FEATURES

Guy hunting
A gal gives her eight best offbeat spots to find a date
BY SARAH GREEN

You've done the frat-house pubs of Faneuil Hall, the too-cool-for-school bars of Newbury Street, and the hipster dives along the B Line. You know Boston's bar scene is swarming with bachelors. But barhopping is hardly a step above posting on Craig's List. Sure, no one's sending you penis pictures with that mojito, but it's still a model that supports quantity over quality. How do you meet superior gentlemen without unnecessarily subjecting yourself to their simian alter egos?

If you've got rhythm and music, and just need "my man" to complete the trifecta, go for "Friday Night Salsa" at the Greek Club in Central Square (second-floor ballroom, 288 Green Street, Cambridge, www.havanaclubsalsa.com). The lesson starts at 8:30 pm, the dance party at 10:30. The cover is $12 and includes both lessons and shindig - the event is 21-plus, or 18-plus with a college ID. Even if you have two left feet, there are plenty of nice guys who'll ask if it's your first time and show you the ropes. Don't ask how I know this.

For the songbirds, sharing a tipsy rendition of "Sweet Caroline" with a stranger is often better than any first date. Restaurant and bar Jacob Wirth (31-37 Stuart Street, Boston, www.jacobwirth.com) offers a rousing Friday-night piano sing-along. In case you need proper fortification before launching into "Octopus's Garden," Jake Wirth offers hearty Teutonic fare and dozens of beers on tap.

Take advantage of the last few sparkling summer weekends and head north to Cape Ann and Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea (take the Commuter Rail, Rockport Line, to Manchester from North Station; www.manchesterma.com). I would recommend a beach closer to Boston if I could (the trip's almost an hour), but the last time I went swimming somewhere I could get to on the T, I got an inexplicable infection in a very private place. But Singing Beach is miles away from sketchy. It's got white sands, big boulders, little triangular sailboats on the horizon ... and cute preppies playing football in the surf.

Everyone has to run errands from time to time, but there's no law against simultaneous flirting. Home Depot has recently been revealed as a man-meeting hot spot for the middle-aged, middle-class female. Whole Foods is our younger, urban crowd's equivalent (check www.wholefoodsmarket.com for a location in your area). The men there are obviously health-conscious, and in reasonable shape. There you are, both reaching for the quinoa at the same moment, when your hands brush ... your eyes meet.... I can see the whole free-range romance unfolding now.

Since your friends' friends already come prescreened, get a group together and start an open-invite film club. Unlike with a book club, you don't have to prepare in advance or watch Oprah. The Kendall Square Cinema (1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, www.landmarktheatres.com) always picks offbeat movies guaranteed to spark conversation.

For you bookish types offended by the above Oprah quip, I suggest browsing the Harvard Book Store (1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge, www.harvard.com) to meet the sort of lovable Ivy League nerds who strike up impromptu conversations comparing Walter Benjamin and Roland Barthes in the Cultural and Critical Theory aisle. Rowr.

It's tempting to try meeting guys at the gym, but you don't want to end up all be-spandexed and loitering by the free weights in a floozy-like manner. Try rock climbing instead. At the MetroRock Gym (69 Norman Street, Everett, www.metrorock.com), newbies are welcome, people are friendly, and the gender ratio is favorable. But, alas, I will end with a bar.

While admittedly a hipster dive on the B Line, Our House West (1277 Comm Ave, Allston) at least spices things up with an eclectic jukebox selection, the Red Sox always on the telly, and a veritable wish list of board games. What better way to spark romance than by whupping your future boyfriend in '90s Trivial Pursuit? If you find luck at any of these places, send an e-mail to hookup@phx.com.