Can You Meet Women in the West Village?

Yes. The West Village is known for its cobblestone streets, and because it sits outside Manhattan's grid, it is easy to wander on foot. Women walking slowly with a coffee are a much easier set than women crossing a busy avenue, and this neighborhood has plenty of them. The park at one edge, Washington Square, is one of a dating coach's four daytime parks.

Below is how to walk it, where to stop and who to approach.

The best moment to approach is when a woman is not hurrying. a dating coach's warning about busy New York streets is that many people are walking fast with headphones in, or are in crowds where it is hard to get access. The West Village slows people down. Its streets are narrow and winding, its blocks are short, and a lot of people are out for a walk, not to get somewhere.

That is not a promise that every woman will be open. It means you will see more women who have time to stop and talk.

Begin at Washington Square Park, at the neighborhood's edge, and walk west. coach lists the park among his best for daytime approaches, because "if someone's out in a park, they've come out to be among people." After that, let the streets lead you.

At the foot of Christopher Street, the Hudson River Park Trust describes Pier 45 as a place to relax on a large green lawn in warmer months. That is a good place to look for women who are sitting down, in no hurry, in the open air.

Look for the woman who is walking slowly, carrying a coffee, browsing a window or sitting at a cafe table. These are the signs that she has time.

Skip the woman who is walking fast and looking straight ahead. coach says a woman who is hurried or who has headphones in is hard to reach, and the right response is to let her go. In a place with this many people, there will be another chance within a few minutes.

Pick a spot a few feet away, speak at a normal volume and give one reason. If she is walking, My advice is to match her angle and pace, not to come in from the side, which he calls "very aggressive." If she is sitting or standing, it is easier.

"Hi, I saw you with that coffee and thought I should ask where you got it. I am Sam."

If she smiles, ask a second question about her. If she answers briefly and goes on walking, say "enjoy your day." The article on how to flirt with a stranger in person goes into what to say after the first sentence.

The neighborhood suits an instant date, which is My term for taking a woman on a date right when you meet her. There is a coffee shop, a bar, an ice cream place and a restaurant within a couple of blocks almost anywhere, so you rarely have to plan. If the talk is warm after ten minutes, you can say, "I am heading for a coffee. Come along."

If she has plans, ask for her number and let her go. A phone number from a woman who liked talking to you is worth more than a long conversation that ends in a polite excuse.

A relaxed bar where you can talk is a better choice than a loud one. coach also suggests staying out late, since the crowd thins and the women left are often no longer tied to friends who went home.

When coach talks about where to live in New York for dating, he recommends Manhattan below about 60th Street, and says getting women to come to Lower Manhattan is easy. The West Village falls inside that area, so a woman you meet here is not facing a long trip for a second date.

One bad conversation costs you little. My point is that you have an unlimited supply of strangers, and if one conversation goes badly you will probably never see her again.

Walking a pretty neighborhood is easy. Stopping a woman who is walking is the hard part, and a coach beside you makes it easier. On a Cold Approach Bootcamp, you practice in the field with feedback after every set. Each training day has two four-hour blocks, daygame and night game mixed to suit you, with no skill floor. The Bootcamp runs in New York and Miami.