Maybe putting up walls can be a good thing for a relationship.
Dating apps are so last decade, say the NYC singles of all ages lining up on weekends to have their photos posted on a wall in Brooklyn’s McCarren Park — in hopes of finding their next match.
“It’s just a much more exciting way to meet people,” Greenpoint resident Griffin McLaughlin, 24, told The Post.
Every Saturday and Sunday, from noon until 8:00 p.m., a brick wall located opposite the park’s tennis courts is transformed into New York City’s busiest pick-up spot, as romantic hopefuls log off and try their luck out in public.
To participate, you scan a QR code at the site and donate a suggested $25 to $60 — a higher price can also include a tarot card reading. For your money, you’ll have two Polaroid photos taken by local photographer Bob Greco, also known as “Picture Man Bob.”
One photo you take home; the other you stick on the wall, along with a colorful index card that includes some personal details — name, age, gender, what you’re looking for and words that describe you.
So far, over 600 people ranging from 19 to 55 years old have given the wall a try.
Those daring enough to participate are then able to check out their peers, telling the two organizers, Vaishnavi Sesetty, 23, and Cyrus Belsoi, 25, who they like, and who they’d like to have their picture and details passed along to.
Participant photos are swapped out every five weeks and wall-lumni are also invited to a private mixer.
“It shows everybody that everybody else is also single and you’re not by yourself,” Daniel Miller, 25, of Westchester County told The Post. “It’s new and different and people do it just because it’s fun. Even if it doesn’t happen, it’s an experience.”
As eight in ten Americans report being “burnt out” from swiping away on dating apps, the wall organizers have founded a nonswiping dating app called Pique Dating — but they barely promote it at the wall. They just want to help foster human connection.
That’s exactly what Alyssa Peck is looking for.
“Nowadays it feels like people on the apps aren’t really looking for genuine connection,” the 21-year-old told The Post — a sentiment repeated by many. “I’m looking for someone who’s genuine.”
And some romantics are hoping for a love story.
“I feel like meeting people online, there’s nothing special to it,” McLaughlin said. “But if you were to walk by a park, see someone really exciting, fall in love, it would be like a movie. So that’s why I stopped at the wall. I’d date people cool enough to put their pic on there.”
He was walking through the park when the crowd gathered around the wall drew him in — and he was far from the only one.
Throughout the day, the wall attracts nearly everyone strolling through the Williamsburg/Greenpoint borderlands iconic spot, from married couples reminiscing on their dating days to singles considering adding themselves.
“This is how you know dating is rough in New York,” Becky, a 25-year-old local single, told The Post.
“I do wish there were more meet-cutes. I wish it was the way it like used to be in olden times or whatever, where you would just like meet someone and date them normally like that.”
But the wall has become that spot for some.
Ben Abrahamsson has asked two women out on a date while hanging around the wall.
“It’s just chaos on those apps,” the 34-year-old told The Post. That’s why he added his photo to the wall.
As he was filling out his info card and waiting to have his stuff taped up, he made a silly joke he can’t even remember to the woman next to him. The two chatted as they stood around and eventually decided to walk over to a nearby bar and grab a drink right then and there.
The next week, when he stopped by to check out the new photos, he chatted with another woman and asked her out — she was just visiting the city so it didn’t work out. He’s also thrown out a few likes.
“I like that I don’t have to do the swiping. Honestly that’s the biggest thing,” Abrahamsson said noting that there’s that temptation on the apps to always think the next person could be a better match.
“There are a lot of options. Something like this kind of helps. Narrow down the choices.”