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Washington an ‘intellectual meat market,’ tough dating hub for women

Laura Donovan Contributor
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As if dating isn’t enough of a struggle for high achieving females, Bloomberg reports that Washington has slim pickings for single women.

Christy McConville, a 34-year-old political communications professional, told the publication that she spent nearly ten years in the nation’s capitol before moving to the sunny skies of Pasadena, California, where she had better luck meeting guys.

Washington residents are “really sort of dating their jobs,” McConville said, adding that she can breathe easier in the Golden State because men are eager to learn about her favorite hobbies rather than her job. “It’s sort of like an intellectual meat market.”

As noted by Bloomberg, women also outnumber men in the district. Washington has 112 women for every 100 men, the highest female to male ratio in the country. According to the head of one social networking group, speed-dating gatherings for college-educated singles sell around 50 percent more tickets in D.C. than in the majority of other U.S. cities. In Washington, people tie the knot so late in life that the city has more infertility experts than most places, according to one sociologist.

Dating in Washington could be great for men but awful for women, as more females come to D.C. than males. Men have an assortment of choices while women may have to compete for attention.

“Young women are more likely to come into the District than young men,” said William Frey of the Brookings Institution.

There’s also the issue of people being too career-oriented and committed to their work to get into relationships. Hence, these individuals marry late in life and face fertility issues.

“It’s very much, ‘I have all these things I need to accomplish,’” said 24-year-old Lisa Hough, an engineer for a construction company.

With job demands, it’s not unusual for people to put the moves on others at unlikely locations.

“I once had a guy try to pick me up at Costco,” said Heather May. “He asked me if I was from around here because I looked tan. It actually almost worked. I’m so pale, I love being told I look tan.”

Laura Donovan