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Celebrate Pride by supporting these LGBTQ-owned date spots

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As a dating app working to give everyone a chance at love, whoever that may be with, we decided to celebrate Pride this year in one of the best ways we know how: By setting you up on great dates!

We’ve put together a list of LGBTQ-owned businesses in Chicago, Seattle, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles that are total first-date material. And hey, they’re perfect for third dates or friend outings, or solo trips, too. Be sure to check them out not just this Pride Month, but all year long.

Chicago

R Public House

Head over to Jarvis Square to grab some casual bites and drinks at this community-driven pub. Or if brunch dates are more your speed, stop by between 10 AM-2 PM on the weekends.

Split-Rail

Get to know someone new over some comfort food and cocktails at this space in Humboldt Park. And make sure you don’t skip out on Chef and Owner Zoe Schor’s specialty: fried chicken.

The Dearborn

Founded by sisters Amy and Clodagh Lawless, this is a great spot for an after-work dinner date. Pro-tip? Visit on Happy Hour Mondays and split a few $10 starters.

Rogers Park Social

Looking for a cozy spot to chat over some cocktails? Head over to this neighborhood bar where you can sample from their ever-changing seasonal drink menu.

Wood

This restaurant in the Northalsted neighborhood is a great date option if you’re down with sharing small plates with someone new – which is a pretty great way to get to know what someone likes if you ask us!

Seattle

Dough Joy

Satisfy your caffeine-craving and your sweet tooth all in one date. Whether you visit their West Seattle or Capitol Hill location, you’re going to have a wide selection of house-made donuts to choose from. And bonus, they’re vegan!

Terra Plata

Interested in something a bit more upscale for your next date? Enjoy an “earth-to-plate” dinner on a rooftop garden at this restaurant in Capitol Hill.

Marination

This Hawaiian-Korean fusion spot is the place to visit if you’re going out with a fellow lover of big, bold flavors. They have a few locations, but the one in West Seattle offers skyline views that make the perfect backdrop for a date.

Flora Bakehouse

What makes a coffee date even better? A coffee date on a rooftop deck. Stop by this cafe in the Beacon Hill neighborhood for some caffeine and bakery treats.

Gemini Room

Whether you want a casual coffee date in the AM or a cocktail date in the PM, this new spot in Capitol Hill has what you’re looking for.

Washington, D.C.

Republic Restoratives

If you love grabbing a few drinks for a date but want to shake it up a little bit, try this small-batch distillery. You can stop by for some of their specialty cocktails, or sign up for a half-hour tasting tour if you’re feeling more adventurous.

Hank’s Oyster Bar

Down to split a dozen raw oysters (or two) with someone new? This place is for you. And bonus, they have locations at Dupont Circle, Old Town, and The Wharf, so it’s easier to find a spot that works for you and your date.

Succotash Prime

Head to this Penn Quarter spot for a taste of the south with a Korean twist, cooked up by Chef Edward Lee. Some crowd favorites include fried chicken with honey gochujang sauce, collard greens with kimchi and country ham, and Nashville hot oysters.

Red Bear Brewing

Co-owners Bryan Van Den Oever, Cameron Raspet, and Simon Bee have not only crafted a safe and welcoming space for the NoMa community but also a great date spot for a pair of brew lovers.

Three Fifty Bakery and Coffee

What’s better than a quaint coffee shop for a first date? A quaint coffee shop with a spacious outdoor space. Enjoy the fresh air and some good coffee with someone new – and maybe even bring your furry friend along as a third wheel.

New York City

Baz Bagels

You know we had to start this list with bagels. Stop by this charming neighborhood deli in Little Italy for a casual breakfast or lunch date with some hand-rolled bagels. Might we suggest the rainbow variety?

Big Gay Ice Cream

Originally founded as a food truck by Douglas Quint and Bryan Petroff, this spot is your stop if you’re in for a sweet treat. Grab some soft serve at either one of their locations in the Upper West Side or West Village.

Odd Fox Coffee

Want to inject a little whimsy (and caffeine) into a casual date? Odd Fox Coffee has two Brooklyn locations, so take your pick and enjoy a laid-back meetup.

Elmo

Whether it’s brunch, lunch, dinner, or drinks you’re after, Elmo in Chelsea is a go-to spot for a first date. Indulge in some shareable comfort food, like deviled eggs or popcorn shrimp.

Ursula

Spice up a breakfast date at this New Mexican-inspired cafe in Crown Heights, owned by Eric See. Heads up: It’s a takeout spot with only a few outdoor seats, so maybe grab two burritos to go and enjoy a stroll with your date.

Los Angeles

Liberation Coffee House

Located at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, this bright and beautiful cafe and community center is perfect for great conversation with someone new. Fun fact: It’s run by graduates of the organization’s Culinary Arts program that helps prepare LGBTQIA+ participants for work in the restaurant and hospitality industries.

Casita Del Campo

Going out with a margarita lover? Head to this colorful local spot with a long LGBTQIA+ history for an authentic Mexican meal. Pro-tip: Don’t skip out on sharing some chips and guac.

Nickel Diner

Sometimes comfort food in a retro setting is exactly what you need for a date – and at this spot, you can split a homemade pop-tart. Co-owners Monica May and Kristen Trattner also implemented a new “Pay It Forward” program, where you can donate $13 to provide a meal to someone in need.

Little Barn Coffee House

Woman, Latinx, and queer-owned, this little coffee spot is calling your name if you’re interested in a quick drink or a lunch meetup with someone new. And bonus, it’s vegan!

Jewel

Another spot for our dairy and meat-free daters. Check out this plant-based restaurant in Silver Lake with a patio that’s perfect for good conversations.

San Francisco Bay Area

Boichik Bagel

Named after a Yiddish term of endearment for a young man, owner Emily Winston opened this bagel spot to bring a taste of her New Jersey roots to her new home on the West Coast. A great get-to-know-you question for this date: What kind of bagel would you be and why?

Third Culture Bakery

Looking for a casual spot on a beautiful day? Meet up at this counter service bakery for some matcha and mochi muffins, and enjoy them out front in their outdoor seating area.

Equator Coffees

Coffee really can be the best first date, if we do say so ourselves. Equator Coffees has several locations around the Bay Area, so you can easily find a spot that works for both you and your date.

Lion Dance Cafe

Looking for a plant-based date spot in Oakland? This casual space has rave reviews for its authentic Singaporean fare, which you can enjoy in their first-come, first-serve outdoor parklet.

Pinhole Coffee

Tea, coffee, pastries, anyone? Head to this woman, POC, and queer-owned coffee shop in Bernal Heights for a quick meetup that isn’t short on charm.

Show support this Pride and beyond

Pride Month is a great time to get out and support the LGBTQIA+ community, but don’t forget these are great date spots year-round – not just in June. And of course, this list is far from complete. So don’t hold out on us if you know about any other queer-owned spots we missed! Check out our Instagram post and drop your contributions in the comments.

Collegiate Dating Trends in New York City

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There are many top-ranked colleges in the NYC area, but how do they stack up when it comes to the dating scene?
We analyzed more than 25,000 profiles of singles from some of the top colleges in NYC to uncover which schools have the most attractive, the pickiest, the most assertive, the chattiest singles and more! Check out the complete NYC rankings below!  

2016 Collegiate Dating Trends in New York by CMB

International Love: Dating Around the World

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The following article is a guest post, courtesy of Adrienne Shih

Ever wonder what dating is like in another part of the world? We asked global CMBers about different aspects of their love lives, with everything from their eligibility to how much they’re willing to pay on the first date. Responses varied across the board, but there’s one thing most CMBers can agree with — dating, regardless of where you live, is difficult. But don’t worry, that’s where we can help.
Take a look at what members said, from where the most eligible singles are to what characteristics they value most in a match.

Fill out my online form.

About Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB): CMB  is a free dating service that helps members make meaningful connections. It’s designed for busy singles who want to find something real with little or no effort.

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New York’s 5 Most Eligible Bagels

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Someone once told me that what makes New York City the perfect place for dating is also what makes it the worst: there are simply too many options. As a large, thriving cosmopolitan city with over 8 million inhabitants, New York is a smorgasbord of hundreds and thousands of singles ready to mingle. All in all, this city is a love story waiting to happen. What better place for some of the most brilliant, successful, and seriously good-looking singles to fall in love than New York?
Here’s a taste of some of the most interesting, intelligent, and fun individuals in this city that never sleeps. Flip through and meet 5 of your fellow CMB New Yorkers as they reveal their hidden talents, best date stories, and more! [URIS id=12876]

Fill out my online form.

About Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB): CMB  is a free dating service that helps members make meaningful connections. It’s designed for busy singles who want to find something real with little or no effort.

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Promise Society

Coffee Meets Bagel Sponsors Love For Charity Date Auction For The Promise Society (TPS)!

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Coffee Meets Bagel is a proud sponsor of The Promise Society‘s 5th Annual Charity Date Auction!

WHEN: Friday, June 20th @ 6pm

WHERE: Stage 48, @ 605 W 48th St, New York, NY 10019

Participants will be able to bid for dates with the beautiful members of TPS who have volunteered to auction themselves for the noble cause. Check them out at the below link and buy tickets now!

 
Screen Shot 2014-06-16 at 10.30.51 AM
 
P.S. This year, TPS is enabling supporters to vote for the charity that will benefit from our proceeds. Get involved and choose among three worthy causes:

1) APEX for Youth
2) Charles B. Wang Community Health Center
3) Restore NYC

TO VOTE, simply go to https://apps.facebook.com/my-polls/tps

About Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB): Every day at noon, we introduce you to one single with whom you share mutual friends. You have 24 hours to LIKE or PASS your match (aka “Bagels”). Mutual LIKE leads to direct connection via text message on a private phone line.

Coffee Meets Bagel, Best Dating App

New York Date Spots

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John Baldessari, “Double Play”
Double Play presents all new work by pioneering American artist John Baldessari. Combining art historical icons, Baldessari has created a sceries of paintings on canvas that aim “to make the unimportant important.” Complicating these strangely evocative pictures are texts, taken from the titles of popular songs, emblazoned across the bottom of each painting. This exhibit ends November 21st. So, enjoy it while it’s here!
WHAT: Artwork by John Baldessari
WHERE:  Marian Goodman Gallery (24 W 57th Street)
WHEN:  Nov. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, & 21
Read more about the artist
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John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey: This Must Be the Place?


Enjoy dinner and watch as Mr. Pizzarelli and Ms. Molaskey explore the idea of “home” and all that it entails with their expert musicianship and singular wit. Audiences will be left reflecting on the meaning of “home” and what it feels like to search for it, find it, lose it, and run away from it. Mr. Pizzarelli (guitar and vocals) will lead a quartet consisting of younger brother Martin Pizzarelli (bass), Larry Fuller (piano), and Tony Tedesco (drums).

WHAT:  Performance by John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey

WHERE:  Cafe Carlyle
WHEN:  Tuesday – Saturday @ 8:45 PM until Nov. 24
Buy tickets here

Date Inspirations

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The weekend is almost here, and we wanted to give our awesome CMB members in NYC, Boston and San Francisco some fun date ideas for the weekend. Want to treat that special someone to a romantic night? Or maybe you want to make a great first impression with a new Bagel? Read on, city singles!
New York City goers, looking for something to sweeten up your weekend (literally)? The Annual New York Chocolate Festival is back with tickets starting at just $35 per person. Sample treats and decadent wine from over 65 chocolate companies, meet famous chefs and authors, and schmooze the night away!
WHAT: NY Chocolate Festival
WHERE: Metropolitan Pavillion
WHEN: Friday Nov. 9th through Sunday Nov. 11th, 10AM – 6PM
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For all our Bostonians, why not get to know your date better over some Art, Wine & Art at the Soprafina Gallery this Saturday? $40 per person for all the music, wine and hors d’oeuvres you can eat! Then maybe you two can grab some coffee afterwards at a nearby café (for an even more intimate night cap).
WHAT: Art, Wine & Art Exhibition
WHERE: Soprafina Gallery
WHEN: Saturday Nov. 10th, 7pm
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Finally – San Franciscans, how about exploring some new culture in the Mission? The annual Diwali celebration, the Festival of Lights, with $11 admission per person. Dancing starts in the streets and leads to the venue, where there’s sweets, good eats and music (and even dance lessons for those wanting really to join in the festivities)!
WHAT: Diwali Festival
WHERE: Public Works
WHEN: Saturday Nov. 10th, 9pm
So city singles, what are you going to be up to this weekend?
By Jessica Barone @chai_haiku

Sunday Spotlight: Dick Talens

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In this week’s New York’s Sunday Spotlight, we hit up Dick Talens – the co-founder of Fitocracy, the revolutionary fitness social network – for some fitness tips for the summer and for awesome date ideas in New York.

If you have not heard of Fitocracy by now, you don’t know what you are missing out.  Two pictures are worth a 1,000 words: Fitocracy transformed Dick from here to up there. He looks so good now, he makes Jared Fogle’s transformation laughable (OK, we exaggreate a bit).

Once a fat, video-game obessed geek (a cute one nevertheless), Dick says he used pure geekery to train himself – visualizing himself as a video game character while spending many hours nerding out on nutrition and exercise.  His experience training together with his fellow nerd and best friend from college, Brian Wang, was the basis for their company Fitocracy, which they founded together in 2010.

To keep up with his latest & greatest, follow Dick on twitter @DickTalens

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1. It’s the summer & I need a quick way to get in shape! Any tangible advice/recommended routine? Please tell us it’s possible…

“When you say “get in shape for the summer”, I’m going to assume like 99% of people, you mean “look good naked”.  There is only one effective way to do that (and no, it does not involve running):

I. Focus on your diet.  If you’re trying to lose fat, figure out how many calories you need in a day and eat a few hundred calories below that.  Keep protein high to maximize satiety, increase your caloric expenditure, and build lean mass.

II. Focus on compound exercises, namely squats, bench presses, and deadlifts.  These exercises will make you build your ideal body faster than anything on the planet.  For the ladies, don’t worry, you won’t get bulky from lifting.  In fact, the opposite is true.  A beginners program like Starting Strength is pretty good.”

2. What is the best healthy yet yummy food spot you like to go to in NYC?

“One of my favorite restaurants is Mooncake Foods in Soho.  It’s a bit hole-in-the-wall-y, but that’s probably the reason that it’s the best bang for your buck.  It’s cheap, has a good amount of protein, delicious, and most of all it’s a healthy crapton of food in every order.

3.  Where is the best place to work out & also meet cool people? (OK you can say Fitocracy)

“Ummm, definitely Fitocracy.  Well, you can’t work out physically on Fitocracy, but you can meet the coolest, most inspirational people on there when it comes to fitness.  We’ve got guys who’ve lost hundreds of pounds, 70-year-olds who lift, an amputee who deadlifts twice his body weight, and even the reigning Miss New York (who used Fitocracy to get in shape for her pageant) is on there.”

4. What is your idea of the best Sunday date in NYC?

“Bottomless brunch on Arte Cafe on the Upper West Side. Going to Crumbs for cupcakes afterwards. Then, people watching in Central Park and counting how many dogs look eerily similar to their owners (if you haven’t tried this, you’re missing out). Finally, an intense lifting session at the gym finishing with post-workout sushi.”

Sunday Spotlight: Devo Springsteen

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We are excited to kick-off New York’s Sunday Spotlight with Devo Springsteen, a Grammy Award winning producer and songwriter, and more importantly, a proud member of Coffee Meets Bagel :)

Why do we love Devo so much? Well, first and foremost, he is a super talented musician. He produced & wrote songs for many musicians, most notably for his college roommate John Legend & his cousin Kanye West. Devo won the Best Rap Song Grammy in 2006 for his production of “Diamonds (from Sierra Leone)” with Kanye West.

And guess what ladies? With a BS from University of Pennsylvania (Go Penn!) AND a MBA from Columbia Business School, Devo truly has it all. The guy is not only a genius musician but also amazingly smart & business savvy.

When we first learned of all this, our gut instinct was to instantly hate him (as we do all overachievers) for making us feel so…inadequate. But how could anyone hate this sweet smiling creature with such gentle disposition! We love you Devo and thanks for sharing your favorite spots in New York City with all our members!

To keep up with his latest & greatest, follow Devo on twitter @springsteezy.

Oh, lastly, Devo says: “If you get me as a “Bagel,” don’t PASS!”

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Devo’s favorite date spots in NYC

1. What are some of the best hangout spots in NYC during the summer that are good for dates?

“I like Summit Bar on 9th & C in the East Village and Niagara on 7th & A (or any place with Big Buck Hunter). I like places with tasty drinks where there are other fun spots to hang out nearby.”

2. How about your favorite restaurants in NYC during the summer?

“I used to live in the village so I’m partial to it as you can see but Mogador on St. Marks between 1st and A has a great bastilla. Also the Fried Yard Bird at Red Rooster in Harlem. Both have outdoor seating.”

3. What is your idea of the best Sunday date in NYC?

“What would be cool is going to dinner at Spice Market or Pastis somewhere near the meatpacking district. Then strolling downtown from there, there is a super-fun Mexican dive bar – having some drinks there and continuing downwards to go to see comedy in the West Village.”

4. Lastly, of course we have to ask you a question on your favorite music spot in the city! Somewhere you can take your date to. 

“I really really like low-key places to big fancy places so my favorite place to listen to music to dance and whatnot is probably The Darby on 14th Street. To listen to people perform I like SOB’s because the crowd is usually lively and the bands are usually just at the point where they have a known repertoire but it’s still early enough in their career to be exciting for everyone.”

Mark your Calendar

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Hey when you hear something worth marking your calendar you just have to do it.

So here’s a heads up for this June!

brewyork:

If you enjoyed the NYC American Craft Beer Festival back in March, then chances are you’re going to enjoy an event coming up this June from the same organizers: the Brooklyn Waterfront Beer Festival. The festival of great craft beer will be held outdoors on the East River waterfront at North 11th Street in Williamsburg in two sessions on Saturday, June 16th.

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