Can Craigslist be a good place to find a boyfriend? 

When my roommate announced that she was engaged and moving in with her fiancé, I was totally happy for her but selfishly sad for myself at the same time. I didn’t begrudge her any happiness, but everyone I knew was happy with their present living situation. I would have to resort to Craigslist, and for that, I was bitter. Let the onslaught of freaks and geeks begin!
Now, I know that doesn’t sound totally fair. But I remember when I myself was looking for an apartment way back when in Manhattan, and how every potential male roommate morphed into a possible boyfriend. In fact, I was even denied my dream apartment after the *landlord* decided he was too attracted to me to be able to live with me (we did make out once or twice in the end — totally not worth losing the apartment).

It wasn’t as painful being on the other side of the process this time around. I didn’t have to traipse all over my current city of Los Angeles and I didn’t have to freak out that the place I was viewing belonged to an axe murderer/masochist/American Psycho.

I did, however, have to suffer through an hour of astrology talk about how we might be “compatible” from one potential roomie/suitor who, incidentally, called me days later inviting me to a late night “hot tub party.” Ew.

With an actual need to find a housemate before my September 1 deadline, I was in a panic. I had no time to waste on losers or weirdos, though I tend not to suffer fools very well regardless. I could tell when a guy was just pretending to look for a home, but actually looking for a date instead — and it pissed me off.

But, in general, I do have to say that this is a good strategy. If you’re single and looking for a new way to meet men/women, then by all means, do a roommate search. Why not? You’ll be meeting new people, broadening your horizons…and if they totally suck, hey, at least you don’t have to live with them!

But for Pete’s sake, don’t make your quest for room/love so blatant. One Brooklynite posted an ad on Craigslist recently listing a $600, well-sized room “on the second floor of a two-storey [sic] house in a safe, clean, and mostly quiet neighborhood.” But, upon reading the fine print, he was actually in need of a girlfriend!

The ad read: “Simply put, I now need help paying the rent for my second-floor apartment in a private house and so am resorting to kind of subletting a spare room. I say “kind of” because if I can claim that you are my girlfriend then you can more easily room with me — which is why this offer is only available to females.”

Though he hasted to assure his potential faux gf’s that no hanky panky was required, I’m not quite buying it.

“WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE ROMANTIC AT ALL. Just look like a couple in front of the landlord and his wife! NO HOLDING HANDS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT — just kind of appear to be a couple every now and then, that’s all!”

FYI ladies, you can lock your door from the inside nowadays…