Singles be warned: Atlanta ranked among worst cities for dating

ajc.com

Single Atlantans, you may want to move to Chicago to find love.

Atlanta is among the worst cities and Chicago is the best city for dating in the United States, according to a report released this week by “The Great Love Debate,” a national tour that brings together single men and women with relationship experts to discuss dating.

Chicago beat out Lexington, Ky., for the top spot on the list, also besting Charlotte, Washington D.C. and Denver. Seattle, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Minneapolis and Portland rounded out the top 10, Howie said.

The worst cities for dating were Philadelphia, Atlanta and Miami.

"The Midwest overall is far more optimistic, hopeful and enthusiastic about all things love, dating, relationships," Brian Howie, producer of "The Great Love Debate," told the Chicago Tribune.

In short, Atlanta residents just aren’t as optimistic, he said.

"The Great Love Debate" tour, which has completed more than 100 shows in 70 cities nationwide, hits Atlanta next month. The event has been to the metro area three times in the past year-and-a-half

This isn't the first time Atlanta has been dubbed a dud for love seekers. Last year, one group said it found the metro area had about 80,000 more single women than single men.

Despite the results of this week’s “The Great Love Debate” report, Howie said he has high hopes for Atlanta, which he said is one of his favorite cities.

The men are here, he said. They’re just not out at social events meeting women.

Women go out in packs, and men don’t necessarily feel confident breaking the pack, said Howie, author of “How to Find Love in 60 Seconds.”

While the onus isn’t totally on women, it is up to them to give a smile or an inviting look to make men feel more comfortable approaching them, he said.

“Atlanta has all the ingredients,” Howie said, “to be the best dating system in the country.”