bit too far to the other end. I would recommend investigating Jacksonville and Tampa as I feel they could be better fits, being maybe more well-rounded toward your age and life stage.

Thank you! This is type of information I seek

[mavenmer]

Originally Posted by RecoverOurCountry

Lived in Tampa for 30 years. I thought the bar scene kinda sucked. Sure, pretty girls, but all seemed to be gold diggers.

My suggestion, consider what you love to do, and find a place to do it.

Do you love time on the water, move near the Gulf or Atlantic. Love a sport, move to a locale that features that sport.

Tampa is pretty good for tennis.

To quote an old cliche, it's about quality, not quantity.

Excellent points. Will consider this. While true it's about quality, not quantity. There's just not much here in the panhandle and my location. Plus I'd like to leave the area as i'm getting tired of it.

[bmw335xi]

Orlando has an easy dating scene if you are a desirable person. Guys have it better in Orlando than girls dating wise.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Orlando has an easy dating scene if you are a desirable person. Guys have it better in Orlando than girls dating wise.

I disagree as that's a rather blanket statement for what amounts to a rather complex thing. Beyond gender there's age, personal interests, educational attainment, economics (salary) and personal life stage among other factors. It's not "easy" and Orlando isn't anymore better equipped than any other city when addressing them as a whole. As far as average age of singles and life stage in terms of "looking to settle down", in my opinion Orlando lags in those departments versus the OP's criteria.

[bmw335xi]

I’m 30 years old. I have lots of single male friends and girl friends from 20-32 here in Orlando. There is not a dating problem here nor does a 30 year old guy need to worry about dating girls without children. As long as he has a good personality and not fugly, he will have no problem meeting single girls without children. Most girls like dating guys older than them anyways here.

[logybogy]

You also could benefit from a candid self-assesment for why you are in the state you are in. Perhaps location may be a factor but attractiveness, personality, and wealth play major roles in meeting women. The outgoing guy that goes to the gym and stays in shape and makea good money shouldn't have any problems dating anywhere.

There's a lot to be said by being a strong alpha male type. It compensates for many deficiencies. Introverted types can suffer.

Have you tried online dating? I've had friends get married from okcupid for example.