The World’s 10 Best Cities For Dating In 2015

Think about your last date for a moment. Does it bring a smile to your face? Or does it make you shudder and cringe? Sadly for a lot of people, the latter will be true. Dating is an uncomfortable part of life. While you may dream of romance, love at first sight, and instant connections, more often than not you’re left with awkward conversations, where your interlocutor talks for too long about themselves or has nothing to say at all.
TimeOut.com recently conducted a poll that focused on dating, finding that only about 40% of first dates end in a second date. Those aren’t great odds. The poll further discovered that 28% end in disappointment and 21% end in awkward goodbyes.
Chances of finding true love in a lasting relationship after a first date are just 12%. So, yes, there are obviously difficulties associated with meeting “the one,” but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
How to increase your odds of going home happy after that first date? Well, some places are better for this sort of thing than others – and part of that same TimeOut survey also helpfully lets you know where. If you happen to live in any of these following ten cities, your odds of finding true love are a little better than in any other city. This could be the perfect excuse for a relocation!

10. Tokyo

With a score of 49 out of 100, Tokyo comes in at the bottom of the top 10 in terms of the best cities for dating. But hey, at least it made the list.
For westerners, dating in Japan is pretty different than what you’re used to. For instance, if you’re a westerner dating a local, it would be wise to know that for many, physical intimacy on the first date is a big no-no. Even touching your date is a slow process, one you build up to over a series of dates. Of course, this isn’t true for everyone, but it’s the generally accepted way.
One traditional Japanese way of dating is through what’s known as gokon, or group blind dating. While most group dates in the United States would be organized by friends, gokon are often planned with complete strangers. It gives people a chance to meet new prospects. But if you’re looking for a one-night stand or a short fling, a gokon isn’t for you. It usually takes about 5-6 gokon before you actually start dating, giving friendship a chance to form before it gets serious.

9. Los Angeles

Scoring slightly higher than Tokyo, this that couldn’t be more different when it comes to dating styles. L.A folk rate themselves highest when it comes to how they personally stack up on a date. The average score from around the world is 7.3 out of 10, but Angelinos rate themselves an 8 out of 10 on the dating scale.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that women in L.A are interested in men that work in the film and entertainment industry, while men prefer women working in the fashion industry. Both sectors are hot in Los Angeles, and if you’re single and happen to work in either of those fields, you should have a lot less trouble finding a potential suitor.
At least according to the polls, that is. And as with many – or most – dates, you may want to avoid talking politics too soon. L.A rates bad politics as one of their biggest deal breakers when it comes to dating somebody new. Though, that was tied for the worst with a bad resemblance to their profile picture.

8. Sydney

We already know that Australians have one heck of an accent, and who wouldn’t want to date a sexy Aussie? And considering Sydney is tied with L.A with a score of 50 out of 100 in terms of satisfaction when it comes to dating, it seems Aussies are relatively happy when it comes to finding dates. Despite a great dating pool, Sydney has the highest percentage of folks who are proud to be single.
One other notable response on the survey was that residents in Sydney (along with Paris and London) described their cities as most like a coral reef – full of exotic prospects, but “patrolled by the odd Hammerhead shark.” Interesting, but at least the sharks in Australia come sporting a sexy accent. Almost makes it worth it, right?

7. New York

While all the other cities on this list claimed that they often met their dates through friends, 47% of New Yorkers use technology for their dating endeavors, thanks to the accessibility of apps like Tinder and sites like OkCupid, for their hook-ups.
NYC daters are the saddest singletons, despite an overall dating rating of 52 out of 100. 45% of those who surveyed described themselves as “sadly single”.
Of course, this may be because of the gender imbalance within the city. Men were more satisfied with the dating scene the city offered, describing it as a “fertile orchard, brimming with opportunity.”
Women, on the other hand, described dating in the city as a “war zone.” Yikes. Though NYC, along with Hong Kong, also topped the list as city most likened to a Roman Orgy – whatever that’s supposed to mean. Do we even want to know?

6. London

London, like Sydney, has one advantage the rest of the world does not – the British accent is considered the sexiest accent in the world. And again, like Sydney, respondents described the dating scene as a coral reef brimming with exotic variety, with the occasional hammerhead shark swimming nearby. Given the history and close cultural ties between the two countries, perhaps it’s not all that surprising.
So what type of partners are people looking for in London? Well, men ranked designers and fashion industry types as their top preference, while woman are interested in dating artists and other creative types above all else.
And what would automatically rule out a second date for Londoners? Bad breath. Well, that’s understandable.

5. Chicago

Chicago scores a 58 out of 100, bringing the Windy City into 5th place on this list. But like New York, Chicago men seem to fare better than the women when it comes to dating, with males saying the city is brimming with opportunity and women comparing it to a warzone.
Chicago women are also the least satisfied with their dates. While the worldwide average for satisfaction is 6.5 out of 10, Chicago women rated their dates the lowest at 5.6. Ouch. But unlike many other cities where creative types were held in high regard, Chicago women are more interested in dating men in the banking and financial sectors.
And what were the major deal breakers in Chicago? For women, it was bad politics and for men it was a poor resemblance to their profile picture – a sign of how much technology plays a role in dating these days.

4. Beijing

Beijing, China comes in slightly ahead of Chicago with a ranking of 59 out of 100. And unlike some cities on this list, things are said to move fast in China. One respondent from Shenzhen, China said the worst part about dating is that marriage is often discussed early on – as early as the third date. Yikes.
Most daters believe you’re free to still date other people at least until the 6th date, and you’re not even an official couple until the 9th one.
One thing that both men and woman can agree on in Beijing is the type of career they’d prefer their mate to have. Bankers and other financial fields are preferred by both men and women. But if you have bad breath and don’t bother with simple oral hygiene, you’re out of luck. Bad breath is the biggest turn off for both men and women in China.

3. Kuala Lumpur

Most of the cities already mentioned are within a very close range as far as results go, But Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia blows many of the others out of the water. Coming in at number 3, respondents give their city’s dating scene a ranking of 74 out of 100 – a huge jump up from Beijing.
Men here are generally into working women, with most of them asserting they’d want to date a female working in the banking and financial sector. Women, however, don’t have a specific career type that interests them.

2. Melbourne

If you’re living in Australia and looking for love, Melbourne is the place for you. It blows away most of the competition, including Sydney, with a ranking of 81 out of 100.
Melbourne is also the sixth most expensive city in the world to live in, and the world’s most livable city – factors which may play a role in why dating is so great here. People work hard, they’re largely successful and wealthy, and they have plenty of activity choices for fun and romance within the city limits. Melbourne also has their fair share of young, well-dressed and well-off prospects, giving plenty of opportunity to find “the one” – or at least someone to have fun with for a night or two.

1. Paris

Are you at all surprised that Paris is number one on the list? This city just screams romance. It would be hard to imagine visiting this beautiful city and not having some romantic adventure of some kind. Considering that French is still considered one of the sexiest accents in the world, many people travel to this city looking for love. And judging by the results of the survey, they have a good chance of finding it.
Paris has a ranking of 83 out of 100 on the dating scale. Respondents concluded that Paris, along with London and Sydney, have an incredibly exotic dating variety. And while most of the other cities give credit to online dating for securing them dates, Parisians revealed that going out and partying is still the most popular method for meeting romantic prospects.
Another predictable fact; men and women from Paris prefer to date artists and other creative types over any other profession.