'Meet hot, single firemen, score a prize': Newest way women are finding their love matches
'Rescue Me' singles event and others are taking place in New York City and Austin as people leave dating apps behind
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In the year 2024, plenty of people are tired of swiping away in an effort to find a love match.
Amid all the dating app fatigue, some people are going back to basics by getting out of the house and socializing to find a potential life partner.
Single and The City, an events-based company, is helping match people looking for a specific type of person, no matter what type of person that might be.
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The desired might be someone who’s a first responder — a firefighter, police officer or emergency medical technician. Or it might be someone who's fit and active. Single and The City founder Amber Soletti, an Austin native, said there’s something for everyone.
"It was 2008 [and] I was living in New York City working in the beauty industry, where the few men at my work were either gay or married," she told Fox News Digital about her background.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Single and The City founder Amber Soletti said she's seen many people couple up and even get married after meeting at one of her company's events. (iStock)
She added, "I was not meeting the type of singles [that] I was interested in dating and decided I needed to start my own singles company to raise the bar — with the goal of meeting someone through one of my events."
Today, Single and The City hosts events for singles to mingle in New York City and Austin, Texas.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Soletti said Single and The City hosts events based on "dating dealbreakers," such as ones based on physical preferences, common interests or backgrounds.
One of Soletti’s most popular events is called the "Rescue Me" singles party — which is where women "get to mix and mingle with NY’s most eligible first responders."
Some people have a specific type of person they're looking for, said Soletti of Single and The City — and events like the ones her company organizes can be helpful in narrowing down their search. (Bernadeta Serafin)
The events, which typically bring in anywhere from 75 to 250 people, require men to show their agency ID at the check-in to prove they are first responders.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}From there, icebreaker cards are given out to women with first responder trivia questions to allow women to approach different men without feeling nervous or uncomfortable.
"Women also get a red dot at check-in, which is their vote for the hottest first responder that they stick on the guy they think is the hottest," she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Other popular events include Ivy League dating, finance dating, size matters, Fleet Week and Jewish speed dating.
Attendees to the "Rescue Me" dating events receive a trivia card to use as an icebreaker when meeting others. (Single and The City)
Ivy League dating is for those who went to Ivy League schools; size matters is for taller people looking for a taller spouse; and Fleet Week dating is hosted during New York City's annual Fleet Week.
Soletti told Fox News Digital that Single and The City has seen a 67% increase in attendance this year from last — saying it’s largely due to people having app frustration and fatigue.
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"With dating apps and sites, there is a ton of time invested and wasted reading profiles, swiping, corresponding and waiting for a response," she said.
"In-person events are a great way to meet a large number of singles in one evening and to quickly assess if you have chemistry with someone and want to go on a first date."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Single and The City began in New York City; that's where founder Amber Soletti was working in the beauty industry and struggling to find her own love match. (iStock)
Relationships expert Alana Carvalho, known online as The Codependent Perfectionist, told Fox News Digital that social events for dating are a "yes" in her book.
"You can’t go to a few events, not meet anyone you like and say that you are done with singles events [because] they don’t work."
"It’s so difficult to find [a] connection, and dating websites just aren’t cutting it for a lot of singles," she said.
"I often find that my clients feel further disconnected and disenfranchised by online dating," she added, "so I highly encourage any in-person meet-ups."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fleet Week is one of the most popular Single and The City dating events in New York. (Bernadeta Serafin)
Soletti said she recommends that people who are going to singles events keep an open mind and not put too much pressure on one night.
"You can’t go to a few events, not meet anyone you like and say that you are done with singles events [because] they don’t work," she said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Instead, she said, "when you get frustrated, or the prospect of meeting someone seems overwhelming, you just need to remember that different singles come out to each event and that all it takes is one."
Carvalho recommended being "hopeful and optimistic" that you will find "someone you just naturally feel a connection with."
Singles are looking for love in different ways as many are experiencing dating app frustration and fatigue. One relationship expert told Fox News Digital that social events for dating are a "yes" in her book. (iStock/Bernadeta Serafin)
Soletti, 5’10, met her 6’7 husband Juan Cabrera at a "size matters" speed dating event that she threw back in 2012.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Today, the pair have a six-year-old daughter named Nola, who often comes to events and helps with check-in and handing out name tags.
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"I’m happy to say [that] I’m one of my own success stories," said Soletti.
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