We find dating difficult. When we do find a match, we like to meet at local chain restaurants. And, contrary to stereotype, we may not be all that into yoga pants.
Those are just some of the findings of a Insights West poll on Vancouver’s romantic scene. The survey of 582 people, commissioned by Vancouver Magazine, explores the love lives and opinions of Metro Vancouverites.
Here are five tidbits from the survey we found particularly (pardon the pun) revealing.
1. People are mostly satisfied with their sex lives – but critical of Vancouver’s dating scene
Fifty-eight per cent of both males and females said they were satisfied with their sex lives – but when it came to sexuality, 63 per cent of Vancouver’s LGBT community said they were satisfied, compared to just 54 per cent who identified as straight.
However, that didn’t mean they had good things to say about Vancouver’s dating enviroment. “Difficult”, “Hard”, “Tough”, “Bad” and “Boring” made up the top five words used to describe the city’s dating scene.
2. There’s not much variety in where we go for dates
Of the most frequently mentioned dating spots, five of the top six were slightly-upscale, ubiquitous chain restaurants: Cactus Club (#1), The Keg (#2), White Spot (#4), Earls (#5) and Milestones (#6). Starbucks was the only location (at #3) that wasn’t a restaurant, and downtown Vancouver restaurant Chambar (at #10) was the only place that didn’t have multiple locations.
3. Carly Rae Jepsen and Ryan Reynolds are Vancouver’s ideal couple
The survey also asked people to rate well-known Vancouverites as “very desirable”, “moderately desirable”, “not too desirable” and “not desirable at all”. Ryan Reynolds was the top ranking male (at +53 approval rating), while people really (really really really really really really) liked Carly Rae Jepsen (at +34 approval rating). Michael Buble and Coble Smulders ranked second.
4. Vancouver stereotypes don’t play out in reality
We may be home to dating website Plenty of Fish – but when asked where people met their last sexual partner, only 15 per cent said online. And we may be home to Lululemon, but just 12 per cent of men said they found someone who was “fitness-oriented” as attractive, compared to just 58 per cent who selected “down-to-earth”.
5. We like to lay in the grass
Just 27 per cent of survey respondents said they had sex in a public place in Vancouver – but of those who have (or claimed they have), parks were the overwhelming top choice. Stanley Park was the most common response for all places int he city, while Queen Elizabeth Park was second.
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