Single in Yonkers, NY? 9 Places and Apps to Find a Date
In “Hello Dolly,” the Broadway musical from 1964, Cornelius Hackl sings of life beyond Yonkers, assuring his buddy Barnaby that the “slick town” of New York is full of adventure. The 33-year-old wants to dance, blow through his cash, and, above all, kiss a girl, so he talks his friend into donning their Sunday clothes and leaving town.
The truth is, Yonkers singles can have plenty of fun and meet new faces without ever leaving home. More than 211,000 people live here, which makes it New York State’s third-biggest city by population.
When life has you feeling low, there’s no need for a suitcase — an adventure worthy of a musical could be waiting close by, right here in Yonkers. We’ve gathered several ways to meet local singles so you can lead with your best foot and land some romance.
Yonkers Dating Sites
Dolly Gallagher Levi owns the stage as “Hello Dolly” opens, declaring herself a model matchmaker and life coach. With charming meddling, she steers singles into couples and (spoiler alert) even sets herself up before the final curtain. Singles today needn’t depend on one person to find a match, though. A dating site can pitch in and suggest eligible dates.
Best Singles Site
Like Dolly, Match enjoys a sterling reputation with singles and brings decades of matchmaking know-how to its pairings. Unlike Dolly, the Match app and dating site don’t leave pairings to gut feeling or luck; an algorithm does that work. Since 1995, Match.com has played a part in countless marriages and relationships, both in Yonkers and far beyond. You can sign up free and find out whether it works for you.
- Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships
- Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more
- Our Experts Say: “Match pairs a large dating pool with search filters specific enough to make that size useful rather than overwhelming.” Our Review »
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| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) | Today’s Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Singles | 49%51% | 14.6 Million | Try Match FREE |
Over 50 & Senior Sites
If Horace Vandergelder were a real person who hadn’t already fallen for Dolly Levi, OurTime is the dating site he’d join. It caters to singles over 50 hoping for another chance at love, and its simple, intuitive tools let online dating newcomers start matching and chatting with ease.
- Relationships: Dates and Relationships
- Match System: Search by profiles by zip and more
- Our Experts Say: “OurTime makes dating after 50 feel simple, with senior-friendly search tools and an easy-to-use layout.” Our Review »
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| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) | Today’s Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mature Singles (50+) | 48%52% | 8.9 Million | Over 50? Try It FREE |
For Black Men & Women Only
Yonkers is a diverse place, but in the census just 16% of residents said they were Black or African-American. Singles who’d like to date someone from an ethnic background might give BlackPeopleMeet a try, since this niche site serves Black and biracial singles. Its nationwide network lets Yonkers daters cast a wide net for someone who’s exactly their type.
- Relationships: Deep Relationships or Just Casual Dates
- Match System: Search by location, age, more
- Our Experts Say: “BlackPeopleMeet.com is the one of the largest and most popular dating sites for black and biracial singles, and the site is used by more than 5 million people a month.” Our Review »
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| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) | Today’s Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Singles | 47%53% | 5.7 Million | FREE Trial for New Users |
Hookup & Sex Site
Last, for singles who mostly want casual flings and one-night stands, we recommend Adult Friend Finder. On this global platform, adult members can share revealing photos and exchange explicit messages with attractive strangers online.
- Relationships: Hookups Only
- Match System: Search by location, interest, more
- Our Experts Say: “Make no mistake: this site isn't about making friends, it's about finding hookups and casual encounters. No adult site has a larger or more active user base of those seeking discreet fun.” Our Review »
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| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) | Today’s Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Singles | 65%35% | 25.5 Million | 3 Months @ $19.95/Mo |
Popular Dating Apps
With upward of 37 district neighborhoods across the city, nobody can expect singles to comb through all of them on foot looking for a date. Location-based dating apps make the process simpler and much quicker: you can swipe through nearby prospects in no time and zero in on the mutual matches who appeal to you. Give the popular apps below a try; plenty of them began as dating websites before moving to mobile.
- Relationships: Fun Dates, Serious Relationships
- Match System: Browse by location, age, interest, and more
- About the App: Match is built for browsing rather than swiping. You can search by location, age, and interest, then take your time reading profiles before reaching out. The app is free to download, create a profile, search for date prospects, and receive compatible matches based on personalized preferences. Free members can also chat with select members and send unlimited likes.
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OurTime
- Relationships: Dating and Relationships
- Match System: Search by age as well as zip, gender, more
- About the App: Made just for single seniors, OurTime is one of the most well-known niche dating apps. It’s a fun and straightforward app with simple swiping features. Once two people swipe right on each other, they can communicate. For more match options, visit the ConnectMe and I’m Interested pages.
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eharmony
- Relationships: Long-Term Relationships, Marriages
- Match System: Get daily match suggestions
- About the App: Responsible for 4% of marriages in the U.S., eharmony is among our top picks for relationship-minded heterosexual singles. To become a member, add the app to your phone (iOS or Android) and then take its 29 Dimensions® of Compatibility Matching Quiz. It’s absolutely free to do both these things — as well as receive matches and communicate during other special events.
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Yonkers Singles Bars
With a couple of online options covered, let’s turn to the time-tested ways of sparking a romance face-to-face, such as dropping into a bar. Neighborhood watering holes have been gathering spots for local singles for ages, and hanging out in one doesn’t require you to build a profile or buy a subscription. Order a drink and see who catches your eye.
The Whistlin' Donkey
Lots of Yonkers locals count The Whistlin' Donkey as a favorite hangout. Fans rave about the cozy feel, welcoming staff, and juicy burgers. Guests are regularly treated to happy hours and live music, and the bar throws big parties for holidays such as St. Patrick's Day and New Year's Eve. When you're in the mood to make a new friend, stop by, grab a cocktail, and soak up the "wood vibrations."
Yard House
It's rare to hear "sports bar" and "high-end" in the same breath, yet Yard House pulls it off. The well-known chain has a big Facebook following of close to 300,000 people. Its happy hour draws especially big crowds with $2 off every beer, wine, spirit, and cocktail, plus half-price pizza and appetizers. Solo or with friends, you can dig into one of the largest craft beer lineups around in a rock-and-roll setting.
Rory Dolan's Restaurant & Bar
Rory Dolan's Restaurant & Bar opened in 1994 and has been a fixture of downtown Yonkers ever since. The Irish pub pairs classic pub food with 45 draft beers and a deep lineup of whiskeys and spirits. Try to go on a Friday or Saturday night, when a live DJ gets the whole room in a party mood. St. Patrick's Day is a must, too: that's when the place rolls out a green carpet and puts its Irish spirit on display.
Barney McNabbs
Barney McNabbs has such a cheerful vibe that strangers turn into fast friends. Fun is the whole point here, and the bar goes the extra mile to make your night memorable. Shoot some pool or dance to a live band, and you'll loosen up and meet plenty of smiling faces. There's always something on the calendar: weekends bring well-known bands and fresh talent alike, and every Thursday is free karaoke night.
Heritage Bar & Restaurant
Heritage Bar & Restaurant aims to bring New Yorkers a genuine taste of Ireland and bills itself as "great for what ales you." Craving a proper cup of grog or a big helping of mashed potatoes? This spot has you covered, and locals leave five-star reviews praising the flavorful food and quick service. Any day of the week, the Heritage Bar makes a lively place to socialize, but crowds really pour in for GAA rugby and soccer matches, shown on all seven flat-screen TVs.
Tara Bar & Grill
The Tara Bar & Grill is a charming little tavern where you can count on cold beer and live music. It's a sports bar without pretensions: the kitchen turns out classic pub grub, the bartenders pour standard drinks, and the TVs stay tuned to sports from morning till night. Plenty of regulars drop in on weeknights, so it’s easy to strike up a new acquaintance or even line up a date over several drinks.
Yonkers Speed Dating
Horace Vandergelder insists that within moments of meeting a woman, he knows whether she’s right for him, and lots of singles feel the same. That explains why speed dating events have caught on. The very first speed dating event took place in New York in 1998. Its creator, a rabbi, figured the format could help Jewish singles meet one another, and it did. These days, speed dating nights cater to singles of every age, orientation, and background.
Yonkers Singles Events
Singles events give locals an easy way to break out of their daily routine and mingle with viable date prospects. Meetup lists singles-friendly get-togethers happening all over Yonkers. Some groups gather every weekend or once a month, and some favor board game nights or cocktail hours, but every one of them offers the camaraderie and common interests that can get the ball rolling.
Yonkers Singles Clubs
Some folks picture Yonkers as the sleepy 19th-century town from “Hello Dolly,” but the Yonkers of the 21st century is a lively place with an edge. It has turned out a number of great musicians, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler among them. The local music scene is thriving, and the top clubs regularly pack in hundreds of dancers until late. Head to a dance club some evening to meet lots of people and have a great time in a social atmosphere.
Yonkers Chat Rooms
Chat rooms suit singles who want to test the waters of dating. They aren’t ready to take the plunge by opening an online dating account, and scouting a bar or club sounds exhausting, but they’d still like to talk to people. That’s exactly what chat rooms exist for: low-pressure conversation, and then you see where it goes. Locals are in chat rooms all the time, and friendships form easily through these conversations.
Yonkers Personals
If you’d rather bypass complex search filters and matching systems and get straight to messaging people, online dating personals are a great tool. Personals sites favor short profiles that cover the basics (your identity, your location, and what you’re after) and let singles choose for themselves whom they’d like to know better. A personals site won’t have matchmaking tools poking into your private affairs.
Take the Time to Volunteer With a Nonprofit
Some singles simply aren’t ready to get back into dating, which can make typical date spots or flirty scenarios stressful. They tend to thrive in relaxed social settings where they can meet potential dates naturally.
Volunteering for a nonprofit might not seem like an obvious dating tactic, but joining the right team can lead to romance. All you have to do is pick a cause that matters to you and get involved. The City of Yonkers maintains a roundup of volunteer openings on its website.
Volunteering tends to bring out people's best side, and it often sparks close friendships and relationships.
The Yonkers Animal Shelter always welcomes volunteers to play with, feed, and house the animals in its care. You can connect with other cat people or dog people there, and you might even find a cuddle buddy to bring home.
Pitching in at a pet shelter or tidying up a local park are both ways to get involved and form deep bonds with caring people in Yonkers.
Find a Keeper in the Lost Borough
Cornelius Hackl and his friend blundered into adventure by breaking their everyday routine, skipping town, and posing as big shots. They swore not to return home without kissing a girl, and, by golly, they managed it.
Still, people in Yonkers don’t need to stray that far from their comfort zone to land a date or a relationship. The resources in our list can widen their social circle in a single weekend.
Meeting new people is hard at any age, but a bit of practice and persistence is all it takes to make something swell happen. Keep an open mind about romance, and be prepared to seize the dating chances that come your way. As Cornelius sings in “It Only Takes a Moment,” one brief moment can be enough to find a love that lasts a lifetime.
About the Author
By: Emma Wilson
Editor-in-Chief
Emma Wilson is the Editor-in-Chief at thecandiddate.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being 'boy crazy,' but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. Emma brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to thecandiddate.com.
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