Photo: Sarina Finkelstein

In February, National Geographic published a fairly stunning statistic: There are 185,000 more single women than single men in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut urban areas combined. According to the piece, which collated census data, the East Coast is awash in single femmes, while the West Coast is single-dude-heavy, which is why it smells like beer and gym socks out there. All joking aside, the story attached a number to something we’ve been feeling for a while (especially this spring)—single women are legion in the city, and the local culture makes it especially easy to remain unattached.

Here at TONY, we cast about for a way to explore this phenomenon (behind-the-scenes fun fact: the recent New York Age issue grew out of these discussions), when suddenly it occurred to us—it was so obvious!—the best way to find out how single New York women think and feel is to ask them.

Click here to read the entire introduction.

• Single women speak: We asked 50 unmarried Gotham gals about dating, working and living in this (supposedly) female-saturated city.
• Single women stats: Independent womanhood, by the numbers.
• Deconstructing parry: A woman confronts they hey-baby-how-you-doin' dude.
• Cat calls greatest hits: Tell us the most ridiculous things men have said to you on the street.
• Where the girls are: Our single lasses namechecked the following hotspots—for chilling with friends or chatting up potential suitors.

• iVillage response: An editor at iVillage gives her own thoughts on our issue.
• iVillage discussion area: Want to respond or offer your own insights on single living in the city? Visit this forum devoted to our cover story.

Also in this issue:

• Spanish fly: Four productions en español take the main stage at the Lincoln Center Festival.