When I was a kid, I thought a lot about dating. I wondered what it’d be like to have someone ask me out, spend time with a boyfriend, and get my first kiss. I thought about the qualities I wanted in a guy, and I told myself I’d hold out for that charming dreamboat, who I imagined would look like A.C. Slater from “Saved by the Bell.”
Every time Mario Lopez Jr. sauntered onto my television screen, my tween heart nearly exploded. Slater may not be the cleverest guy, but his dimpled smile won me over in every episode. I searched my high school for jocks with hearts of gold, but I soon realized it isn’t easy to find a dream date like Mario Lopez in real life.
Even singles who live in Glendale, California, where Mario has his $1.9 million mansion, don’t have a shot because this Hispanic hunk is now happily married with two children. Drat! Not to worry, though, Glendale still has tens of thousands of men and women who are on the market and looking for the right match. We’ve put together a list of ways to meet Glendale singles to help lovesick romantics find the Slater (or Jessie) of their dreams.
Glendale Dating Sites
In the last decade, online dating has lost its stigma and become the go-to dating solution for millions of singles around the globe. In 2016, the Pew Research Center found online dating usage tripled among 18- to 24-year-olds and doubled among 55- to 64-year-olds in just three years. We expect those numbers to only grow as online dating becomes increasingly mainstream.
Best Singles Site
Match is not only the oldest dating site in existence — it’s also the most successful dating platform around. Since 1995, the site’s personality-driven match algorithm has facilitated countless conversations and relationships. You can create an account for free to see if any Glendale singles catch your eye.
- 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 »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Over 50 & Senior Sites
Glendale isn’t exactly a city for youngsters. The median age is 41 years old, and many in the entertainment biz choose to retire in this quiet suburban city. If you count yourself among the senior population in Glendale, you can use OurTime to jump-start your love life. This over-50 dating site empowers singles to date on their own terms and create romantic connections with someone who shares a similar life history.
- 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 »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
For Black Men & Women Only
Sometimes it can be difficult to find the diversity you’re looking for in the dating pool, and that’s why niche dating sites like BlackPeopleMeet have become widespread. Singles can browse BlackPeopleMeet to meet thousands of black and biracial date prospects. You can filter the search results by location, age, religion, ethnicity, and other important compatibility factors.
- 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 »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Hookup & Sex Site
While other dating sites focus on building long-term relationships, Adult Friend Finder focuses on more practical, short-term goals. This hookup site facilitates flirtatious connections and sexual encounters between singles all over the world. If you’re looking for no-strings-attached sex, you can join this singles and swingers community for free.
- 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 »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Popular Dating Apps
Like it or not, dating apps are the future. The swipe-right era of dating has already changed how singles engage with one another online, and many active daters have jumped on the chance to flirt anywhere and anytime they want. Dating apps offer unprecedented accessibility to local singles and provide a way to sort those prospects into the most desirable and promising dates. We recommend using the following mobile dating networks to land a date in a few swipes.
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.
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
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.
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Glendale Singles Bars
Technology can give daters an advantage when it comes to finding compatible dates, but some singles still enjoy the freedom and flexibility of simply going to a bar and rolling the dice. You never know who you’re going to meet, and that’s an exciting prospect for singles facing another Saturday night at home. You can head to a local bar to scope out dates in person and build a connection over a round of drinks.
Tavern on Brand
Tavern on Brand is a tell-it-like-it-is kind of place. It doesn't put on airs. This tavern on Brand Boulevard has won people over by being a straight-up, all-American bar. The menu includes everything you could want from ice-cold beers and craft cocktails to cheesy pizzas and spicy wings. Its Taco Tuesday and Happy Hour specials tempt people to treat every weekday evening like a weekend. Since 2009, Tavern on Brand has become a focal point for the Glendale community and kept people laughing, talking, and enjoying themselves.
The Glendale Tap
The Glendale Tap has 52 rotating beers on tap, and that's reason enough to pay this place a visit. The old-school alehouse doesn't serve food (besides peanuts and pretzels), but it allows patrons to bring food in from other places, and you'll often see food trucks sitting outside offering tacos, barbecue, hotdogs, and other goodies. You can make friends by playing a game of pool or pulling up a stool at the spacious bar. The Glendale Tap stays open until 2 a.m. seven days a week, and it's often packed with locals looking for a good time in a laid-back setting.
The Oak and Vine
Wine lovers enjoy The Oak and Vine's cozy and quiet atmosphere. Whether you're sitting under the sun on the patio or making conversation at the bar, you can sample high-end wines without anyone bothering you. If you're interested in live music, you can head upstairs to catch a band in the evening hours. The full bar has more than just wine on its shelves, too. You can order a craft beer or a signature cocktail that looks every bit as good as it tastes. The menu also has shareable cheese boards, tapas, and pizzas, which can help you break the ice with a date.
Capri Lounge
The Capri Lounge is a dive bar located in a strip mall next to a dry cleaners. It may not look like much on the outside, but the bar's intimate neighborly vibe can put you at east. Many regulars turn up here in search of an affordable drink and the latest gossip. The bartenders are good about making conversation with people at the bar and making sure everyone leaves satisfied. If you want to just chill out for an evening, maybe play some pool, then the Capri Lounge is the place for you.
The Famous
The Famous is a well-known bar situated in Glendale's century-old Huntley-Evans building. This place is all about crafting the perfect cocktail. Bartenders use fresh, local ingredients to infuse every drink with flavor and color. You can also order sliders, quesadillas, and other appetizers before 9 p.m and then sit back on the leather couches listening to a live jazz band. The Famous offers a $2 discount on its drinks from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m., so you can stay on budget during your night on the town.
Underdogs
Since 2017, Underdogs has positioned itself as the friendliest sports bar in Glendale. The basement bar surrounds sports lovers with televisions showing basketball games, football games, soccer games, and other sporting events. You can get into the action yourself by playing shuffleboard, Foosball, Connect Four, or darts with someone at the bar. Or you can test your knowledge during Wednesday trivia nights. "Underdogs is a funky, relaxed sports bar," wrote Leah Martin-Brown in a Google review. "I will definitely come back again."
Glendale Speed Dating
Speed dating is like the Grand Central Air Terminal of the dating scene — it helps people reach their desired destinations much faster than they could on their own. No more getting waylaid by bad dates. You can zip from date to date during the course of an evening and form dozens of first impressions without breaking a sweat. Speed dating events offer a fun and easy way to build a rapport and find promising dates in your neighborhood.
Glendale Singles Events
Location is everything in the dating scene. You could be the most charming person in the world, but that won’t help you get a date when you’re surrounded by happy couples. However, at a singles event, it’s easy to zero in on available dates. Singles mixers and meetups offer a social setting where active daters can mingle and flirt. You can search for a group that shares a particular interest (hiking, reading, cycling) or has members with similar backgrounds and values.
Glendale Singles Clubs
Glendale is located just outside of Los Angeles, and it attracts many glitzy celebrities seeking a break from the Hollywood scene. That’s not to say that it’s a quiet city, though. The downtown area is full of nightclubs and lounges where singles can party all night long. You don’t have to look very far to find a hangout where the drinks are strong and the dance floor is packed with people. Instead of suffering through small talk, you can let your hips do the talking as you get to know people in an intimate and carefree setting.
Glendale Chat Rooms
Chat rooms allow people on the web to come together and find common interests in a low-key way. This open forum doesn’t pressure singles to make a match, and you don’t have to invest a lot of time or energy to meet singles here. You can sign up to a local chat room using an email address, say hi, and see where things go. The following chat rooms are free and offer 24/7 access to Glendale singles from all walks of life.
Glendale Personals
Dating personals sites are basically dating sites, but without all the bells and whistles. You don’t have to jump through any hurdles to sign up to a personals site. No Facebook verification. No mandatory About Me sections. You don’t even have to upload a photo if you’d rather browse anonymously. Personal ads state the user’s age, location, and dating goals, and they let users discover the rest for themselves. Singles seeking a no-muss, no-fuss date can peruse the following local dating personals sites.
Go Shopping for a Hot Date
Last of all, we want to emphasize that you don’t have to go too far outside your comfort zone (or even your daily routine) to meet people. You just have to look around while you’re out and about and then work up the courage to approach the singles you see.
Glendale singles can court a date at the food court at the Galleria.
Going to the mall may seem like a juvenile way to meet singles, but it’s actually a solid daytime date strategy for Glendale singles. You’re in a casual yet crowded atmosphere where you can easily make conversation about your personal style or another person’s good looks.
The Glendale Galleria is the fourth largest mall in Los Angeles County with over 1.6 million square feet of retail space. The galleria has over 200 stores, which means lots of opportunities to make a new connection. You can stroll from store to store browsing for a new outfit and a new love interest.
Just be sure to get there early if you want to avoid long lines in the parking garage (it’s free to park) and wear comfortable shoes.
Make a Treasured Connection in Jewel City
Whether he’s dancing his way into our hearts on “Dancing with the Stars” or charming his way out of trouble in “Saved by the Bell,” Mario Lopez is the epitome of a hot date. But you can’t expect a guy like that to simply fall out of the sky and land on your front door. You have to track him down yourself.
Mario may be taken, but plenty of Glendale residents aren’t, and they’re waiting at bars, clubs, meetups, and dating sites to make those connections. It’s never too late to get out there and make something happen, so you wind up with your own happily-ever-after story.
I’ll leave you with a positive message from the “Saved by the Bell” crew: “No matter what happens, keep on smiling, and when life hands a lemon, make some lemonade.”
