Barry may have been a frat guy during his college years, but nowadays he’s more likely to get his beer in a glass than from a keg-stand.
He’s a “real guy”: Barry, a 27-year-old recreation therapist and guitarist for a band, describes himself as “tall, but not too tall. In shape, but not one of those guys with arms the size of tree trunks. Smart, but I don’t walk around quoting Aristotle all day. I’m a genuine individual.”
“Strong, independent women are sexy,” Barry says. “Women who know what they want and aren’t afraid to go after it.”
“I love music, the outdoors, good food, exploring different cultures and having pertinent toasts with good drinks,” says Barry. This means his girl should at least be tolerant of his guitar playing, love for winter sports and the ocean, and be able to hold her liquor.
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” does not apply: “My friends are my family. They mean the world to me,” says Barry, who also claims to be friends with his exes. Moreover, “my mother would have nothing but good things to say about it. She’s a fan – I’ll just leave it at that.”
Chameleon-like girls are Barry’s type. “I’m looking for a girl who can feel comfortable in different situations, like hanging out at a backyard bonfire or playing darts at a dive bar,” says Barry, who’s visited enough pubs to consider himself a savant at Touchmaster Photo Hunt games. “Someone who rolls with the punches and can handle herself when in a difficult situation.”
Amanda, 22, print media analyst
Describe yourself: I’m an outgoing, fun-loving blonde. I’m only 5-foot-3, but I have lots of energy and love to be active.
Type of person you’re looking for? Someone who can keep up with me! I love to explore New York and try new restaurants, bars, parks and events. A good sense of humor is essential – I can be very sarcastic. I want someone with an interest in sports with a healthy mind-set. He also needs to be articulate – to think is a big deal.
Guilty pleasure? It’s a tie between high heels and my iPod.
Your idea of fun? Going to restaurants and bars of any kind, swimming, watching football, sailing, reading, shopping, traveling to new places and dancing to ’80s music.
Best asset? I have light blond hair and blue eyes, neither of which is fake. Try to find that in New York.
Ashley, 25, vendor relations associate
Describe yourself: I’m mostly normal during the day with a bit of a wild side at night. I love to barhop around the Lower East Side, go to concerts, die my hair pink and get tattoos. I’m very outgoing and social, but I have a serious intellectual side, as well. I’m quirky, funny, music-obsessed and fiercely loyal to my friends.
Your idea of fun? Concerts, going to bars with friends, any kind of trivia or board game, museums, going to part of the city I’ve never seen, cooking, road trips, bookstores, traveling the world.
What’s attractive? A man who’s confident but not cocky, kind but not a pushover, and intellectual but not condescending.
Pet peeve? People who assume they know everything about someone after five minutes of conversation.
Emily, 25, graphic designer/copywriter
Describe yourself: I’m smart and pretty dorky, but you wouldn’t know that just by looking at me. I’m the friend everyone goes to for advice, and the one everyone is embarrassed by on a Saturday at 2 a.m. I’m dramatic, but only because I live life fully and intensely.
Your idea of fun? Going to concerts, new restaurants and bars, movies and parks. I love playing darts, dancing into ungodly hours of the morning, movie marathons and trivia night at The Gael.
What’s surprising about you? I watch sci-fi and swear like a sailor when I’m irritated.
Worst date? The guy spent at least 80 percent of the time talking about his job, which happened to be investing in mutual funds. I’m an open-minded person, but if you seem overtly obsessed with making money, I can’t imagine we’ll have a lot in common.
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