In 16 years living in the Atlanta area, Michelle Ramler has made an interesting observation. "Atlanta is a very difficult place to make friends," said the marketing director from Chamblee.
In 2007, Ramler took over Girl's Night Out Atlanta, a social group for women on meetup.com. The group has since grown from 236 to more than 2,300 members who attend everything from coffee gatherings to dance parties. While a fun experience is a requisite, the events have evolved into much more.
"We have had people get jobs after getting to know one another from Girl's Night Out and lifelong friendships have formed," Ramler said.
Often defined (at least by UrbanDictionary.com) as a night for women to get dressed up, go to a bar or club, get drunk and maybe engage in a little male bashing, the concept of girl's night out has evolved. The events now involve bringing together diverse groups of women -- often in the 35-and-up age group -- for networking and activities geared more toward self-improvement than overindulgence.
"Now women really would like to have more than just a casual girl's night out with women they know," Ramler said. "They want to be able to extend their social network."
The opportunities have continued to crop up locally. Ladies Night Out Fitness parties draw women from around the metro area to a night of fitness at local health clubs. Last month, Studio Movie Grill in Alpharetta introduced a Girl's Night Out movie series which features one dollar "chick flicks" for women who want to enjoy a film without the distraction of kids and husbands.
Ramler credits the former HBO series "Sex and the City," with bringing the idea of girl's night out to a more sophisticated crowd. The show, which featured four thirty-something or older girlfriends regularly gathering at hot spots around New York City, gave a lot of women in the same age group something to identify with, Ramler said.
The average age of Girl's Night Out Atlanta members is between 37 and 40, she said. About 65 percent of the members are single or divorced, many are moms and some have grandkids.
Ramler said the group has continued to grow over the years thanks to one very important principle.
"It is very difficult to walk into a room of people you don't know," she said. "We consciously go after the women standing in the corner alone and pull them into the group. My line is ‘Baby doesn't stand in the corner at a Girl's Night Out meetup.'"
Lynne McQuaker, director of alternate programming, public relations and outreach for Dallas-based Studio Movie Grill, said the timing seemed right to create a girl's only night at the theater. Last month the organization launched the concept at all eight locations including Alpharetta.
"I don’t know if it is the marketing or if people are looking for a place to gather," McQuaker said. "We did it in all our cities and the turnout was amazing."
Tracie Nolde, 39, of Alpharetta attended the first girl's night at SMG. While her standard girl's night out events with a core group of friends include dinners at local restaurants, birthday celebrations or occasional trips intown to hear music, the movie night offered a different opportunity.
At the January showing of "Bridesmaids", Nolde was able to meet up with her close girlfriends as well as other women from the area that she doesn't know as well.
"It is a chance for people from different worlds to mix," Nolde said.
Women also appreciate that the event is held on a Wednesday night, which could be considered a tame day of the week by traditional girl's night out standards, but is an enticement to Robin Martin, 43, of Roswell.
"Wednesday is a good night for a girl's night. We are all moms," said Martin, mother of two. "I'm not trying to get smashed in a bar. We can enjoy girly movies and we don't have to be looking around wondering, ‘where are the kids?'"
Tracy Dixon, 35, a holistic health coach in North Buckhead, recently launched the Ladies Night Out Fitness Party as a way to celebrate her clients and market her business. She quickly realized that the event served another purpose.
In addition to playing health trivia games, noshing on healthy hors d'ouevres and getting a full hourlong workout that may include everything from yoga to Zumba, the 20 to 30 women who attend the quarterly events also get a big dose of girl power.
"It is a very supportive environment where everybody is helping each other out," Dixon said. "You may come with a couple of girlfriends, but I guarantee you are going to leave with a few new friends."
Looking for a fun night out with the girls?
Girl's Night Out Atlanta
Event times, locations and fees vary. Visit http://www.meetup.com/girls-night-out-atlanta/
Ladies Night Out Fitness Party
Events are quarterly. Times and locations vary. $20. For more information visit: Ladiesnightoutfitnessparty.com or call 404-590-4101.
Studio Movie Grill Girl's Night Out
7:30 p.m. Second Wednesday of every month through December. $1. 2880 Holcomb Bridge Road, Alpharetta. 770 -992-8411. www.studiomoviegrill.com.
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