Phoenix tops 'Forbes' list for singles

Randy Cordova
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 23, 2007 07:38 PM

Hot, single athletes

Good news for the lonely: According to Forbes, Phoenix is the 15th-best city for singles in the United States.

Of course, with the good comes a little bad. Last year, Phoenix was ranked No. 3 in the same survey.

"The ranking from last year to this year simply shows that a lot of those single people are now married," reasons Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, a man who knows how to look on the bright side of things.

He also points out that Phoenix has placed in the top 20 for the past six years. Take that, Detroit (No. 21), San Antonio (No. 28) or Cleveland (No. 37).

Forbes added a twist to the proceedings this year. They named a most-eligible bachelor and bachelorette for most cities. Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart and Jenn Hoffman, a publicist and Apprentice veteran, got the nods for the Valley.

Leinart previously was linked with Paris Hilton, while Hoffman dates KMLE-FM (107.9) personality Scott "Shappy" Shapiro.

"I was really surprised to be chosen," Hoffman says. "I kind of wondered how they even knew who I was."

She's never met Leinart, but thinks he is a logical choice.

"He's a very high-profile person in the Valley," she says. "He's kind of scandalous with women everywhere, so that makes him an extra-good choice."

She agrees that the city is a good place for singles. She even offers some advice for women looking to end their single status.

"The place I get hit on the most is the gym," she says.

A particular gym?

"Any gym. It sounds cheesy, but that's where people are obsessed with looks and hard bodies."

Forbes didn't include anything about health-club membership in its rankings. Instead, the magazine based its results on the areas of nightlife, culture, job growth, number of singles, cost of living alone and online dating. It also included the very Fonzie-like category of "coolness," which seems the very antithesis of cool.

"Phoenix is a great town for singles," says Eric Gudiño, 33, director of community relations for Arizona State University's downtown campus. "It's so diverse, which is fantastic. You can go to different parts of the Valley and see different segments of society."

Gudiño's haunts include Postino (postinowinecafe.com), Zen 32 (zen32.com) and the Merc Bar (mercbar.com). He gets out about two weekends a month.

"I'm getting older," he says. "Every weekend doesn't work for me any more."

Gordon thinks a lot of factors contribute to make Phoenix the place for young unmarrieds.

"It's a young city that doesn't have any social barriers," he says. "It values diversity and allows young people to succeed, and welcomes young people coming from other places."

Gordon doesn't have a lot of memories of his single days in the Valley. Well, that's not quite right.

"If I told you what Phoenix was like when I was single, my wife would kill me," he says. "Let's just say it's a great city to be in. I wouldn't want to leave, and I didn't."



Reach the reporter at randy.cordova@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8849.