by Erin Tillman
How The Bar Scene Can Work For A Professional Woman. Bars get a bad name. They are ‘affectionately’ called meat-markets and pick-up joints. Some bars gets lumped into this category unfairly while others have earned these titles. The bad ones have caused some singles to avoid ‘the bar scene’ altogether. I’m not saying that this avoidance is unfounded but it’s more unfortunate than anything else. We all know there are different kinds of bars and different scenes, especially in a big city. Before giving up on bars altogether here are a few bar options that you should consider. Yes, they are still bars, but these bars have a lot more to offer than a drunken encounter.
Happy Hour - Go to a happy hour with a friend or colleague. Happy Hour usually only lasts a few hours and starts in the early evening. If you go
to a bar or restaurant that is in a busy/trendy area, you are sure to find other singles. Of course, this is not foolproof but oftentimes if you choose the appropriate venue you’ll find guys that fit the bar’s theme. For example, if you go to a sports bar you’re likely to find guys that are big into sports. At a wine bar you might find wine connoisseurs who enjoy merlot and good conversation. A martini bar might contain traditional professionals and so on . . .
Speed Dating Events – Oftentimes singles events like Speed Dating are held in bars. These bar events usually draw a more serious professional crowd partly because you have to pay a fee to participate, usually around $30. Speed dating is offered in most major cities and is an organized, efficient, and quick way to meet and interact with several guys in the span of a few hours. You are given what is essentially a scorecard and asked to keep track of the potential candidates. At the end of the night you turn in your selections. The service then determines who liked you and if you liked them too. You are then given each other’s’ contact info.
Hotel Bar – Hotel bars are less likely to be meat-markets than regular bars. There are plenty of professionals milling about and odds are that some of those individuals are going to end up at the bar in that hotel. These bars are usually less crowded because there are other things happening besides just the bar scene. That fact alone makes the scene less hectic than your typical bar.
Industry, Social, and Networking Events – These events are usually aware of the fact that their attendees are busy and have hectic schedules, so they often last a few hours and are held in the early evening. The hope is that you’ll stop by on your way home from work because busy working singles are more likely to attend an event straight from work on a workday rather than late at night. Since these events are not focused on singles or dating specifically it can take some of the pressure off of meeting new people. You are there for the purpose of business connections but you might make a personal connection in the end.Sometimes you just have to force yourself to go out. Nothing is going to happen just sitting at home. All busy workingwomen struggle with this. We all have times when staying in reading a good book or watching our favorite movies feels like the better option. We all need balance. Hard workingwomen especially need to have fun! The longer we avoid being social or meeting new people the easier it is to get comfortable with not doing these things. Get out there girl! THE DATING ADVICE GIRL, Erin Tillman, is a freelance writer and host living in Los Angeles, California. She’s a single girl ‘in the field’ who keeps a positive and realistic attitude in regards to men and dating. Erin has had a variety of relationships with men ranging from friendship to exclusive partnership in both the states and internationally. Erin is the author or the upcoming book The Dating Advice Girl’s Guide to Dating, a how-to guide that helps singles survive the first 6 months of new relationships. Find out more, www.TheDatingAdviceGirl.com
