10 Great Places to Meet a Man

Best Places to Look

1. Comedy Classes. Acting classes are filled with gorgeous nymphets and men who make great shopping buddies. Your average stand-up class, on the other hand, is a festival of testosterone. True, comedians have a tendency to be emotionally needy and self-centered. But if he makes you laugh, you may be willing to put up with the occasional bout of insecurity. And breaking the ice is easy: A simple "Your routine was hilarious" (preceded, of course, by hearty laughter) should do the trick.

2. Baseball Diamonds. Even if you know nothing about the game, you can still enjoy sitting outside on a summer night with a bag of peanuts and a hot dog. The beer line should be packed with fans; so get behind a cute one and ask him about his favorite team, advises a 39-year-old from Vancouver. Better yet, join a softball league -- you're sure to find a wide array of physically fit boys of summer.

3. Music Clubs. Next Saturday night take a bunch of your girlfriends to a nightclub that hosts local bands. You'll find them right up on stage: clusters of men, pouring their hearts out, trying to impress you. But don't get too seduced by musical talent. Tortured artists are dazzling on stage, but can be a drag in real life. On the other hand, a nice middle manager (during the day) indulging in some innocent rock-star fantasies (by night) could be just the ticket. The big drawback of music clubs, of course, is that the noise level can make it hard to hold a conversation. But if you say, "Hey, fantastic set!" he'll hear you.

4. Business Conferences. If you've been meaning to do some meet-and-greets as a way of boosting your career, here's some added incentive: Business conferences and seminars are filled with smart, ambitious men with whom you can talk shop. "Strike up a conversation around your mutual business interests, then ask 'How did you get to where you are today?' You'll learn about his path of life so far, including education and goals," says Nina Atwood, author of Be Your Own Dating Service: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding and Maintaining Healthy Relationships (Henry Holt, 1996). Just be sure to check his left hand for a ring or tell-tale tan line. "Business events often include a certain number of men who are looking for an extra-marital fling," says Atwood.