For some men, meeting women seems almost second nature. For others, it can be a distinct challenge. The simple truth is that more than half of the globe is female. The women are there, but finding the right one at the right time seems to be a major stumbling block.

The Best Places for Meeting Women

You’ll hear warnings about meeting women in a bar, but it must not be all bad or we wouldn’t keep doing it. The right bar is actually a great place to meet women, after all, as even the most educated and enlightened woman likes to head out for happy hour from time to time, even if she’s just there for the appetizers and company.

Bars and restaurants that are known to cater to a sophisticated crowd. Once you’re over a certain age, you shouldn’t be cruising the clubs where you might run into kids a full decade younger than you. Look for known hot spots with people closer to your own age and interests. Stay within your element, however.

Heading uptown to a swanky nightclub for drinks when you’re more comfortable hanging out with boots and beer will make you distinctly uncomfortable and women will easily pick up on that vibe. If you’re forced into it by a well-meaning friend, use that discomfort to your advantage by waiting to be “rescued” by a well-meaning woman.

Social events through work and organizations. It’s bad form to hit on the female coworkers while on the job, but in most workplaces, the occasional social get-together lets you get a better feel for an individual outside cubicles and fax machines. Sit next to someone who seems interesting at the table for happy hour or make it a point to speak to her at the company night at the bowling alley. The more absurd the gathering, the more fun you can have together.

Favorite venues are fodder for meeting women. If you’re at the gym on a nearly religious basis, break up your routine to try some different classes where women might be working out, too. Try spin classes or circuit training where you’ll have the chance to meet and speak to other regulars. The same is true for any social activity you enjoy, women you meet at the tennis club or taking cooking classes will be easy to talk to you since you have similar interests. Avoid taking a class or joining a group just to meet women, however, unless it’s a singles group designed for the purpose.

Online dating. Up to one in five marriages today originated online. Increasingly busy individuals are turning to online dating sites to at least see who else is out there that seems to be interesting. These sites give you many levels of discussion before actually meeting letting you weed through those who aren’t a good match to find others that might be fun to meet in person. If you do use online dating sites, let your personality shine through in your profile and be honest. Lies online will most certainly catch up to you eventually if you plan to do more than flirt over the internet with these women.