For many, Valentine's Day is for celebrating relationships and romance. For those living in New York City, it will be just another Tuesday. New York is notorious for its large population of singletons. Singles of all types flock here, from those who are accomplished, to those aspiring to be accomplished, to those who spend their days as baristas and nights as jugglers in a Brooklyn warehouse. We’re mostly looking to do well in our careers and enjoy the city when time allows. Relationships aren’t necessarily our focus.

Another cause behind the high volume of singles here is sheer numbers. The ratio of women to men is insanely skewed—at last count there were approximately 150,000 more women than men. It’s just mathematically impossible for everyone to have a date.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t try! It’s 2012 and computers aren’t yet controlling us, so we can use them to meet other humans. Online dating is pretty commonplace these days, and there are a bevy of sites to choose from.

Like its users, each site has its own brand of personality. Finding which site works best for you can be a matter of trial and error, so to save you the effort, I’ve summarized each site’s persona:

Match

This is arguably the first mainstream dating site. Match helped make it okay to tell your mom you met someone on the internet without her assuming it was a sociopath. Match told us, “It’s okay to look.”

Using the site is like ordering a Sam Adams: it’s pretty standard and there are no real surprises. From a female perspective, the site seems to attract relatively normal, nice enough guys. The types who own a Golden Retriever and will eventually get their MBA.

My biggest gripe with Match is that it’s really poorly named. The site doesn’t actually “match” anyone, you just look for what you like based on filters. So, a more apt name would be Search.com, but that sounds creepy and desperate.

eHarmony

Did you know you have 29 Dimensions of Compatibility? Well you do! The human body is an amazing thing.

Aside from its Christian roots, this site isn’t that different from Match, except it actually matches you with people. You have to answer approximately a bazillion questions, and the site will find people you share Dimensions of Compatibility with.

eHarmony tends to have the stereotype of attracting users whose end goal is marriage. No just drinks, no casual dinner. The Holy Grail is lifelong matrimony, which the site’s founder, Dr. Warren, will officiate for a nominal fee. (That’s maybe a lie.)

OK Cupid (OKC)

In NYC, this is one of the more popular sites amongst the young folks, largely because it’s free and doesn’t reek of Marriage or Else. If you’re looking for casual relationships, this is your site. Its interface is easy to use, has a more modern feel than Match or eHarmony, and attracts a more artsy, hip(ster) crowd.

OKC also publishes an insightful blog that compiles data and statistics from the site’s users. It’s interesting stuff and worth a look, especially if you need help crafting your profile or choosing a photo. The OKC blog has it down to a science.

Fun fact: OKC is also home to the largest population of male freelance video editors.

Ashley Madison

This site deserves mention merely because of its sheer existence. For those who are generally moral and haven’t heard of it, it’s the place where cheaters go to cheat. Its tagline is, “Life is short. Have an affair,” and it prides itself on being the “#1 site for guaranteed affairs.” Which begs the question, what’s the #2 site? My bets are on us.battle.net/wow. (Yes, that is the World of Warcraft homepage.)

So, whichever dating site you choose, good luck and may you find someone to grow decrepitly old with.

Megan Pluskis is a senior information architect for the Siegel+Gale New York office.