Everyone knows it’s hard to be single in the city — especially tomorrow. We combed through the profiles of five popular dating sites to find New York’s most sought-after singles. Each of these 8 hotties are among the top percentage of in-demand daters, some of them wading through 100 flirty come-ons a week.
PHOTOS: NYC’S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER SINGLES
We asked them to spill their secrets for creating a seductive online profile and offer their insider tips for getting noticed — and asked out.
KELLY WEIKES, 28, marketing liaison, Midtown East
Dating creds: Top match.com user, based on number of e-mails and winks received
Messaged: 40 times per week
Responds: five times per week
Dates per month: four to eight
Reason her profile is so popular: “I have a decent-looking picture — flirty, not over-the-top. It’s a mix of a happy, smiley picture — one that looks welcoming — and a grabbing headline: ‘I can turn your world upside down, if you let me.’ ”
Worst date she’s been on: “[His] pictures were 10 years outdated. A lot of people portray themselves as something that they’re not.”
What she’s looking for: “I’m very selective. Until Prince Charming comes along, I’m not going to settle.
“I’m a big karaoke girl; for a lot of guys, that’s not in their comfort zone, but as long as they try it a few dates in, I really give them a lot of credit.”
Her New York dating advice: “There’s a lot of serial dating. It’s tough, but if you find someone that you really care about, focus on them, because New York will chew you up and spit you out. I think smiling is the answer to everything.”
MAXWELL MORRIS, 26, bartender, Upper East Side
Dating creds: In the top 0.1 percent on OkCupid.com
Messaged: 56 times per week
Responds to: two per week
Dates per month: one to five
Reason his profile is so popular: “I like to each question creatively — do something funny, something lighthearted and maybe speak a little truth. Under the ‘First thing you notice about me’ section, I wrote, ‘If you ever notice a Bud Light Lime in my hand, I’m signaling to you that I need help from my kidnappers.’ ”
What he’s looking for: “I like to be surprised by someone. The more interesting you are, the more intrigued I’ll be: a small-business owner, an actor, a musician. I went to music school, I relate to a lot of people who have the same music tastes as me.”
His New York dating advice: “Never eat dinner on the first date. It forces you to wait that long time — especially if there’s nothing to talk about. There’s nothing worse than awkward silence.”
MELISSA WARAR, 23, licensing coordinator, Ocean Township, NJ (works in Manhattan)
Dating creds: in the top 1 percent of JDate.com users
Messaged: up to 25 times per week
Responds: eight to 20 times per week
Dates per month: three to eight
Reason her profile is so popular: “It’s definitely the picture (right), with a possibly devious look. At the end of the day, people don’t read it. If they like the pictures they’re going to message me. Keep your profile short and sweet. You have a minute to make an impression . . . go!”
Worst date: A persistent guy called her “busier than a doctor’s office. I can’t get in to see you.” She finally agreed to meet at a bar, where he revealed he didn’t drink: “He was mad at me for having beer!” she recalls. “I have never downed a beer so fast.”
What she’s looking for: “Smoking is a deal-breaker. I’m not here to change anyone. I already have a full-time job.”
Her online dating advice: “I always verify everyone. If you’re not on Facebook or LinkedIn, I won’t go out with you.”
NATALIYA OSTROVSKAYA, 27, freelance cross-cultural consultant, Ditmas Park
Dating cred: in the top 5 percent of positive interest on sparkology.com
Messaged: 70 times per week
Responds: seven times per week
Dates per month: four
Reason her profile is so popular: “The No. 1 thing about your online dating profile is your main picture (right). It should be a clear shot of your face. You have a few moments to impress somebody.”
What she’s looking for: “I’m type A; what would suit me better is someone who is positive, but also laid-back. Coffee is a perfectly good first date. I don’t want to be with that person for two to three hours.”
Her New York dating advice: “First, make sure that you’re happy with your own life. If you feel that you need to do some kind of self improvement, then I would do that before. Go into it positively but don’t put all your eggs in one basket. The reason I like online dating is because I think having prospects on the horizon, messages coming in every day, that helps one to keep a good attitude.”
SAMANTHA PINKOWITZ, 27, real-estate agent, East Village
Dating creds: in the top 0.1 percent on OkCupid.com
Messaged: 28 times per week
Responds: once or twice per week
Dates per month: two
Reason her profile is so popular: “I try to lay myself bare. It’s just a page of text and a handful of photos (left), but I think it conveys a lot: my love of the sciences, my athleticism, my ambition, my sense of humor, my lack of pretense, my predilection for puns.”
What she’s looking for: “Ultimately I’d like to get married, although I’m not in a huge rush to tie the knot. Our major ideologies have to be in sync. I couldn’t go out with a creationist, for example. They have to be open-hearted and seeking a long-term, monogamous relationship.”
Her New York dating advice: “Let people know what makes you tick, what you’re passionate about, what makes you different from the sea of other pretty faces. You basically want to share everything that makes you unique and interesting and a catch, and you want to do so as authentically as you can.”
STEPHANIE SPADA, 24, advertising, Upper East Side
Dating creds: in the top 10 percent of most contacted people on howaboutwe.com
Messaged: 10 times per week
Responds: once per week
Dates: once every other month
Reason her profile is so popular: “They are responding to my date ideas: Drinks at a beer garden is one of my favorites, or go visit a vintage record store. My answers to my questions are very casual. I come across as very honest and simple.”
What she’s looking for: “I’m trying to meet someone in a similar life stage as myself: starting out in a career, a young professional. I’m enjoying the single life, I think it’s cool to meet a lot of people.”
Her New York dating advice: “Going out looking for your next serious relationship is a bad way to go. You end up not enjoying yourself but just anticipating what’s going to happen next. Relax, enjoy speaking to the person you were meeting as if it were a friend.”
ED STERN, 37, art director, Hell’s Kitchen
Dating creds: in the top 0.1 percent on OkCupid.com
Messaged: up to 15 times per week
Responds: once or twice a week
Dates per month: one or two
Reason his profile is so popular: “Every time I’ve gone on a date, the girl has literally said, ‘Wow, you really are the height you say you are,’ which leads me to believe there are guys on there not telling the truth.
I don’t think women are just looking for money — they’re looking for job stability in a man. You can look like Prince Charming, but it comes down to what you do for a living.”
His New York dating advice: “Be persistent, but don’t act too eager. If you leave a date and you kiss her good night, you can e-mail her in a day or two. But if you call her that night, or text her and say, ‘Where is this going?’ — you’re going to turn someone off immediately.”
MICHAEL BOTEFUHR, 29, advertising account executive, Upper East Side
Dating cred: top Match.com user, based on number of e-mails and winks received
Messaged: 20 times per week
Responds: five times per week
Dates per month: 16
Reason his profile is so popular: “I am not one of the best looking on there. I put my profile together with a purpose. I wanted to be active and people to respond to it. I’m actually starting up classes to help people get better response on their profiles. It does a good job of showing what I’m looking for along with who I am. It’s a little bit mysterious.”
His New York dating advice: “If you’re ever down, thinking you’re never going to meet the right person, this is the perfect place. There are so many people out there to meet, I always feel encouraged. Use it as a confidence booster.”
MICHAEL MATURO, 28, public-relations consultant, Prospect Heights
Messaged: four times a week on sparkology.com
Responds: four times a week
Dates per month: two
Dating advice: “Everybody is really busy in New York. Adding to it is the effort to meet people. It can be really easy to just dismiss it and say ‘I’m too busy.’ Make that time happen, put in a little effort.”
ALLISON ESPOSITO, 30, marketing director, The Bronx
Messaged: 100 times a week on okcupid.com
Responds: five times a week
Dates per month: two
Dating advice: “Communicate that you aren’t looking for a carbon copy of yourself. I’m a vegetarian Buddhist, but I’m also the granddaughter of a Catholic butcher. If you’re not open to meeting different kinds of people outside your comfort zone, then why put a profile on the Internet?”
DANIEL VIVIANO, 34, sales manager, White Plains/Lower East Side
Messaged: 70 times per week on howaboutwe.com
Responds: four times per week
Dates per month: five
Reason he’s popular: “I have these two date ideas that have been gold mines: One is ‘Let’s go for a walk.’ They see that as nothing too crazy, no awkwardness. The other? It’s just, ‘Let’s make other people smile.’ ”
