New York’s dating clubs have become an oversaturated dating market, singles say

The summer of singles club boom is winding down as “cuffing” season, when singles seek to hook up for the winter, quickly approaches. NBC News hit the pavement and spoke with more than a dozen participants. Some said they were obsessed with the concept, but others said months of chasing love had yielded little more than a few phone numbers.

“It’s easy to get lost,” said Barbara Cheng, a 29-year-old consultant. “I think it’s best for people who are very, very outgoing.”

Are Running Clubs Worth It?

Since early summer, New York City running clubs like Lunge have become the new playground for lifestyle influencers on TikTok. The West Side Highway, a popular running destination, is now a vast pool for young urban professionals looking for athletic and attractive partners.

“I’m running in running clubs until I find my wife,” one TikToker captioned a video.

Lunge took advantage of the city’s hunger for real-life encounters to create a running group specifically geared toward meeting people. It’s a three-mile run (or a walk of just over a mile) that ends at a West Village bar. Participation is often so large that Lunge has to plan a bar next door.

Running clubs have a long history, and runners have always tended to date each other, a relationship expert said. Groups like the Prospect Park Track Club have been active since the 1970s. The New York Road Runners, organizers of the New York City Marathon, started as a 40-person running club in the 1950s.