Ever feel like you're a single woman who never seems to find the man of your dreams?
Ever feel like you're stuck being the only person without a partner in your life?
Ever feel like you're stuck in a city surrounded by lovers but you yourself are the only one without one?
Fear not, you are not alone.
According to urban studies theorist Richard Florida, who created a map of single populations in cities across the country, "Cities like San Francisco- where the gay population is twice the national average- may pose a serious challenge for single women who are looking for mates, even though the data suggests otherwise." To find out whether the population of gay men and women would skew the numbers as Richard Florida suggests, SF Weekly took a gander at the most recent census numbers. "As of 2008, San Francisco's total population was at 808,976, including 93,820 single men and 83,840 single women aged 20-40. Based on the best reported estimates by the Department of Public Health, there are around 65,000 gay men and about 27,000 lesbians living in San Francisco." In making the assumption that many of them are indeed single, the calculation concluded that 36% of single men in San Francisco are gay and 18% of single women are lesbians. After taking that into account, there are 60,045 single heterosexual men and 68,749 single heterosexual women in the age ranges 20-40. This would conclude that in San Francisco, it is much easier for men to have a variety of partner choices while women are forced to compete harder and make compromises far more frequently in their relationships with men.
Moving forward, I interviewed a friend of mine (she prefers to remain anonymous, but for the article, we'll just call her Daisy) who has been a member of various dating websites such as OkCupid and It's Just Lunch to find dates in San Francisco. Daisy has noticed that in San Francisco, there is a low prioritizing of relationships. "Since people that I happen to meet are so driven and independent, they just don't see the point in being in relationships. They'd rather weigh out as many options as they can." Amy Brinkman, the franchise owner of It's Just Lunch has also stated in an interview that she's also noticed that in San Francisco, men are not very bold in approaching women. "Here, there are all these group get-togethers," she says. "Men prefer to see women a few times before asking them out."
The truth is most people are afraid to approach situations in which they may potentially find themselves vulnerable. All it takes is having the courage to be bold. You only have one life to live, so why not live it without fear or regret?