The NYC dating events for women are $100, and men are free to set up. This has exposed just how tough the singles scene has become for women in New York City. The New York Times highlighted the trend in a recent report showing that some matchmaking nights now charge women up to $100 a ticket while letting men in for nothing, and still the room fills with three women for every man.
Organisers say they have no choice. In a city packed with ambitious, driven people, the numbers simply do not add up. Women sign up in droves hoping to meet someone serious, while men hold back or prefer apps where they can swipe without spending.
Event hosts tried free entry for everyone but ended up with rooms full of women and almost no men to talk to. So they flipped the script. Charge the side that shows up and let the scarce side in free. Even then the ratio stays stubbornly at three to one.
One recent speed-dating night in Manhattan sold out at $95 for women and zero for men. The host posted photos afterward showing rows of women in nice dresses chatting among themselves while a handful of men moved from table to table.
Comments under the post poured in fast. Some women laughed it off, saying at least the drinks were strong. Others called it insulting that they have to pay premium prices just to get basic attention in their own city.
Men had mixed takes too. A few admitted they feel overwhelmed by the pressure when the room tilts heavily female. Others shrugged and said apps already give them plenty of options without paying cover charges. One guy posted that he stopped going to these events because the vibe feels desperate on both sides.
The imbalance reflects bigger shifts in how people date in New York. Women in their late 20s and 30s often focus on careers first, then look to settle down. Men in the same age group seem slower to commit or prefer keeping things casual. Add in high living costs, long work hours and the constant scroll of dating apps, and many singles say the whole process feels exhausting.
The Times piece quoted several women who have tried everything from apps to mixers to setups through friends. One 32-year-old marketing manager said she has paid for three paid events in the last month and met exactly one guy worth a second date.
Another woman in finance joked that she now budgets for dating the way she budgets for gym memberships because both feel like investments with uncertain returns.
Event organisers defend the pricing model. They say it is simple economics. If men will not come unless it is free, then charge the side that will pay. Some hosts have started adding perks for women, like free drinks or priority matching, to make the ticket price feel worth it.
A few have even tried women-only nights or themed events, but the core problem remains the same: a shortage of interested men showing up in person.
Social media has turned the story into a lively debate. Posts with the headline have thousands of likes and comments ranging from funny memes to serious discussions about modern dating.
One viral thread asked why New York men seem so checked out, while another blamed high expectations on both sides. A popular reply summed it up nicely when it said New York is full of amazing single women and plenty of single men, but they somehow never end up in the same room at the same time.
The trend is not limited to New York. Similar events in Los Angeles, Chicago and even smaller cities have started testing the pay-for-women model with varying success. Dating coaches say the shift shows how traditional ways of meeting people have broken down and everyone is still figuring out what works next.
For now women in New York keep showing up, paying the fee and hoping the next event will be different. Men keep getting the free pass and the luxury of choice. The NYC dating events for women are $100 and men are free. Reality may feel unfair, but it reflects the raw numbers playing out in real time across crowded bars and rented event spaces every weekend.
The bigger question everyone keeps asking is whether this is just a phase or a sign of deeper changes in how relationships start in big cities. Until the ratios even out, organisers and singles will keep adjusting the rules one ticket price at a time.
