"If you're single over 30, no one even thinks to ask why. Isn't it obvious? There's so much to do besides just dating!"

Q: Where are you from?
Although I wasn't born here, I'm proud to say that I've been calling New York, NY home for some time. It's a city that's very supportive of the single lifestyle and currently ranks number two on the Forbes list of top ten cities for singles. There are so many opportunities to develop your career, further your education, enjoy the art scene, and socialize with other singles from all walks of life. You never have to sit at home channel surfing, wishing you had an excuse to go out. There are always more options than you can count on both hands. And if you're single over 30, no one even thinks to ask why. Isn't it obvious? There's so much to do besides just dating!

Q: Best solo activity?
For me, writing. Even though the outcome is a tangible typewritten page, the process behind it is so internal that it's impossible for me to accomplish in someone else's presence. It's a great tool for self-awareness and improvement, too.

Q: Best place to meet new people?
Believe it or not, Craigslist! When I first moved to NYC, I didn't know that many people and found it hard to strike up conversations with strangers, who looked like they were about to have me carted off to Bellevue if I stared in their direction a minute too long. A lot of New Yorkers use Craigslist, and I'd found jobs and an apartment there, so I figured why not friends? I posted an ad under the Strictly Platonic category and the next day had a dozen responses, several of which have blossomed into friendships.

Q: Best local restaurant for one?
Well, it's not quite a restaurant, but Absolute Bagel on Broadway at 107th is my favorite place to stop for brunch. Their bagels are what you think of when you picture a classic New York bagel. They have a very diverse selection of both bagels and spreads, something for every taste and habit.

Q: What prompted you to start blogging?
I noticed that there were lots of personal blogs for singles that focused on the dating scene and individual experiences of singlehood but a dearth of information about other, universal aspects of single life such as traveling alone, cooking for one, finding a roommate, or combating discrimination against singles, which is a real but often invisible problem. So I decided to start a blog dedicated to addressing those kinds of concerns. I do talk about dating, as well, but mostly in terms of tips and trends rather than personal experiences.

Q. Tell us a little bit about your blog.
Singletude features news, research, tips and tricks, op-eds, advice Q&As, reviews, links, and anything else I think might be useful or entertaining to singles. I try to be sensitive to the fact that some readers are single by choice while others are single by circumstance, and their interests may differ, so I cover a variety of topics that hopefully appeal to both audiences. The one constant, though, is that Singletude has a positive, supportive focus. The message I want to send to singles is: "It doesn't matter why you're single. What's important is what you do with this time in your life, and the more you can use it to your advantage, the better. What's important is that you realize you're a whole, valuable person, with or without a partner, and you are (or should be) entitled to the same rights that every other American adult has. What's important is that you know that, whether or not you have a spouse, you can have an exciting, rewarding, emotionally connected life."

Q. How has blogging affected your personal and dating life?
Thankfully, it hasn't really had an effect. Sometimes a friend will bring up a recent post, usually to give me an opinion, or we'll be talking about something unrelated, and he or she will interject that I wrote a blog about that, and I'll be disoriented for a minute, forgetting that most people who are close to me know about the blog and some of them actually read it! But since it's not a personal blog, and I seldom relate stories from my own life except as brief, general illustrations that I learned from in the past, I don't think my relationships are haunted by that threat of airing the dirty laundry.

Q: What do you think is the single biggest mistake men make when it comes to dating?
Well, I don't like to make blanket statements because everyone brings his (or her) unique strengths and weaknesses to the table, and some people are more prone to certain mistakes than others. But with that said, probably the unhealthiest trend I see in dating is that more and more men (and women, too, I'm sure) keep searching for the next best thing even when someone incredible is standing right in front of them. I don't know if that's a product of how our global society has opened up a world of seemingly infinite choice, but I think it reflects a distorted perception of what the "perfect" person is. If a man finds a woman he's attracted to, and they get along well, have fun together, and share similar interests and values, then I think he should consider himself lucky to have found her. When he's constantly keeping an eye out for someone a little more or less something, he'll eventually just be trading in one set of imperfections for another. And in the meantime, he may let go of someone he could've spent many happy years with. I think that's sad, for both people involved.

Q: Funniest, worst or craziest dating story?
You know, I feel like I'm missing out because everyone else gets to go on the crazy dates while mine are all so tragically normal! Definitely not the kind of material you could build an episode of Sex and the City around.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who has dating burn-out?
There's no rule that says we have to be dating to be happy and fulfilled. In fact, I think we get burnt out more easily when we put our love lives under that kind of pressure. I know singles who aren't dating and are very content focusing on other things, and sociological research supports that we don't need to be paired to score high on life satisfaction, good health, interconnectedness, and just about any other measure you can think of. So if you need a break from dating for whatever reason, I'd say you should take it. Don't force yourself until you're ready.

Q: If a guy does not call after a first date should the woman make the move? What if he does not call after the first night in bed?
I do think that when men are interested, they call. However, if it's been about a week since the last contact and the woman wants to know for sure where she stands, I don't think there's anything wrong with calling or sending a brief email to ask what's up in a nonthreatening way. If the guy isn't interested, he probably won't respond. If he does, he may offer an excuse but never suggest getting together again or follow up with further contact. If he is interested, there will be some rational explanation for why he was out of touch, and, more importantly, he'll follow through by asking the woman out again.

Q: What do you love most about being Single?
All these golden hours of silence to concentrate on my work! Being coupled is a double-edged sword because while your social life tends to be busier, it also cuts into your personal time. When I'm in a relationship, it can be a challenge to carve out time to write, especially if my partner isn't familiar with the process. I have to say that this gift of extra time is the sweet spot of being single.