A matchmaker for newcomers?

I might be able to add the title of "matchmaker" to my many job duties soon.

In many of my columns, I print mini-interviews with newcomers about why they moved here, and what insights about Charlotte they've gained, i.e. "Jane Smith, moved here from Providence, R.I. in September, living in Dilworth, recommends joining Young Affiliates of the Mint as a way to get to know the community."

Turns out, at least three times that I know of, someone has seen one of these interviews and tried to track the person down to ask for a date. (I never give out anyone's contact information, but if someone asks to get in touch with someone I've interviewed, I will pass a message along and give the subject the option of sending a reply).

I'm not aware of any of these cases leading to long-term success stories, but in general I salute the initiative of people who act on their interest (so long as their behavior does not graduate to the stalker-ish).

To me, it's another testament to the fact that family-friendly Charlotte can be difficult for singles looking to meet people. I've certainly heard from many people in this category since I started this job, and several of the articles in Living Here magazine were crafted with the goal of giving suggestions on how to meet people (click here and here to see some).

I'd love to know if anyone out there has any fun stories of how they found romance as a newcomer to Charlotte. Did you meet someone by joining a new group, or visiting a new place - or reaching out to someone you saw in the newspaper?