Meredith Fineman Dishes About Dating In The District

It's no surprise that D.C. has its fair share of blogs. There are those about food, D.C. neighborhoods, and even those about just how much the metro sucks. But blogs about dating are few and far between. This is where Meredith Fineman steps in. Her blog, Fifty First (J) Dates, explores the ups and downs of the dating scene in D.C. and we met with her to discuss the disasters and delights of her past few months spent dishing about dating in the District. With Chelsea Handler-like humor, it is easy to understand why Fifty First (J) Dates has been so well received since Fineman began blogging in June. Upon returning from a year spent in Argentina after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Meredith found herself living at home with her parents and turned to J Date to keep her occupied. She initially shared her dating tales in an email to her friends but soon was encouraged by them to let everyone else in on the laughter. The trials and tribulations of dating are easy to relate to and as Fineman says,

"Awkward dates are universal, and hilarious."

While Meredith uses J Date to connect her with the men she meets, her stories exposing the first dates with them provide humor for all to enjoy.  Regardless if the date was successful or not, Fineman rarely has trouble spinning the evening into a post for her blog. She states,

"I always prefer to write about the nuances so any little part of a date really can make a great post if I think of how to communicate it in a funny way."

Since Fifty First (J) Dates has launched, Meredith has gone on fifteen to twenty first dates with J Daters in the District. Although she writes about mostly all of the dates, her main and initial goal is still to find a companion. While the men remain anonymous in her blog posts, Fineman requests permission from them at the end of their date to share information from their time together. Recently, however, some guys have been entering the date with prior knowledge of Meredith's blog, saving her the trouble of breaking the news to them that details from their date could be online.

Much like other dating sites, J Date allows users to contact those of interest in various ways. When asked how she prefers to be approached online Meredith said,

"I'd say the message is best, I want to hear what you have to say in your own words."

Along with humorous tales of her dating adventures, Meredith also writes about the dating world in general and welcomes submissions from readers with their entertaining dating stories. Fineman recently shared a list of "10 Things Girls Don't Get About Boys" and claims this is her favorite post as of yet saying,

"seriously the boy tummy rub is a universal mystery!"

And for a final question, we were inspired by Fifty First (J) Dates to channel our silly side, and asked Meredith what kitchen utensil is her favorite. Her pick?

"The whisk. I want a boy to whisk me off my feet!"

Meredith's Top D.C. Date Spots:

Masa 14

Cafe Citron

Circa

Tabaq Bistro