By Madeleine Marr
Miami Herald.
MIAMI
Looking for someone? Get out of your comfort zone. Literally, says Patti Stanger, aka Bravo’s “Millionaire Matchmaker.”
If you’re a member of an online dating site, drop the mindset that you want to meet a “geographically attractive” mate.
How far should you go?
“Type in 100 miles from your ZIP Code,” advises the L.A.-area-based Stanger, who met her live-in boyfriend, mortgage broker David Krause, on Plenty Of Fish.com, this way. “He’s from Orange County and drove to see me every single week. Truthfully, I never would have met him had I not decided to date outside of my region,” she said during a chat while she was in town for an event.
So if the singles’ bar scene is not working for ya, head north.
“It’s not really a Dade or Broward (County) thing,” says Stanger, who graduated from the University of Miami and lived in Hollywood for a time. “I just think everyone is like, sick, of South Beach, Coconut Grove and Kendall. It’s time to get your a_ out of your county and mix it up, ladies!
“It’s snooty to think you can’t leave your district. Places like Pompano Beach and Delray are not just where your grandmother used to live. Remember when South Beach was full of drug dealers and retirement communities? Get over it!”
You can peruse her new website, www.singlegirlshandbook.com to nab some free advice about why you remain solo and on how to change your relationship status.
In Stanger’s opinion, the main problem facing singles searching for love on the Web these days: too many choices.
“The thing I’m finding is that people aren’t trying to get to know each other,” says the third generation matchmaker. “They just discount one small fragment of a profile. We’re not talking deal-breakers. We’re talking, ‘I want a girl who’s five-foot-four, not five-foot-two.’ It’s stupid, ridiculous things.”
The second issue is men are letting their fingers do the talking.
“It’s OK to text her when you’re in a meeting and saying, ‘I’m thinking about you,’ but when it comes to asking her out, you have to call her! Texting is for teenagers.”
She recommends joining a few sites, don’t limit yourself, and, for heaven’s sake, post a flattering picture.
“I don’t want to see you bungee jumping,” Stanger says in her signature refreshingly blunt way. “Go to a professional. Get your Glam Squad or whatever you use. Make sure it’s quality and makes an impression.”
