Thanks to happn, You Can Meet People from your Neighborhood

This post is brought to you by happn.

During a long ride home on the Q train one night, I dozed off with my head against the window. When I awoke there was a note on the orange plastic seat next to me, written in dark ink on paper with gold-embossed edges. It was a poem, about me, and the missed opportunity to gaze into my eyes. I pulled off my headphones and looked around, but the writer had already left. I couldn’t let it end there, but even in my own neighborhood, I was on my own to track down someone with whom I had briefly and silently crossed paths.

My story isn’t unique. Whether in a subway car, a coffee shop, or just a walk in Prospect Park; we’ve all played catch-my-eye with some cutie, but we look up and they’re gone — like a door slamming in your face.

But now there’s happn, a hyperlocal dating app that’s like Craigslist’s Missed Connections with a modern twist. And your neighbors may already be on it, since NYers account for 25% of happn’s US users*.  Here’s how it works — download the happn app, sync with your Facebook account, set your preferences, and happn shows you a profile view of people you’ve crossed paths with and where. But don’t worry, you’ll only be able to cross paths in real life if the the interest is mutual. Plus, you’ve got a potential shared interest and free opening line: “No way, you shop at this bodega too?”