Ladies, you will LOVE this Personal Essay on Relationships from the New Yorker.

Now onto the gentlemen. You might not find your dream woman at a baseball game, a poker match, or at a UFC fight. You might not meet her fishing, going to swap meets, or attending a gamer convention.

She might not have anything in common with you. Listen to Paul Newman, talking about his marriage to Joanne Woodworth. They were married until he passed away at age 83.

And yet, when asked why he never was unfaithful to Joanne, he said:

“Why fool around with hamburger when you have steak at home?”

They met on a set of a movie. That’s not likely to happen to the majority of those reading this… So gentlemen, where can you find a good girl? Let’s go find you some “steak!”

You’re probably soooo over the bar scene, as you know it’s an exception to the rule if you leave there with a quality woman. So gentleman, where do you find a good woman?

Here are great places to meet quality women:

1. At Church

Did you see that one coming? Probably. But there’s more. You have to know what you’re looking for when you go to church. You’re looking for that woman, not necessarily the one involved in everything, or the one who notices you (lots of marriage hungry women roam the cathedral halls)… You’re looking for that woman with sincerity in her eyes, who makes conversation with the elderly woman in the back, who’s quick to give the children hugs on the way to potluck. She’s the one who smiles a lot, the one you can tell is happy and content. She’s not busy trying to please everyone, trying to wear too many hats, but she’s happy to help when there’s a need. I find that for the most part, church girls have less of a problem looking to a man as the leader of the home and because they answer to a higher power and have a spiritual connection, they’re probably making it an aim to live less selfishly.

2. Volunteering

That’s not a place, you say? Yes, but this is me trying to encourage you to volunteer with the hopes that you will enjoy the experience of serving others and possibly meet a woman who loves to serve. Marriage and relationships is all about serving another person, so to find a woman who already does that on her own, most likely you will find a great gal.

Where do women like to volunteer? Here are some places:

• Homeless shelters
• Hospitals
• Soup Kitchens
• Animal shelters and adoption fairs
• Nursing homes
• Boys and Girls Clubs
• Habitat for Humanity

3. The Library

There’s something to be said about a woman who spends her free time reading. She’s more open-minded than your average woman, and she has an inquisitive nature. She’s the kind of woman who wants to learn, grow, or improve herself. She’ll definitely be a great conversationalist, even if at first she’s introverted. Once you get past that shell, you’re probably going to be in for a treat.

4. The Hospital

Oh my, this place is a goldmine for great women. Why? People in medicine, especially nurses, LVN’s and CNA’s, these are women in the helping professions. Intuitively these women care for people and have chosen a field where they can daily serve people. This is a tough one in terms of trying to meet a woman here if you don’t have connections. But, if in the uncanny event that you’re ever in for treatment or because you’re in an accident, keep your eyes peeled! Or, ask your buddies if they know any nurse friends:)

5. Professional Lectures and Workshops

You know those flyers for seemingly boring lectures colleges and universities have posted all around campuses? If you’re a creative guy, this might be a great place for you to meet your beautiful opposite. The sexy, intellectually curious chick might just be your type. She might just be the one to bounce ideas with, the one whose opinion you’ll trust when it comes to important decisions.

6. Theaters, Dance halls, Theater and Art Workshops, Poetry Readings, Creative Writing Classes

Now if you’re more the analytical, numbers and logic type, you might want to start frequenting your local theater, Art Community Center, or start taking workshops. These are where the creative people hang out. Whether it be a class on painting, sketching, writing, etc… the more interactive the venue, the easier it will be for you to start up a conversation. MUCH less daunting than approaching a stranger at a quiet art gallery. If she was in the theater production, you can talk to her afterwards and tell her you loved her performance. Same with if she was in a dance production or poetry reading. If you are in a theater or art workshop or a creative writing class, you can talk about each other’s work. This is a great avenue for you to meet women who are your compatible opposite.

7. Girl’s Car Washes and Bake Sales

Maybe you’re wondering why this? Those girls are not even legal! Ha! Calm down gentlemen, I’m talking about the women who have to supervise these girls. These are sponsors, elementary and high school teachers, dance instructors, cheerleading coaches. Teachers are great catches… but it would seem really weird and creepy if you started roaming the halls of elementary schools and high schools. This is the PERFECT time to meet some teachers. While you’re getting your car washed, you have a good 10 to 20 minutes to chat up the cute teachers. Plus you’re going to leave a good tip, and maybe ask for a number? Since they’re trying to sell their services, they are going to be extra willing to talk and be cordial. This is the time to put your game face on and be charming and brave. What if she says no? You’ll never see her again. What if you don’t make your move? You’ll be missing out on dating some fit dancers and some very patient and lovely teachers who you know will make wonderful mothers.

8. Anywhere People Protest

Those picketers, whether they are anti-war protesters or union strikers or protesters for any other cause, they are passionate about something. That’s more than you can say for most people. They are passionate enough to fight for something, to spend their free time to make a statement. One thing’s for sure: you want a woman who is passionate about something. Just as long as you don’t strongly disagree with what she’s protesting, this is a great place to meet women. You can always find time to strike up a conversation while they’re holding a sign right? I mean, she’s not going anywhere!

9. Marathons, Walk-a-thons, Bike-a-thons or any Event Where Proceeds will Benefit a Charity

It’s back to the do-gooder. Maybe she’s running because her mom was a breast cancer survivor. Maybe she is a breast cancer survivor. From this you can gather, she cares about family, she has a different perspective on life. She probably doesn’t sweat the small stuff as much as your average woman. She has a profound respect for her health and the time she has left on earth. She probably doesn’t take things for granted as much now. These are people who have learned contentment and gratitude having weathered the storms of life.

10. Your best friend’s backyard BBQ

This is BY FAR the best place to meet a good girl. Why? because there’s a reason why she’s friends with your best friend. In the end, there’s tons of good girls, but only some are your kind of good girl. And you both having that personal connection with your buddy makes it that much easier to connect, to have chemistry. So many love story meetings are that typical, “Oh, she was a friend of a friend’s,” or “Oh, he was my friend’s cousin.” So even though it doesn’t make for the most spectacular beginning, many times it leads to the most spectacular feeling of butterflies in your stomach. And when you get that, I mean, who cares how you met them?

Dating Advice From A Girl