Its a bitterly cold cold weather night in Harlem and I’m touring the streets for white men seeking black men. It was no average drunken-sex purpose, however. Tonight, I’m co-piloting my personal very first specialist manhunt with New York City matchmaker Erika Christensen.

Identified professionally as “your prefer Conductor,” the 31-year-old comes with the perfect character with this collection of work. She actually is charming, spunky, and positive, like an overwhelmingly likable aerobics instructor through the eighties. What’s more, it does not damage that she is approachable and very in a Wasp-dream-girl sort of way: ski pitch nostrils, light tresses and eyes. Within five full minutes of spending time with the girl, we drop all journalistic decorum and confess, “I absolutely wish all of us become friends.”

Erika is matchmaking (pro bono) since college, but went professional last year. “we set my companion with the guy she married and I just began considering, ‘This is a thing I could do.'” The prophecy was actually achieved when she delivered a fan page to her mentor, the advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. Carroll had written right back right away and they wound up speaking on the telephone for three many hours about starting a company and internet dating. Right after, Erika made a company plan and
Trainspottings
, a boutique matchmaking company, was given birth to.

As the woman web site explains: “The fancy Conductor could be the basic matchmaker going underground — targeting New York’s 1.6 billion subway bikers, a lot of who would be the most alluring, creative and energetically sensuous on earth.” You join on the internet and fill in a questionnaire, then Erika will call receive your own vibe and figure out what you are searching for. She rarely meets consumers directly, but once this lady has a very clear idea of the type of companion you’re getting and a few photos of you, she will strike the subway (and additionally streets and pubs) drawing near to overall strangers that fit the bill.

Most matchmakers pay attention to starting up rich men and women, recharging thousands of dollars, but Erika goes as low as a measly hundred dollars. Using a sliding level, she sets prices dependent on just how hard it would be discover dates for a specific customer. Lately, a guy from Connecticut was looking forward to her services, but she only works in New York City, so she charged him $500. “You will find another guy, 29, really adorable, features a fantastic job, and stays in Brooklyn. I energized him $100 for two months because i’m going to be in a position to send him on as numerous times while he desires to go on.” All members pay up-front and there’s no set few times per plan: She claims a particular number predicated on each person’s datability, subsequently helps to keep operating until she provides.

About this specific night we had been seeking to match an effective, appealing, old black colored lady. “My client wants a 35 to 45 yr old, professional guy who’s tall, because she is got some top, and somebody of shade because she actually is not enthusiastic about getting ‘a trip manual’ to the woman society,” she tells me. Reasonable adequate. Our very own aim would be to get a hold of one who had been virtually large, dark colored, handsome, financially profitable, and especially, solitary. That which you might contact a unicorn.

Since Erika and I also both live-in Greenpoint, we satisfy during the Bedford L end and mind uptown. Regarding the system, Erika goes by a lovely man seated on a bench checking out a manuscript and casually falls a card into their lap. It checks out: “You’ve been spotted” and consists of her website address. “I don’t know, i recently liked his face,” she informs me. “But i will be honest,” she adds, “there’s lots of ‘too cool for school’ happening throughout the L. it isn’t merely appeal that i am shopping for, additionally, it is a specific particular friendliness.” Bangs and beards, observe.

Our basic real stop associated with the evening is the Columbus Circle ACE platform. “this is exactly the spot to identify men simply getting off of work,” she states. “I’m taking a look at their particular fingers to be certain there is no rings.” She looks for men sporting tops, links, and nice sneakers. I spot a hot younger black hipster with tattoos and thin trousers, but Erika shoots myself down. “not really what the customers desires.” Which said anything about a customer?

While we remain round the uptown program, I seek our target demonstration, like a live-action

In Which’s Waldo?

, except in such a case, Waldo is Tyrese. I see a tall man in a trench coating and point him on. “What about him?” Erika beelines over and actions for him to lose their headphones. The guy looks suspicious. When Erika is pitching visitors she is like Jim Carrey in

Ace Ventura

when he spews that legendary monologue without pausing to take a breath. “have you been unmarried? I am a matchmaker. You will find a client that is interested in a guy just like you. Are you currently interested? You are very handsome.” In the beginning the person appears apprehensive and reacts “precisely why?” whenever asked “Are you solitary?” I am sure he thinks he’s becoming punked. But once Erika demonstrates him the woman notes, the guy finds out she is the real deal. Regrettably, he isn’t offered. “For those who have any buddies which can be exactly like you, ask them to get in touch with me, okay?” The man blushes and politely takes the credit.

Basically think a man is actually precious, We’ll only talk to him, thus seeing Erika work had not been exactly a revelation. But it is still inspiring to view some one efficiently connect to visitors, especially in New York. Men and women engage with her because she is perhaps not hitting to them for herself. Absolutely a buffer because she actually is implementing someone’s part. Before we met Erika, never ever in a million years would You will find regarded as hiring a matchmaker — it seemed thus desperate. But when compared to internet dating, which can often also cost money and feel even more like Russian Roulette, having a wonderful girl hunt dates for your needs isn’t a terrible alternative.

Ever since the customer we had been doing work for tonite uses all her time uptown, we decide to drop by 116th Street to look at a bar known as
Harlem Tavern
. Erika really does nearly all of her people-spotting arbitrarily each day, but occasionally she’s going to choose a certain bar or area to obtain men and women. Once we arrive at the bar, we peek through window and area a-sea of white faces. Onward.

We stumble upon a stuffed, raucous Karaoke club known as
Cove Lounge
. After strolling all day with no luck, we opt to just get inebriated on gin gimlets making pals with a gorgeous, wise black man whom we rapidly find out isn’t really unmarried. Each of us come to be pals virtually immediately after giving him her spiel, and it is obvious that Christensen must make a huge amount of buddies on the job. Within the next couple of days, she will consistently look for her client. But also for today, she chooses to sing an Adele tune, with an extraordinary

The Usahas got Skill–

style R&B voice. Folks stand-on tables and clap. And throughout instrumental split, perhaps not missing out on a defeat, she pitches the crowd like a vehicle salesman: “incidentally, i am a matchmaker, if anyone we have found single, come come across myself. Let’s produce a romantic date.”