Is Union Square a Good Place to Approach Women?

Yes. Union Square Park is one of the four New York parks a dating coach uses for daytime approaches, along with Washington Square, Bryant and Madison Square. It is a place for people watching, and a greenmarket runs along two of its sides. That market is the reason it is easier to start a conversation here than on most streets.

Below is how to use it, which women to approach and which to leave alone.

My rule about parks is the foundation. "If someone's out in a park, they've come out to be among people." A woman sitting at Union Square chose to be in public. She is not hiding in her apartment, and she is often not in a rush.

He also notes that New Yorkers are more social than you might guess, because many of them are new to the city and still building their circle. A woman who moved here a few months ago may be glad to talk to a friendly stranger.

The greenmarket along the park's edge gives you something to ask about without inventing a line. You can say something about what is in front of you both:

• "Is that stall any good? I am trying to decide."
• "What did you get? I keep walking past without buying anything."
• "I need a recommendation. What would you try?"

These are real questions, which is why they work. She can answer in one sentence or in five, and her answer tells you whether to stay. The market also gives the conversation somewhere to go if it is warm. You can walk the stalls together for a few minutes, which is easier than standing still.

Union Square gets crowded. Pick with care:

• Browsing at a slow pace. She is looking at stalls, not heading for an exit. This is your best set.
• Sitting on a bench, a step or the grass. She has time.
• Alone or with one friend. A big group takes more effort to read.

Skip a woman who is carrying bags and walking fast toward a train, or one with headphones in and her eyes fixed ahead. coach warns that on the street a lot of people are in crowds where it is hard to get access to anyone, and a busy edge of the square can feel like that. Let her go and look for the next one.

Stand a few feet back and use a normal voice. coach says to "assume it's going to happen." A timid hello sounds like a question about whether you are allowed to talk, and she will answer it with a no. Give one reason and your name:

"Hi, I saw you looking at those and wanted to ask what is good here. I am Sam."

Then listen. If she smiles and answers, ask a second question about her instead of about the stall. If she gives a quick answer and turns away, say "enjoy it" and go.

New York makes the next step easy. Wherever you stand, there is a coffee shop, a bar, an ice cream place and a restaurant within a couple of blocks, which coach points out when he talks about taking a woman on a date right when you meet her. If the talk is warm after ten minutes, you can say, "I am going to grab a coffee. Come with me." If she says she has to go, ask for her number and let her go.

coach says which of the four parks is best moves around over time. Union Square may be the one this month and Bryant next. If it is empty or the crowd is wrong, walk to another. The article on the best parks in New York to meet women compares all four.

The greenmarket gives you an easy opener, but you still have to walk over. On a Cold Approach Bootcamp, a coach is beside you in the field and gives you feedback on each set. Each training day is two four-hour blocks, daygame and night game mixed to suit you, with no skill floor. The Bootcamp runs in New York and Miami, and you leave with a written practice plan.