Sex & Relationships

NYC singles are finding love at an unlikely place — quiet pop-up reading parties

Do you comma here often? These pop-up reading parties aren’t just the lit-est social club in New York City, they’ve become a hot spot for singles looking for love.

Jacey Adler, 26, was about to give up on finding a match in the Big Apple before she found the man of her dreams at Reading Rhythms.

And she’s not alone.

Reading Rhythms is “not a book club” but “a reading party” where about 60 to 80 bookworms from all around the city gather to read in silence and then converse in coordinated intervals as someone plays the piano. With the cozy environment, both extroverted and introverted literature lovers can relax, mingle and potentially date.

Adler, who saw an Instagram post about the events, instantly knew she had to book her spot for the intimate little gathering, suspecting sparks would fly.

“I remember getting ready and I was like, ‘I feel like this is the type of event that I would meet my husband at.’ And then I go to the event, and I met Ben that night and I was like, Holy s–t,” she told The Post.

During the small group discussion, Adler met Ben Bradbury and instantly clicked with the Brit, chatting about books. They eventually shut the party down talking about anything and everything, including the event which Bradbury co-founded.

Bradbury started Reading Rhythms with three of his best friends — Tom Worcester, Charlotte Jackson and John Lifrieri — over the summer after taking a look at all the untouched books on their shelves. The group never imagined the connections they would be creating.

“If you told me seven months ago that I was going to manifest my perfect girlfriend by starting a reading party, I would have done it yesterday,” Bradbury told The Post.

Reading Rhythms is “not a book club” but “a reading party” where about 60 to 80 bookworms gather to read, make new friends and even fall in love. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post
Jacey Adler, 26, and Ben Bradbury, 29, met at a Reading Rhythms event in September and instantly hit it off. They were officially dating by October. Courtesy Reading Rhythms
Bradbury started Reading Rhythms with three of his best friends — Tom Worcester, Charlotte Jackson and John Lifrieri — over the summer. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post

The first reading party was hosted on a friend’s rooftop in June with about 10 friends. But the group quickly maxed out their capacity and knew they were on to something.

“Attendees were getting really excited about the opportunity to read and connect and walk away feeling recharged,” Worcester told The Post. The team soon switched their focus from reading to ending the loneliness epidemic.

Reading Rhythms hosted an event at 7:00 p.m. on Monday at FourFiveSix in Brooklyn. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post
The events are billed as “not a book club” but “a reading party” where about 60 to 80 bookworms from all around the city gather to read in silence and then converse in coordinated intervals as someone plays the piano. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post

“Books are probably the best icebreaker in the world for really living in mindful conversation,” he insisted.

So the four friends, all of whom originally connected because of their entrepreneurial spirits, decided to expand the events.

Reading Rhythms now offers about two to three $20 events a week in Manhattan and Brooklyn, which are currently sold out until March.

The first reading party was hosted on a friend’s rooftop in June with about 10 friends. But the group quickly maxed out their capacity and knew they were on to something. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post
Reading Rhythms now offers about two to three $20 events a week in Manhattan and Brooklyn, which are currently sold out until March. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post

Although reading is typically a solitary action, the events instantly became a way for bibliophiles to make new connections while also getting through the books on their Goodreads list.

“It’s the types of discussions that are facilitated here and the types of people that come that make it so special and unique,” Bradbury contended.

And after attending her first event on Monday, Amanda Moore agrees. The 38-year-old pushed herself to attend the gathering on her own and left with a new friend and a date.

Although reading is typically a solitary action, the events instantly became a way for bibliophiles to make new connections while also getting through the books on their Goodreads list. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post
New couples and friends have come from the events as New Yorkers search for new ways to connect. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post

The Brooklynite walked into FourFiveSix around 7:00 p.m. early in the week and ordered a glass of wine at the bar.

At the same time, a man settled into the seat next to her and had an instant connection.

The two immediately began talking about what they were planning to read for the evening before the event began.

As the night winded down, Moore exchanged numbers with a new friend she went on to spend all of Tuesday texting with — and the man at the bar with whom she has a coffee date set for Sunday.

“It was a really fun time,” Moore told The Post. “I left very fulfilled.”

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