As the wise poet Rihanna once said, "we found love in a hopeless place."
...and right now you might be feeling pretty lost about how to find love. And even if you both swipe, you may be confused about first date ideas. Fear not, fellow Austinites, you can still get close while navigating this crazy world. Austin offers romantic concepts for finding and impressing that special someone you want to add to your social love bubble.
Contributed by Deven Wilson
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Fall in Love on the Dance Floor
There's something about an organic love story that we all fall for. Next time you're out with your friends at one the best Spots To Go Dancing in Austin, keep your eye out for any cuties and use that liquid courage to just go up and dance with them. And hey, if that doesn't work at least you put yourself out there and you can give any of the other ideas on this list a shot.
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Hop on a Dating App
There are plenty of dating apps in the sea, so why not support the homegrown and try Austin-based app, Bumble. It's the classic swiping-affair focused on giving womxn more control (along with networking and platonic sections to round it all out). Some other apps that are popular in the Austin area are Hinge, Tinder, and Feeld.
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Photo via facebook / Techo Mezcaleria & Agave Bar
Modern-day speakeasies like The Firehouse Hostel, Floppy Disc, and Midnight Cowboy are the perfect setting to find the romance missing from your life, whether it’s entering through a bookcase into what feels like a secret world or the exclusivity of having Floppy Disc’s monthly door code. The speakeasies sprinkled around town are venues handcrafted to pull curious people in, and this makes for interesting conversation leading directly to ‘I love you.' Your next step is making a reservation for the second date at Midnight Cowboy.
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Walk 1,000,000 Miles Around Downtown at SXSW
There’s nothing sexier than a week full of jam-packed sessions on cutting edge technology, world premiere film screenings, and hundreds of music showcases at your disposal. SXSW has everything you need to spark up a conversation with possible matches. From your favorite interests turned into keynote sessions to the secret showcases being whispered around town, the topics are endless. The city is full of thousands of new people waiting to tell everyone how they met you, the future love of their life, at the most diverse festival in the world.
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Photo credit: Roger Ho
Admit it: you’ve been secretly hoping all those solo dog walks in your best athleisure outfit would lead to a rom-com meet-cute. Why not ditch the mile walk around the neighborhood and take your furry friend on an adventure to one of the several dog-friendly parks around the city? From Red Bud Isle to Auditorium Shores, there are plenty of green spaces to take your canine roommate out to help you meet like-minded Austinites.
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Photo: East Austin succulents via Instagram
Grow a Crush on a Cutie at a Plant Shop
While you wait for spring, take a romantic stroll with your new lover through these garden shops. Embrace the tropical feel, and take in the serene atmosphere surrounded by greenery. You can pursue their potted plants, or start to plan your dream greenhouse together. While they figure out how to get that palm tree in their car, surprise your date with a little succulent instead of a cliche bouquet. And if you're not quite to the part yet where you have a date, we hear plant stores are a great place for meet-cutes. A fellow human who can take care of a plant? It's fate!
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Photo via Texas Farmers Market
Reach for the Same Potato at a Farmers’ Market
If you aren’t looking for a partner who supports local businesses, are you really even looking for love? Farmers' Markets are plentiful around Austin (some of our favorites are SFC, Lone Star, and Texas Farmers' Market) and are full of people wanting to try new things and meet new friends...or more than friends. While picking up cage-free eggs and trying samples of the newest kombucha flavors, Mx. Right awaits you at the next stall. Which also has artisan cheese (our favorite is Gouda!)
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You might be more familiar with packed crowds on hot summer days at Barton Springs, but the natural pool is a secluded spot before the sun rises. Set your alarm early and bring something warm to change into for a romantic swim in what will feel like warm waters. Watch the sky change to bright and dramatic colors while you feel like the only people in the world who would dare to wake up before 6 am. Afterward, you can heat up and bond over a warm cup of coffee as you go over who took the better sunrise pic.
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Photo via Facebook
Skip the Impulsive Early Vacay with a Staycation
There’s something romantic about going away together, but why not make the most out of Austin’s constant influx of hotels by treating yourselves to a staycation? Practically every direction of our city has a handful of getaway spots to help shake things up. From the beautiful Omni Barton Creek or Hotel Magdalena tucked along Music Lane to the over the top eco-luxury of the all-inclusive Miraval resort above Lake Travis, you can find a romantic escape without leaving the metro area.
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Did you find love in a hopeless place?
