On Dating
Episode “The pre-Date”

Andrea Syrtash: Hi I am back in the studio today and answering questions from viewers. I am Andrea Syrtash and this is On Dating.
Where is the best place to take a blind date and why?

Man on street: Just a nice well lit bar, I think would be the best, somewhere where the crowds doesn’t freak anyone out.
Man on street: I would say somewhere where there is a lot of people; you know coffee, Starbucks coffee place.
Woman on street: Maybe doing something really fun, like going to an amusement park or something like that. As opposed to meeting in a restaurant or the old clichéd date.
Man on street: A bar that’s not too noisy, where you can talk.

Woman on street: Talking over food is always nice, it eases the tension.

Andrea Syrtash: This question comes to us from Andy in Austin, Tx. Andy asks, what is the best pre-date, in your opinion?
The pre-date, the initial meeting to see if one wants to book a more substantial date. Ok, I want to remind everyone that before you even consider meeting a person you should take about a week, or two or three communications on email or over the phone before you book the pre-date. Trust me, you are going to chat with a lot of people online and you’re not going to want to meet them all. Just don’t draw out communications for moths and months that will increase frustration and frustrations.
So you have emailed and spoken a few times, with a great person online, and you want to meet. But you don’t want to invest tons of time and money before you have met this person. I have some ideas.

The biggest pre-date mistake is meeting for some coffee on a Sunday at three p.m., boring. Talk about a buzz kill. Listen you don’t need to invest tons of hours to really create the atmosphere you need to see if there are romantic sparks. A great predate is meeting at a tapas bar after work. A tapas bar, not a topless bar. A tapas bar, you know with a variety of Spanish appetizers. The mood at this place is generally festive, the happy hour prices are usually reasonable.
And suggesting a spot like this makes you seem a little more creative and fun than the other people your date is meeting online. I you don’t like your date you are in and out with perhaps a nice sangria buzz.

Another idea, if the weather is nice and you live near a nice big park like central park in New York or a great pedestrian walkway like Third Street in Santa Monica, those are easy pre-date spots. It takes the pressure off to walk around while getting to know each other, and the sites you see and the dogs you meet are great conversation starters. You can make your destination an ice cream or a drink. Certainly a cheap pre-date option.

Here are some tings to remember about the pre-date: Know before you go. Keep your pre-date short. Tapas bar= Great pre-date. Outdoor pre-dates are good. And a cheaper option. So I hope I gave you just a few pre-date options. Thanks for watching On Dating, and remember even a bad date makes a great story. So get out there and have some fun, I am Andrea Syrtash; I will see you next time.