In 2009, Isabel was about to move to St. Paul for grad school, and the 30-something-year-old woman had some anxiety about relocating to an unfamiliar city. She wasn’t worried about her schoolwork or carer opportunities — she was worried about her social life.
“I am a little concerned about some of what I’ve read about Minnesotans being somewhat distant and difficult to make friends with,” she wrote in a discussion forum. “I’d like to meet people who are funny, smart, interesting, around my age… Any other suggestions or ideas or insights?”
Isabel’s cry for help didn’t fall on deaf ears. Locals posted page upon page of responses, and the conversation lasted years. Some Minnesotans suggested particular meetups or neighborhood bars, while others simply bemoaned how tough it is for newcomers to make friends. We thought we could come up with a more comprehensive answer to Isabel’s question by making a list of ways singles can find friendship and romance in St. Paul. This is that list.
St. Paul Dating Sites
The #1 way to meet singles is — unsurprisingly — online dating. You just have so many options and so many ways to connect. Today’s dating platforms allow you to like, wink, message, flirt, heart, or even send virtual gifts to attract attention, and it’s easy to search the database to find compatible men and women. You can sign up for free to any of the following dating sites and see what they can do for you.
Best Singles Site
If you’re looking for the best dating site, look no further. Our reviewers rank Match at the top of every list of dating sites because it has been around longer than any other dating site and brings a lot of clout. Its carefully honed match algorithm is responsible for countless dates, relationships, and marriages.
- Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships
- Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more
- Our Experts Say: Match has facilitated the most dates and relationships of any dating site, and its large audience and high success rate make it our top review. Our Review »
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Over 50 & Senior Sites
St. Paul is a pretty young city, and that college-town vibe can be intimidating for more mature daters in the area. Senior singles need a niche network to find one another, and that’s exactly what OurTime provides. This senior-friendly network is the best dating site for singles over 50 because it allows them to stick to their own age bracket.
- Relationships: Dates and Relationships
- Match System: Search by profiles by zip and more
- Our Experts Say: OurTime is well-known in the over-50 dating crowd, particularly because it has a ton of helpful search features and an easy layout. Our Review »
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For Black Men & Women Only
African-Americans are the second largest racial demographic in St. Paul, but that still only amounts to 15.7% of the population. Not exactly a promising statistic for singles looking to date within the black community. Fortunately, BlackPeopleMeet provides a niche network of black and biracial singles, so you can’t meet your match in no time.
- 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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Hookup & Sex Site
Last of all, we have to acknowledge that not all daters are looking for a happily-ever-after ending. Some just want to get laid. Adult Friend Finder is an adult-friendly, sex-positive site that can help them get down to business. This sex and swinger community has made over 5.7 million connections — and counting.
- 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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Popular Dating Apps
As of 2018, over 319,000 people live in St. Paul. That’s a lot of people to sort through just to find a date, and many singles just don’t have that kind of time. That’s why they rely on dating apps to bring them viable date prospects in their area. The swiping and matching tools on dating apps facilitate fast connections and real-time conversations.
Match.com
- Relationships: Fun Dates, Serious Relationships
- Match System: Browse by location, age, interest, and more
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About the App:
Available via the App Store and Google Play, Match is a fantastic app for dates and relationships. With a user base of 30 million singles, Match is where you’ll have a high chance of success. It’s 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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eharmony
- Relationships: Long-Term Relationships, Marriages
- Match System: Get daily match suggestions
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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.
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
OurTime.com
- Relationships: Dating and Relationships
- Match System: Search by age as well as zip, gender, more
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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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St. Paul Singles Bars
St. Paul is known as “the most livable city in America,” and we’d say its bars are the most datable spots in the city. It’s just so easy to build connections in such a neighborly and friendly atmosphere. When you hang out at a bar, you’re surrounded by opportunities to strike up a casual conversation with someone new, and that’s ideal for seeking a date. We recommend stopping by the following bars after work, after classes, or on the weekend to relax with people who share a similar sense of fun.
Red Cow St. Paul
Red Cow has three locations in Minneapolis, but only one in St. Paul. This family-owned franchise has been a big hit in the Twin Cities, and often brings in a big crowd on the weekends. The original inspiration for Red Cow was to create a modern tavern where the kitchen served elevated burgers and wines. Curious about the name? Red stands for wine, and Cow stands for burgers. The restaurant's signature burger is made with 60% certified Angus beef and topped with Wisconsin-aged cheddar, beer mustard, and candied bacon. Basically, it's a meat lover's dream. The Red Cow also serves up an imaginative selection of wines, craft beers, and specialty cocktails, so you can always find something to satisfy you here.
Obb's Sports Bar & Grill
Obb's Sports Bar & Grill was one of the first 10 bars to open in St. Paul after the repeal of Prohibition in the 1930s, and it has been delighting patrons ever since. Don't have tickets to an upcoming game? No worries! Obb's Sports Bar & Grill can put you in the middle of the action for a fraction of the cost. This sports bar is known to play multiple games on multiple screens, so you can follow the teams that matter to you. This place fills up on game days, and you can often see strangers high-fiving one another over an excellent play.
Groveland Tap
The laid-back atmosphere at Groveland Tap can help singles feel comfortable chatting with someone new. You don't have to lay on a big line; just invite someone to a game of pool or ask for a craft beer recommendation. Groveland Tap offers over 40 beers, 34 of which are served straight from the tap. This neighborhood beer and burger joint is a great place to just hang out and listen to oldies on the jukebox while meeting locals at the bar. On Mondays, the bar offers $3 cheeseburgers from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., so definitely stop by if you want to chow down with a bunch of hungry, happy people.
The Happy Gnome
The Happy Gnome has the reputation as one of the best gastropubs in St. Paul. It brings a lot of quality to the table. And I'm not just talking about its house-made pretzels, poutine, and burgers. This contemporary bar has a variety of draft microbrews, decadent desserts and seasonal fare to tempt patrons. The bar has over 250 types of whiskeys, including rare bourbons and aged single malts from Scotland. Every night of the week, the Happy Gnome promises visitors a culinary adventure that highlights Midwestern flavors. You can have an upscale dining experience at the Firehouse Room upstairs or sit out on the patio where it's a bit more low-key.
Brunson's Pub
Located on Payne Avenue, Brunson's Pub serves made-from-scratch food and affordably priced drinks. The bar has extended happy hours from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. on the weekdays, plus during the last two hours of every night. Monday Funday and Trivia Tuesday offer additional deals to lighten your mood without lightening your wallet. Brunson's Pub eclectic menu changes seasonally to satisfy the bar's diverse audience. Its head chef is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate who worked his way up from dishwasher and understands how to put together plates that wow diners but don't cost a fortune.
Dark Horse Bar & Eatery
When you're in St. Paul, one thing's for sure: You won't go hungry. The Dark Horse Bar & Eatery is yet another awesome gastropub with a cool atmosphere and delicious grub. Its menu includes American favorites like wings and pepperoni pizza, but it also has some off-the-wall options like duck wings with cayenne caramel and a Bánh mì hot dog with pickled peppers. The drinks menu is just as interesting with fun twists on classic cocktails. The Bloody Molly, made with Irish whiskey and Dark Horse hot sauce, is a favorite among locals looking to spice things up.
St. Paul Speed Dating
Over 82% of St. Paul’s residents work in the private sector, and many of these busy professionals just don’t have time to scour the dating scene and engage in long conversations before, during, and after a date. Traditional dating and online dating are simply too time-intensive for them, so they seek out speed dating events where they can fast-track the search for a date or a relationship. Speed dating events allow singles to meet people and assess chemistry on dozens of mini-dates. Check Eventbrite to find an event near you.
St. Paul Singles Events
Singles events also offer a targeted dating environment, but with less structured introductions than you’d find at a speed dating event or on a dating app. Singles events don’t pressure attendees to match up with someone right away. Instead, they can mingle with the crowd and flirt at their own pace in a casual and relaxed setting. If you want to expand your social circle, attending a local singles event or meetup is a great way to get started.
St. Paul Singles Clubs
Though St. Paul is called the Saintly City, not all its residents are concerned with holy edicts and moral purity. Some just want to dance. The city’s nightlife is known to attract many college-aged singles looking for forget their cares for an evening. You can flirt with people under the strobe lights and make a connection based on physical attraction and chemistry. Whether you enjoy lighting up the dance floor or watching the fun from the bar, you can rely on St. Paul’s nightclubs to get you in a mood to party.
St. Paul Chat Rooms
Want to meet people without leaving your house? The internet has your back. Online chat rooms provide a friendly social space where singles can shoot the breeze for as long as they want. It’s easy to join and start a conversation with men and women in Minnesota. Some regional chat rooms even target St. Paul singles specifically, which makes meeting people even easier.
St. Paul Personals
In the 1920s, when cartoonist Charles M. Schultz was growing up in St. Paul, one of the most popular ways to find a date was by flipping past the comics section to the personals section of the newspaper. But things have changed nowadays. Dating personals have gone digital, so now singles can post an ad that circulates to a far broader audience on the web. You can create a profile for free on the following dating personals websites.
Spend a Day Volunteering & Working as a Team
Volunteerism is good for the mind and the heart. By giving your time to a nonprofit, you can get involved in the community and make a difference while making new friends.
St. Paul’s official website lists various volunteer opportunities in its public parks. The Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, for instance, is always looking for gardening assistants, greeters, interpreters, and event support. This organization sees over 50 interns and 1,500 volunteers every year.
Every year, over 5,000 volunteers work together to clean up St. Paul’s public parks and gardens.
Whether you’re coaching a team on the ice rink or picking up litter in a park, you can take your mind off the dating scene for a little while and do something that makes you feel good about yourself. That’s going to draw people to you, and you may just find yourself crushing on someone working beside you.
How to Score a Date in Hockeytown
Isabel didn’t know what to expect when moving to St. Paul, and she feared the worst, but, ultimately, all it takes to meet people is the guts to put yourself in social situations. Many friendly people encouraged her in the discussion forum, and it was heartening to see so many people pull together to welcome a stranger.
If you live in St. Paul and want to meet singles around town, you can follow our advice and head to a dating site, bar, event, or nightclub to make something happen. There are so many different places to go to make friends and find romance, and you don’t have to pick just one. In fact, trying out multiple ways to meet people can be really enjoyable.
As Isabel herself said, “When I’m around people, I often have a lot of fun, so I think it’s worthwhile to get a new, more social routine. Moving to a new city is a good opportunity for that. I just need to follow through on some of my ideas and the great ideas that have been suggested to me so far.”
