Cupid has abandoned Columbia, Maryland.
In a WalletHub study of the best and worst cities for singles across the country, the D.C.-Baltimore suburb managed to be such a bummer for lovers that it ranked near the bottom of the barrel, placing 177 out of 182.
The dating scene there is indeed dire — largely because there isn’t much variety in terms of places to go, according to one source who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive topics with WTOP. And the few places that are good date spots require a car.
So options are slim. Potential paramours can’t even go to one of the most popular dating spots anymore, Pub Dog, because it blew up this year. Literally.
“It’s chain restaurants and movie theaters and that’s pretty much all there is there,” our source said. “There is a waterfront in Columbia and that’s where you’d go for ‘romantic’ dates I guess. You can’t plan, like, a ‘date night’ … a date night is dinner and movies. Because there isn’t anything to do.”
Not only are the options slim; they’re expensive, to boot. One dinner date can easily cost over $100. Other activities, such as bowling at Main Event, cost $29 an hour after 5 p.m., when normal humans attempt to have fun.
Our source suggests heading to nearby Ellicott City instead. “Main Street, you can go shopping. There’s usually stuff going on on Main Street. In Columbia it’s, you know, walk the mall and go to a movie.”
The breweries in the planned community of Columbia are cool, she said, but they’re in shopping centers and strip malls. “And you always see people you know there. So you don’t necessarily want to bring a first or second date there, because I’ve made that mistake before.”
“If you grew up there, these same places, you see the same people.”
Our source lamented that, given the situation, it was very much like being “perpetually 16.”
Other regional spots fared much better than lovelorn Columbia. Richmond sits at No. 20; the District is No. 27, and Virginia Beach hit No. 40.
Others, not so much: Norfolk is 78; Baltimore is at 81. Chesapeake is at 133, and Newport News is 141.
The study looked at three main categories in order to tally up a score: Economics, fun and recreation, and dating opportunities.
Roll it, Pete:
