Its a bitterly cold cold temperatures evening in Harlem and I’m touring the streets for black men over. It was no ordinary drunken-sex objective, though. This evening, i am co-piloting my very first pro manhunt with new york matchmaker Erika Christensen.

Recognized skillfully as “The Love Conductor,” the 31-year-old has the best character because of this distinctive line of work. She’s pleasant, spunky, and positive, like an overwhelmingly likable aerobics trainer from eighties. What’s more, it doesn’t harm that she is approachable and rather in a Wasp-dream-girl kind of means: ski pitch nostrils, lightweight hair and sight. Within five full minutes of spending time with the lady, I drop all journalistic decorum and confess, “i truly want you becoming buddies.”

Erika has been matchmaking (pro bono) since school, but moved specialist last year. “we put my personal closest friend up with the man she married and I simply started considering, ‘This is a thing I could do.'” The prophecy was fulfilled whenever she sent an admirer letter to the woman teacher, counsel columnist E. Jean Carroll. Carroll had written right back instantly and they finished up talking about cellphone for a few hours about beginning a company and dating. After, Erika made a business plan and Trainspottings , a boutique matchmaking company, came to be.

As the woman website explains: “The fancy Conductor may be the first matchmaker to go underground — concentrating on New York’s 1.6 billion subway riders, quite a few of whom will be the a lot of alluring, innovative and energetically sensuous on earth.” You sign-up online and fill in a questionnaire, next Erika will-call to obtain your ambiance and figure out what you are considering. She rarely satisfies clients physically, but as soon as she has a clear idea of the type of lover you are getting and some photos people, she will smack the train (along with streets and taverns) nearing total complete strangers that suit the bill.

A lot of matchmakers give attention to connecting rich individuals, charging thousands, but Erika goes only a measly hundred bucks. Using a sliding size, she establishes prices dependent on exactly how hard it is to track down times for a specific client. Not too long ago, some guy from Connecticut was actually hopeful for her solutions, but she just works in nyc, so she energized him $500. “I have another man, 29, truly adorable, has actually a fantastic job, and stays in Brooklyn. We energized him $100 for just two months because I’ll be able to deliver him on as much dates as he wants to carry on.” All participants shell out up-front thereis no ready wide range of dates per plan: She guarantees a certain wide variety according to everyone’s datability, then keeps operating until she delivers.

About this particular evening we had been trying match up a successful, attractive, old black colored lady. “My customer is seeking a 35 to 45 yr old, pro man who’s tall, because she is had gotten some height, and some one of tone because she is maybe not into becoming ‘a concert tour tips guide’ to the woman tradition,” she informs me. Reasonable sufficient. Our purpose was to discover a person who was virtually large, dark colored, good looking, economically effective, and above all, unmarried. Everything you might contact a unicorn.

Since Erika and I both reside in Greenpoint, we fulfill at Bedford L end and mind uptown. In the system, Erika passes by a cute guy sitting on a bench reading a novel and casually falls a card into his lap. It reads: “you have been noticed” and contains her web site address. “I’m not sure, i simply enjoyed his face,” she tells me. “But I’ll be truthful,” she contributes, “there are plenty of ‘too cool for college’ going on in the L. it is not only appeal that i am finding, it is also a specific type of friendliness.” Bangs and beards, be aware.

Our basic genuine stop of night will be the Columbus Circle ACE system. “it is the destination to spot guys merely getting off of work,” she states. “I’m analyzing their own hands to be sure there is no bands.” She looks for men wearing tops, connections, and great shoes. We place a hot young black hipster with tattoos and thin denim jeans, but Erika shoots myself down. “Not what the customers desires.” Whom mentioned any such thing about a customer?

As we stay around the uptown system, I seek out our target demonstration, like a live-action Where’s Waldo? , except in such a case, Waldo is actually Tyrese. We see a tall man in a trench coating and aim him down. “how about him?” Erika beelines over and motions for him to remove their earphones. He seems suspicious. When Erika is actually putting up visitors she is like Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura when he spews that epic monologue without pausing to take a breath. “are you currently single? I am a matchmaker. I’ve a customer who is shopping for a guy just like you. Are you currently curious? You’re very good-looking.” Initially the person seems concerned and responds “the reason why?” when asked “Could You Be solitary?” I’m sure he believes he’s being punked. But when Erika demonstrates him her notes, he knows she’s for real. Unfortunately, he isn’t offered. “when you have any pals which are exactly like you, keep these things contact myself, okay?” The person blushes and politely requires the card.

Easily believe some guy is sexy, I’ll just communicate with him, therefore enjoying Erika work was not precisely the truth. However it is still inspiring to look at some one effortlessly connect to visitors, especially in nyc. Folks engage the girl because she’s not hitting on it for by herself. There is a buffer because she is taking care of another person’s account. Before we came across Erika, never ever in so many many years would You will find thought about hiring a matchmaker — it appeared very desperate. But when compared to online dating, which might often also cost money and feel even more like Russian Roulette, having an awesome woman hunt dates individually isn’t an awful option.

Ever since the customer we had been doing work for tonite spends all her time uptown, we choose to check out 116th Street to check out a club known as Harlem Tavern . Erika really does nearly all of her people-spotting arbitrarily the whole day, but sometimes she’s going to check-out some bar or neighborhood to obtain men and women. Whenever we reach the club, we look through the window and area a sea of white faces. Onward.

We stumble upon a stuffed, raucous Karaoke bar labeled as Cove Lounge . After walking for hours without any luck, we decide to merely get intoxicated on gin gimlets to make pals with a striking, wise black colored man whom we rapidly discover actually solitary. All of us become pals practically right after providing him her spiel, and it’s really obvious that Christensen must make a lot of pals on-the-job. In the next few days, she will always hunt for the woman client. But also for today, she decides to sing an Adele track, with an impressive Americahas Skill– design R&B voice. Individuals stand on tables and clap. And through the crucial split, perhaps not missing out on a beat, she pitches the group like a car or truck salesperson: “in addition, I’m a matchmaker, if anyone listed here is solitary, come look for me personally. Let’s get you a date.”