They say that Facebook and instant messaging have replaced actual human interaction. But in New York, some people are still trying to meet each other the old-fashioned way: drunk at a bar. Turns out the Web may be a more efficient hookup machine, but is it as much fun? We stopped by Drop Off Service in the East Village one recent Saturday to ask people how their night was going, then followed up a few days later to find out how (or if) they made out.
1. Stefanie Seminara
West Village, analytics manager
2. Elizabeth Biddle
Fixed-income sales
Elizabeth: “I met someone here a month ago. I was sitting at the bar and he came up to order a beer.”
Stefanie: “He actually asked for both of our numbers, but he was obviously interested in Elizabeth.”
Outcome:
Stefanie: “We went dancing; I made a romantic connection.”
3 Jennifer Yen
26, Gramercy, graduate student
“I’m not going to look for potential hookups here. Guys always hit on me with, “You’re really tall for an Asian girl.” I’m five-ten, so it’s true, but come on!”
Outcome:
“The night was boring; no hitting on or being hit on.”
4. Boman Modine
23, West Village, film director
“The girl sitting to the left of me caught my eye, but she’s with her boyfriend. She gave me sex eyes. Sometimes women are happy with the men they’re with, but they like to peek behind the veil.”
Outcome:
“I stayed until 3:30 and got an Australian woman’s number.”
5. Kate Cotugno
23, Boston, student
6. Jackie Cotugno
22, Financial District, student
7. Alexis Michalos
21, Financial District, student
Jackie: “I don’t know if this is a good place to meet guys; everyone seems much older. I did meet a guy recently at a dive bar called Hook and Ladder—this is so embarrassing!—and we, well … something happened.”
Outcome:
“We ended up at a friend’s house at around 3 a.m.”
8. Yuliya Gorlovetsky
24, East Village, graphic designer
“I just sprained my ankle last night and I’m wearing two different shoes. That’s probably why I’m not checking out guys at all.”
Outcome:
“A few more friends came and met us, and we went home at 2 a.m. It was like a school night, almost.”
1. Amy Salinger
29, East Village, stylist
“I like this place because you can just focus on your friends. At some bars, people stand around like, ‘Who’s prettier?’ I’m too concerned with my own sexual prowess to notice anyone else.”
Outcome:
“I went to a wine bar and then to sleep.”
2. Johnny Gould
34, L.A., head of a production company
“It’s hard to know who I’m attracted to, because everyone’s wearing 27 layers. I’d know better if some of those layers came off.”
Outcome:
“At the end of the night, it was me and an expensive glass of Cabernet.”
3. Ben Engelke
30, Lower East Side, industrial designer
“I’m getting drunk here so I can talk to girls later. I recently broke up with my girlfriend, so my friends are getting me wasted.”
Outcome:
“I tried to talk to those two girls Stefanie and Elizabeth, but they were standoffish.”
4. Sue Lee
31, Hell’s Kitchen, investment banker
5. Colleen Filipo
32, Battery Park City, investment banker
Sue: “I don’t think anyone here is cute, but if we drink more, that might change.”
Colleen: “We both have M.B.A.’s, and we don’t need a man for money. We’re the perfect catch!”
Outcome:
Colleen: “We met some people, but no one of interest.”
6. Keith Sullivan
30, Fort Greene, artist
“I’ve gotten a lot of phone numbers recently. The secret of my charm is that once I hang out with someone for a while, I just get talkative and nice.”
Outcome:
“We went to Bowery Electric and I did leave with a new number in my phone.”
7. Carl Schubert
22, Riverdale, student
“No one is really catching my eye; I’m pretty picky. I don’t have a strategy where I’m like, ‘All right, I’m going to fake-spill something on her.’ ”
Outcome:
“We went to Pommes Frites at 4 a.m.—that was the highlight. I love fries.”
8. Joanne Yun
25, Brooklyn, marketing
“This has been a big year of trying to talk to guys, but always spectacularly failing.”
Outcome:
“It was a standard night out and I got home around 2 a.m. I didn’t meet anyone exciting.”
Additional reporting by Mark Byrne and Amber Sutherland