As Valentine’s Day approaches, many local hangouts and eateries are featuring dinner-for-two specials, but a couple local ladies are organizing something for those who aren’t committed to a special someone. Alice Vysata, founder of the nationwide dating website, www.HeartAnd Hobby.com, has joined forces with Sheila Fortune, owner of Aquamoree, to bring a regular singles-oriented event to Fortune’s new Spanish-Southern fusion restaurant at 1250 Prospect St. The two held their first “Single Mingle” on Feb. 2, a weekly event they hope to see take off. Vysata, who recently shared her expertise about dating on Fox 5 News with Ali Fedotowsky, star of the popular dating show “The Bachelorette,” said she wasn’t previously aware of any singles’ events in La Jolla. She said downtown San Diego offers a lively social scene, and La Jolla has potential to be just as single-friendly. “I think the people who venture [downtown] do it because it is for the most part very busy and they hope to find like-minded people who enjoy the same events,” Vysata said. “If we can bring the same concepts and events to La Jolla, we can create the same social-friendly atmosphere on a smaller scale, and perhaps bring singles from neighboring towns out of the woodwork too.” The median age in 92037 is 38.4 years old, according to www.city-data.com, and the median household size is 2.1. This is in comparison to the state’s average of 33 and 2.9, respectively. It’s hard to say exactly what these stats mean, but Vysata pointed to a number of scenarios — “people being divorced, widowed or simply just single living in a beautiful Southern California coastal town.” “[The] point is that there are obviously a number of singles in La Jolla, and it is important to have more singles-oriented events for locals,” Vysata said. A single herself, she even mentioned a La Jolla online Meetup group for singles that has more than 70 members. Further looking into singles stats, a comparison of quantities of single men and women on the east and west coasts suggests there are tens of thousands more single men in Southern California than women. This analysis of singles ages 20 to 64 was based on 2006 U.S. Census data adapted from National Geographic in 2007. Vysata said there is about an equal amount of men and women on her website, but “due to the military, you do see a lot more single males than females in San Diego,” she said. “It’s not in the numbers,” she said. “It’s is in the quality.” She said a good way to hone in on the right person is to try to find someone with similar hobbies or interests. “In that situation,” she said, “you will have more to talk about and will probably form a deeper connection with someone much sooner.” WHAT: Single Mingle at Aquamoree WHERE: 1250 Prospect St. WHEN: Wednesdays, 6 to 9 p.m.
