Your Next Date Could Involve Gin & Laundry

Modern romance: The game has changed. So much so that your first date may very well involve Tide and dryer sheets.

HowAboutWe.com, a dating site where users can propose specific dates — ie, “How about we … grab a sandwich at Torrisi then go for a walk on the Westside Highway” — conducted a survey on which activities were most popular with daters in New York and elsewhere. Below, some of their surprising (and not-so-surprising) findings:

Gin beats whiskey.

In New York, dates involving gin are four times as popular as those involving whiskey. Also, gin dates are on the upswing while whiskey dates decline. This is surprising because gin is gross.

Bowling beats ping-pong.

Ping-pong used to be the most popular acvitity for New Yorkers on HowAboutWe (really?). But now bowling has surpassed it, with bowling dates twice as popular as ping-pong ones. This kind of makes sense, as bowling facilitates talking in a way ping-pong doesn’t. However, ping-pong is the way to Susan Sarandon‘s heart.

Guys talk too much, and are too fancy.

Nationwide, men’s ideas for dates are longer, on average, than women’s. But the most successful date propositions are just 120-140 characters long. Also, guys are into proposing dates at upscale restaurants, but these have a shitty response rate, probably because going to a really expensive place on the first date feels sort of formal and high-pressure. Casual dates are three times as likely to get a response. Get it together, dudes!

People like errand dates.

Apparently errands like laundry and grocery shopping are in the top 3 dates most likely to net you a response from a New Yorker. People in other cities hate this shit, which is understandable because 1) it’s weird, and 2) do you really want someone you just met watching you do your laundry? This person will see not only your underwear but also the fact that you got oatmeal all over your bedazzled bunny hoodie and now you have to use extra-strength detergent to get it off. Hypothetically.

The best dates involve doing stuff with booze.

HowAboutWe has developed a “formula” for a perfect first date: “1 part alcohol + 1 part activity + 1 specific location.” Sounds pretty solid — I guess even a laundry date is okay if you add enough alcohol to it. Just not gin.