Welcome to the first Meet Cute NYC! Every Sunday you’ll get the week’s best New York events for meeting someone in real life: singles nights and speed dating, plus run clubs, classes and parties where strangers actually talk.
Halloween lands on a Saturday, so the whole week is full of costumes and excuses to talk to strangers. Here are the events most likely to get you into a real conversation, from library speed dating to a Sunday mahjong lunch.
💘 singles only · 👋 everyone welcome · 🆓 free · 💵 paid · 🍸 drinks · 🧃 alcohol-free
Monday, Oct 26
👋 💵 🧃 6:00 PM · 332 E 4th St, East Village · Pay what you can
A partner stretching session where solo attendees get paired up. It's hard to stay strangers while helping someone into a hamstring stretch. (solo-friendly)
Monday Evening 4.75 Mile Social Run
👋 🍸 6:30 PM · 5th St & 46th Rd, Long Island City, Queens
A paced 4.75-mile group run along the LIC and Greenpoint waterfronts that ends at Rockaway Brewing. Small talk comes easier once you're sitting down with a beer.
Tuesday, Oct 27
Joy In Repetition/Speed Dating for Black Bibliophiles (The Spooky Edition)
💘 7:00 PM · The Free Black Women's Library Reading Room, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
Speed dating in a library reading room for Black readers who love horror, sci-fi, fantasy and Afrofuturism. A shared favorite book is the easiest opener there is. (ages 30–50, Black book lovers)
Comedy Dating Show HALLOWEEN EDITION!
💘 7:00 PM · Revision Lounge & Gallery, East Village
A Halloween-themed comedy dating show that plays matchmaker for love-seekers in the audience. You get laughs either way, and possibly a date.
Wednesday, Oct 28
Off The Apps Halloween Singles Mixer
💘 🍸 6:00 PM · Sugar Mouse NYC, East Village, Manhattan
A Halloween singles mixer at Sugar Mouse with an icebreaker web app and a costume contest, so the first move is mostly made for you.
Community Class: Ronald K. Brown / EVIDENCE
👋 🧃 7:00 PM · Youth Arts Academy Dance Studio, 1368 Fulton St, Brooklyn
The dance company EVIDENCE teaches an open community class in Brooklyn. Learning steps side by side breaks the ice without anyone needing a line.
Thursday, Oct 29
👋 🧃 7:00 PM · Bronx
Volunteers help run dessert and food events for low-income families in the Bronx. Working a shared shift gives you plenty to talk about.
WhatIfWe Singles Halloween Party
💘 🍸 7:30 PM · Cafe Balearica, Williamsburg
A singles-only Halloween party at Cafe Balearica where costumes are required. Everyone there came to meet someone in person, and your outfit does half the introducing.
Astoria Speed Dating Event | 30s & 40s Speed Dating @ Nisi Astoria
💘 7:30 PM · Nisi Estiatorio, Astoria, Queens
Speed dating at Nisi, a Greek restaurant in Astoria. A full evening of quick one-on-one introductions without leaving Queens. (30s and 40s)
Friday, Oct 30
Trick-or- Treat for Adults (Mixer + Bar Crawl)
👋 🍸 6:00 PM · Starr Bar, Bushwick
A Halloween mixer at Starr Bar, then adult trick-or-treating around neighborhood bars. Moving from stop to stop keeps the conversations moving too.
Play board games and meet cool people!
👋 💵 🍸 6:30 PM · Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, Park Slope, Brooklyn · $12 suggested donation
A big open board game night at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, with games taught and beverages, including beer, provided. Sitting down at a new table counts as an introduction. (beginner-friendly)
Saturday, Oct 31
Halloween Speed Dating (Ages 30–49)
💘 🍸 5:30 PM · Playwright Celtic Pub, Midtown Manhattan
Halloween speed dating at a Midtown pub: about 10 mini-dates, with mutual matches shared afterward. You can still make your evening plans once it wraps. (ages 30–49)
👋 💵 🍸 7:00 PM · The Brooklyn Strategist, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn · $10.00
Games With Strangers night at The Brooklyn Strategist. A game expert teaches two featured games and introduces players to each other, so showing up alone is the whole idea. (solo-friendly, beginner-friendly)
Sunday, Nov 1
11/1 | First Sunday: Dim Sum & Mahjong
👋 1:45 PM · Nin Hao, Prospect Heights
All-you-can-eat dim sum at Nin Hao followed by mahjong. A long Sunday lunch is a relaxed way to get to know the people at your table.
Didn't click with anyone? Soulmate is a matchmaker dating app for New York. A quick chat is all it takes: it gets to know you, then introduces you to people worth meeting. Try Soulmate
Hosting something where people can meet? Submit your event