“I’m not going to give up on love, I’m going to fight for it, I’m going to give it my all,” my friend Alice said to me as we sat outside at Ralph’s on Madison Avenue sipping skim cappuccinos and sharing a scone. Alice started dating Eric six months before, and about a month into their relationship, she realized they had to “fight for their love” to make their relationship work. Eric, a charismatic writer and New York City stand-up comedian, asked Alice out after accidentally bumping into her on the Upper East Side. He stopped dead in his tracks when he locked eyes with Alice’s big, brown ones ..read more

Good morning, Smart Girls. It’s time for an SGK story that might just save your next date. There’s a dating mistake I keep seeing happen over and over again and let me just say: IT. NEEDS. TO. STOP. I was at Ralph’s Coffee on 72nd and Madison on a Saturday afternoon writing, when I overheard a couple sitting across from me. Call it eavesdropping, call it what you want. I call it overhearing. From what I could tell as I glimpsed over the top of my laptop, the couple must have been on a second or third date, and the guy wasn’t anything special. He looked like he was in his late twenties, of aver ..read more

Get out there, Smart Girls. Hey Smart Girls, and welcome back. This month is about getting yourself out there. From June 17 to July 17, you will embark on the 10 Date Challenge: 10 dates in 30 days. The dates don’t have to be with 10 different guys (or girls), but they can be. Hell, if you can go out on numerous dates with the same guy and actually enjoy yourself, be my guest. That’s about a date every other day. Talk about tiring, right? Who has the time, energy, or money to get ready, have drinks and introduce yourself, again? I know, I know, it’s easier to sit around at home after work eati ..read more

The other night, my friend Kristina went out on a dinner date with this guy she met on Hinge, Mark. Mark works in finance, surprise, surprise. After they met for drinks and hit it off, he texted her asking her out—for dinner. (Side note: Smart Girls never go out for dinner dates as a first date, for the sole reason that if you walk into the restaurant and end up sitting in front of a guy you 100% don’t like, you’re literally stuck with him for at least an hour and a half, if you skip dessert. Therefore, Smart Girls go out for drinks first, so as not to waste any of our precious time, an ..read more

Clare Crawley is the queen of being open and honest. Of never settling. Of waiting for the right guy and being true to herself. Of “when you know, you know.” Of showing up. But guess what? Men, all men—apparently even sweetheart Dale—don’t respond to full and utter openness and honesty. They don’t respond to talking about babies and marriage and forever, while sitting across from Chris Harrison, teary-eyed and love struck. Men don’t appreciate a kind soul like Clare’s, who doesn’t follow any rules, who doesn’t play any games, who lives her truth and hopes for the best. If something is too good ..read more

Good morning, Smart Girls, and wake up. I know we’re all stuck in our one-bedroom apartments, unless you have a Sugar Daddy that’s paying for a villa with a pool, and in that case, kudos to you. Coronavirus has changed dating – for better in some ways, and for worse in others. First off, dating during Corona means actually talking rather than heading straight to his grimy-ass bed ocean of satin sheets, right? On the other hand, we’re kind of freaked out to meet face-to-face most of the time, and Zoom dates are So. Fucking. Awkward. The point is, just because there’s a national pandemic that do ..read more

It’s no secret that dating in this millennial age is a never-ending nightmare, especially considering there’s a pandemic going on right outside of our stuffy apartments. The good news is, these rules work for video dates, too. I also have hope that COVID-19 will pass, and that we’ll get back to dating the way we used to – you know, like, in person. Why is it that when we think the dates can’t get any worse, they do? Like the time I waited for a guy at a bar and he just didn’t. show. up. Or the date my sister went on with a mama’s boy whose overwhelming mediocracy was directly proport ..read more

ASK SMART GIRL: The Millennial Love, Sex, Relationship and Dating Advice Column Dear Smart Girl: I’m not sure if you’ll see this, but I’m in need of your help. I just read your post about never calling a guy and realized I’ve been making a mistake. I’m usually pretty aloof and picky when it comes to relationships. But this guy… I fell for him head over heels. I thought, this guy is worth putting in effort for. So I did. I was more enthusiastic about texting him compared to when I texted anyone else. I called him often first. He later dumped me because he wasn’t feeling an emotional c ..read more

  It’s that time of year again, ladies! Summer! Sweating in a field at day weddings, tanning on the beach while cursing yourself for drunk eating pizza the night before and – this is where I can help – lying by the pool with a really good book. Whenever I put up an Instagram story of a book I’m reading, I get so many comments, that I thought I’d share the best books to read this summer to 1) help you seem extra smart and well-read on the next date you go on and 2) get off of Instagram and actually enjoy reading. You’re welcome.     ‘Slow Motion’ by Dani Shapiro I can’t with this ..read more

  If it can happen to her, it can happen to any of us.   Well, loves, I’ve got great news. The sultriest, sexiest, most monotonous MILF around – Kourtney Kardashian – is no longer knee-deep in a relationship with a total douche. Her 25-year-old ex-boyfriend may sport an insanely sexy pout and an unreal 30 pack 6 pack, but, let’s face it, Younes Bendjima is a controlling boyfriend that was totally abusing our least exciting? favorite Kardashian.   1) SHE WAS ANXIOUS AND CRYING ALL THE TIME   Hello, am I the only one that’s noticed how Kourtney’s been constantly crying on the ..read more