Just because school is over doesn’t mean you have to stop meeting cute guys every night. If you hit the right spots and know how to work a hot summer outfit you can meet plenty of beaus. Whether you’re back home, interning in a city, or staying at school over the summer, you can meet cute guys during the next few months by following these 6 tips.
If you’re at home
Don’t be down in the dumps because you’re bored at home. Your town is probably full of hotties, and you don’t even know it. Even if you don’t live in a huge, bustling town, young college-age guys are always taking summer trips—and one of their stops may just be where you live.
Make the most of the outdoor party scene.
Go to every available cookout, 4th of July party, backyard get-together, weekend BBQ – the list goes on. Summer is prime time for this sort of family, friend, and neighborhood event. If you’re invited, go. Make an appearance in your cute new summer dress or shorts-and-wedges outfit; you never know who you’ll meet. That annoying neighbor next door may actually have a cute brother. Or cousin. Take her up on that offer for drinks and grilled veggies with her fam next time. Just in case.
Find a dog to walk.
It doesn’t matter if it’s yours, your grandma’s, or borrowed from the local shelter – get a dog and get a leash. People (guys included) are more willing to stop to talk to someone who has a cute (make sure it’s friendly, too) pup on their arm. Take the dog to the local bike or walking trail, around your neighborhood, or for a longer hike in the woods. If you run into a guy with a dog, let the dogs be the icebreaker while you mingle. If he doesn’t have a pooch but you still want to chat, walk your dog closer towards him (not too obviously though), and let the dog take care of the rest. Oh what’s that? Muffin’s tail is wagging? Cue, “Hey, I think she likes you.” Success.
If you’re staying at school
First of all, keep your eyes peeled for athletes – they’re crawling on university campuses during the summer. Secondly, there might be fewer guys around, but there are fewer girls, too – so if you’re looking at ratios, the game’s still on.
Go where the sports are.
Hit up the tennis and basketball courts, the golf course, or the fitness club in your area. Dudes love waking up early, putting on a polo (it’s a golf course rule to dress up a little), and drinking some brews on the green. Sports are the perfect make-me-feel-like-a-hotshot guy activities. What could be a better time to do a little flirting than when he’s feeling confident and strong and is in his best well-dressed gear? It doesn’t matter if you’ve never picked up a club (or racquet) before either—guys love to teach. When you get to the clubhouse to get balls, ask about a lesson. Nine times out of 10 you’ll get a 22 year-old hottie who’s home for the summer to coach, same as he’s done since high school. We won’t say we told you so. No golfing greens or athletic clubs? There’ll be sporty boys at the gym, too.
Work at the local hotspot.
You know those town favorites that turn into meeting grounds during the summer months? Maybe it’s the café on Main Street or the homemade ice cream shop. These are the hangouts for locals, and people are generally in a feel-good, chatty mood when they stop by. Get hired at one of those and you’ll be sure to exchange a few numbers. Give a smile to any cutie you serve; he might come back for a second vanilla cone or just for a chat (hopefully he leaves a tip)! This works both ways, too – visit these local places to see what cuties are working there this summer. Kelsey, Boston University ‘14, worked up the courage to give her number to the stud working at the frozen yogurt place in her town. “We ended up texting!” she said. Hey, it’s a start. Lauren, Penn State Berks ‘15, also exchanged numbers with a guy at work. “I work at PINK at my mall and he works at the Starbucks there, so I would always be going there for coffee on my breaks.” She said. After weeks of smiling and making eye contact with each other, she finally asked for his name. Eventually, she says, “I came in for a refill on my break and he said ‘we should hang out sometime’ and asked for my number!”
It might not be a “hotspot,” but an outdoorsy or workout-related store will also do wonders. Try a bike shop, an active apparel store, or a kayak rental shop. We can guarantee that more than one 20-something guy will walk through those doors.
If you’re in the city
If you’re used to all college guys all the time, being in a city around older guys can be a little overwhelming. If you want to meet a gem, though, we vote you up your game on the flirting during the day and leave the late-night scene for pure fun with the girls – it can be tough to find a good guy when everyone has too many drinks in their system.
Find everyone’s weekend go-to.
In New York City, one of these go-to spots is Sheep Meadow in Central Park. If NYC were a university, Sheep Meadow would be its quad. Find out the equivalent of this in your city. You want a spot where, on sunny weekend days, everyone gathers to hang out, read, tan, play soccer, have mini parties, etc. Grab a few friends—or just a book—and a blanket. Pick a spot near your next guy target or let him come to you.If you don’t get a number, at least you’ll enjoy the sunshine! Don’t switch up your location every weekend, though (sure, every once in a while is OK, if the fish really aren’t biting). Maybe that guy who spent all afternoon eyeing you will go back next weekend hoping you’ll be there – so you better be!
Go to happy hour.
Sure, you can hit up the bars after 11:00 pm, but we suggest going out earlier for Happy hour. Those young guys interning at the accounting firm? Happy hour. The boys who just got hired at J.P. Morgan? Happy hour. They’ll be in a good mood since they’re out of work, but they won’t be slurring their words (not yet, at least – if you stay long enough... maybe). Don’t bother going home to change first, though. Stay in your cute work outfit since they’ll still be in their button-ups and ties. If you’re lucky enough to have good bars in your neighborhood, pick one of those to try – you might find a guy who lives within the same few blocks. At the very least it will give you something to talk about.
There are so many other ways and places to meet cute guys than the ones we’ve listed here. Wherever you are this summer, the most important first step is to leave your house or apartment. You’ll never meet a man if you’re just watching movies alone, waiting for him to arrive!
What’s one of the coolest ways you’ve met a guy over the summer? Tell us in the comments!