The NYC Gay Scene: Whether you’re a native New Yorker or not, one distinguishing characteristic of NYC dating is that the city can sometimes seem a little superficial. This mindset seeps into its dating scenes, gay and straight alike. New York City is the most expensive city in the country, and home to many image-centric industries. This can sometimes lead to a disproportionate focus on appearance and wealth – quite the opposite, in many senses, to the principles truly required in a successful, meaningful long-term relationship, such as humility, trust and compromise. Furthermore, the fact that there are millions of people crammed onto the island creates a sense of expendability here: if that first date doesn’t work out, some guys just move on to the next.

But hey – it’s far from all doom and gloom – seriously. New York City has a buzzing, vibrant LGBT community. New York State was among the first to legalize gay marriage, and the city attracts highly educated and progressive people, whose presence brings an open-mindedness you’d be hard pressed to match anywhere else in the country – and even beyond. And, whilst hook-ups might not be what you’re looking for, it’s nevertheless refreshing to live somewhere in which casual sexual rendezvous are entirely accepted. Some people share the opinion that one-night stands and short-term relationships are both character-forming and a rite of passage to maturity and understanding what you really want out of life.

And how about NYC’s world-renowned Pride scene? Considering the city is where the modern gay rights movement came into existence, after the raid on the Stonewall Inn gay bar in 1969, its Pride celebrations are perhaps the most bombastic of them all! Tens of thousands flock to the city every year to celebrate liberty and freedom. New York has an incredibly positive affiliation with its LGBTQ community, with the event celebrated to the absolute max. This year’s theme was ‘Defiantly Different’, and that truly sums up life as a New Yorker. Thousands of people joined the march itself on June 24th, marching towards the Stonewall Inn to pay tribute to the significance of the location. The celebrations were underpinned by some truly phenomenal musical performances. Kylie Minogue was, unsurprisingly, exceptional, performing to sell-out crowds on June 23rd, and Tove Lo gave a sensational performance the following day.

What do you really want out of life? If you yearn for a long-term, loving relationship and are having difficulty finding that special gentleman, maybe you’re looking in the wrong places. Hooking up can be fun, but it’s unlikely to satisfy you on a deeper, emotional, spiritual level. Consider spending time investing in yourself – after all, people are attracted to attractive people. Feel you could lose a pound or two? Join a gym. Reckon you come across as irritable or edgy? Learn how to meditate. Think you’re slipping into a materialistic outlook? Volunteer at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen and get some perspective back in your life. Pursue your interests beyond the workplace; meet likeminded gentlemen who are genuinely passionate about what they do, with whom you share common ground. NYC’s LGBT Community Center has plenty of ideas for getting out and involved with purposeful, worthwhile organizations. There are also some popular gay dating apps; in addition to Grindr, which focuses more on hook-ups and short-term relationships, there is Chappy, a gay dating app primarily centered around gentlemen finding true love. However, as with all dating apps, it can be a very time consuming and laborious process to finding your prince amongst arguably many frogs. Do not despair, this is an alternative! Hiring a professional matchmaking agency not only removes this step from your every-day busy life, but significantly improves the chances of finding your true love – here at Maclynn, we boast an 85% success rate.

 

If you’re a gay man and looking for love, why not get in touch and let us weave our matchmaking magic? At Maclynn (formerly Vida), we boast an exclusive network of some of the world’s most exceptional gay men, from both NYC and beyond, all of them just waiting to meet that someone special. Give us a call today – find the man of your dreams tomorrow.