Imagine: a place in New York crawling with single, straight, professional men, absolutely zero cover charge to get inside and some of the most gorgeous, sunlight-strewn scenery in the city.
Sound like a cruel, made-up Manhattan fairy tale?
Nope. It’s Bryant Park, the hottest new meet market of the year. And with the temperatures soaring today — and spring fever in the air — there’s not a moment to lose.
PHOTOS: MORE HOT BRYANT PARK MEN SPEAK OUT!
“They’re printing money here, there’s so many guys,” says Aaron Kaufman, a single 26-year-old real estate broker, noting the sea of suits crawling the park.
“We’re being signed up. It’s like recruitment.”
And these men aren’t just looking for other young 20-somethings.
“I say bring ’em on!” exclaims cute-as-a-button 25-year-old Michael Azarian, another real estate broker. “It’s the year of the cougar.”
Oh my.
Part of the reason for the sudden influx of professional, available men is the brand-new One Bryant Park building, which finished construction last year, ushering in 8,000 new employees (the scaffolding just came down this week). The building is just kitty-corner from the park, on 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue.
“Eighty-five percent of people who work there are Bank of America; there’s a law firm, some financial services and then, of course, the Durst Organization, which has some of the finest-looking people in all of New York City,” confirms Jordan Barowitz, spokesman for the Durst Organization, a major Manhattan developer that co-owns the building.
What’s more, the park’s outdoor bar, the Bryant Park Grill, is now open for the season, giving the perfect opportunity to mix — and match up. There’s even a free-to-use pingpong table, where you can get your game on.
“Those who come here are the local corporate guys,” explains Ty Miller, the 33-year-old manager of the Bryant Park Grill, who met his girlfriend — where else? — in Bryant Park eight years ago.
“We’ve got HSBC on the corner. We have Bank of America. We have MetLife. It’s very driven by the kind of guys who have jobs, can take care of themselves.”
Even better, many of them are single. “There’s a lot of eye candy for us,” confirms lady bar customer Kelly Christoff, 26. “I would say the ratio is 70 percent men, 30 percent women.”
Indeed, when The Post went on a man-hunting expedition in the park recently, the amount of available talent was staggering.
So how do these young bucks like to be approached? “Don’t move around so much. Chill. Say what you like,” advises Gaby Machloof, 33, a software engineer.
“It’s probably easiest just to ask to share a table,” recommends John Butt, 23, a structural engineer. Taylor Fowler, 25, a database administrator, says women should try an even more forward approach: pretend to “steal” his sunglasses.
In fact, the park is teeming with so many professional guys, they have but one complaint: “There are way too many guys here and not enough women,” confirms handsome 40-year-old
Fredrik Tjernstrom, a portfolio manager, sipping on a beverage, who seemed so sad, so all alone.
Tjernstrom is the ideal open target for ladies, says Elle, the pseudonymous 43-year-old author of “Hunting Season: A Field Guide for Targeting and Capturing the Perfect Man,” out this month. “I purposefully walk through the area,” she reveals. “It’s such a small park, but it provides all different specimens.”
And then — what did we find? An actual deer hunter — dreamy, blue-eyed Audun Hoen, 34, freshly single and ready to go. He promises to hunt and cook for you if you’re lucky enough to snare him.
“It’s going to be a good hunting season,” he proclaims. “Everyone’s out right now, ready to shoot. We’re trigger-happy.”
mstadtmiller@nypost.com