DATING IN LONDON: 7 BITTER TRUTHS ABOUT LONDON’S DATING SCENE
When you finally decide to put yourself back on the London dating market (with its population of more than 8 million people) the capital seems like the best city for dating. However, the chances of being stopped on the tube by that good looking person who has looked you in the eyes twice is slim. As slim as not finding a queue at the coffee shop on a Monday at 8am. This is why CLiKD helps you to nudge these people and find out if they hate those queues and love coffee as much as you do! Matching is the first step, but London dating is on a whole, other level.
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Here are 7 bitter truths
about London’s dating scene
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1. Planning dates is borderline impossible
A date in London can be considered as difficult as quantum physics. However, as curious human beings, we open our calendars and study the first open spot for a date. Dating in London is almost like making reservations for a business meeting. The only difference? The kind of business you are going to discuss is love. What better place for a date than the London which boasts some of the most romantic spots? When you can agree on one in the middle of both your places, that is. Wow, finding love in London is a struggle, isn’t it?
2. Living in different zones is, and will always, be a problem
If you and your date both live in zone 2, do not assume that will be a 30 minutes ride by tube. That is rarely the case. Dating in London is time consuming. The city is huge! Despite its amazing transport system, distance is still a problem. Let’s face it, not many people are up for a 90 minute walk-of-shame. Even after what could have been a lovely date. A very honest truth about dating in the capital, but at least the night tube and the buses are of great support. Especially if you really like your date.
3. Londoners are in love… with their careers
London is surely one of the best cities to start and progress in your career. However, for many people, their free time is going to be spent at management workshops, or “putting in the overtime”, rather than on a cute romantic date with you. Online dating in London is almost like a part-time job that some single people just don’t have the time for. The good news is that you can still match them and grab some compliments to boost your ego. Who knows? They may even have time for by September 2019!
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Got to admire a
career driven person with
ambition though, right?
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4. Every London date will, likely, include drinking
When dating in a London pub, you order beer or gin and tonic (possibly some shots, which you do at your own risk!). On a date in an Italian restaurant, you order wine. If you meet up at a café, I am sure you can sneak some of that liquor in your mug. That’s dating in London for you! Meeting up for a drink is one of the most popular ways to get to know your date. On the plus side? You can use that as a chance to talk about the topics you included in your CLiKD test! Silver lining!
5. The awkward discussion of paying for the expensive bill
Dating in London is expensive. Very expensive! This makes the whole bill discussion the dramatic moment of the date. The ‘dating in London’ train totally requires a credit card, but we won’t get into the “who should pay on a first date” discussion right now. (Check out our post on the subject instead!) It can be one or two payments (highly recommend splitting the bill, way easier) just swipe those credit cards and go on with your date.
6. Londoners have a long list of places to avoid
When Dating in London’s touristic places are the ones that occupy a large part of this list. Although, we all know that once in a while, we love a romantic stroll by the river in Westminster. The perfect date in London exists, even if it is in Oxford Street. Or maybe not. Dating in London does not have to be this touristy. You can still have a great time while avoiding certain places!
7. Dating a Londoner will surely require a Dictionary, urban or otherwise
While dating in London, you will certainly match a highly-skilled, slang expert Londoner and at that point, if you are not from the UK, you will need a dictionary. We are talking about Urban Dictionary , obviously, but also Oxford Dictionary helps. Sometimes, there’s no differentiation. When English is not your first language or you are not from the UK, make sure you have these two tools at hand while dating in London. If he says he is pissed, he could either be annoyed or drunk. Tip? He’s likely drunk.
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Tip?
He’s likely drunk.
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At the end of the day, dating in London (and Londoners) make us understand why the big smoke is perfect for a first date. Despite all the awkwardness and language barriers, there are a lot of place to get the booze and be brave enough for a goodnight kiss. If you’re looking for something a bit different, check out 10 Alternative First Date Ideas and grab a drink on your second date. Till then, these 7 bitter truths about London’s dating scene will help you prepare for those dates!
By Martina Pallara
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