How to Find Love in Boston with Craigslist

One of the oldest major cities in the United States, Boston is home to both the first public school and first college (Harvard) in the country. It is a city with great historical and educational-- as well as cultural-- significance. All the various educational institutions make Boston a mecca of higher education, and the associated university hospitals make it a mecca of health care. Being home to so many institutions of higher learning means Boston is also home to many young people, a lot of whom are single and looking for companionship. If you are among this group, a good place to connect with potential companions is Craigslist.

Craigslist is a network of sites for communities throughout the United States and around the globe. The Craigslist network helps connect people for things like garage sales, apartment subleases, job interviews, and even free stuff. A unique and novel idea at the time, it initially began as a resource for the San Francisco Bay Area in 1995. By 2006, there was a Craigslist site representing each of 450 cities worldwide. With a few exceptions, advertising on Craigslist is free, and postings can be placed in myriad sections, all organized into major categories for easy browsing and navigation.

To begin your quest for romance, first navigate your way to Boston Craigslist (http://boston.craigslist.org), then locate the "personals" section. This section is divided into several boards, each aimed at helping users with different tastes and preferences. There are the usual "women seeking men" and "men seeking women" boards, but also "men seeking men" and "women seeking women" boards aimed at the LGBT community. If you're looking for something with less commitment involved, you may want to check out the "casual encounters" board. There are even boards for "strictly platonic" relationships and the "missed connections" board, where you can post an ad looking for that possible special someone that you passed on meeting.

Before beginning to browse for Mister or Miss Right, there are a few rules to be followed. First, you must be at least 18. Second, you must be willing to view adult content, as this may be included in Craigslist personals. Third, you must agree to inform CL staff (called "flagging") of any listings which are illegal or violate the Craigslist terms of use. Lastly, by viewing personal ads, you release Craigslist from any potential liability.

Upon entering a personals forum, you will notice a warning at the bottom of the page about safe sex practices. There are a few links to available online resources, which may be useful to check out before getting too involved in the quest for romantic conquest.

Keeping these rules and cautions in mind, it is simple to search through the forums to find your special someone. No matter who or what you're looking for in a relationship, there is a forum aimed at you on Boston Craigslist. With Craigslist, you can browse for exactly what you're looking for and make direct contact with a poster, all from your personal computer.