Looking for Love This Valentine's Day?; Sacramento Rated #1 Best City for Single People; 10 'Best Cities for Singles' Named by America Online

Business Wire, Feb 4, 2002

    Business Editors

      DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2002--

     AOL Celebrates Valentine's Day With "Romance Week" Feb. 11-15


      Whether you're looking for love, celebrating your singlehood or
happily attached, America Online is celebrating Valentine's Day with
offerings for everyone - no matter your romantic status. Today,
America Online announced its top 10 "Best Cities for Singles" to help
lovelorn people cut down on the chase and find romance once and for
all. For married couples and "singletons," AOL is also kicking-off a
special week-long celebration called "Romance Week" on February 11
with tips and advice for finding love and keeping the romance alive.
Even families and kids will find unique ways to share their feelings
with mom, dad, and their best friends.

      Best Cities for Singles

      If you're one of the 85 million singles living in the U.S., your
best bet for finding a date this Valentine's Day is to spend some time
in Sacramento. According to AOL, Sacramento takes top honors as the
city that best caters to the single life.
      Being single means two things: going out with your friends and
meeting other people. AOL experts took at look at the top 60
metropolitan areas covered by AOL's Local Guide and gathered data on
the number of potential places to find a possible love match, such as
restaurants, bars and clubs, live music venues, and arts and culture
events. The rankings are based on quality and variety of offerings,
not quantity.
      Based on this criteria, AOL's list of "Best Cities for Singles"
includes:
-0-
*T

      #1 Sacramento
      #2 Richmond
      #3 Nashville
      #4 San Jose
      #5 Cincinnati
      #6 Chicago
      #7 Washington, D.C.
      #8 Miami
      #9 Denver
      #10 Albuquerque

      Or, Go Online and Meet Your Perfect Match. Win a Dream Date!

      If you're tired of the dating scene in your hometown, go online.
Singles who want to take their search for romance to the next level
know that online personals are a great way to meet quality people. In
fact, traffic to online dating sites has grown by 50% over the last
year, according to Jupiter Media Metrix. By registering at Love@AOL by
Match.com (AOL Keyword: Love), singles can access more than 2.5
million profiles of other eligible singles from around the corner and
around the globe.
      In addition, Love@AOL by Match.com is hosting a "You Find a Mate -
We'll Pay for the Date" sweepstakes, which will award four Love@AOL by
Match.com members the ultimate dream date. The package, worth $1,000,
will include flowers, limousine service, a gift certificate to a
clothing store and a gift certificate to a local restaurant. Entries
will be accepted through February 15. Official rules and entry form
can be found at AOL Keyword: Love. The sweepstakes is open to AOL
members 18 and older.

      AOL's Tribute to Romance

      For singles, married couples, even families, AOL presents "Romance
Week," an unparalleled array of information and advice surrounding a
different romantic topic each day. "Romance Week" will last February
11-15 and will include themes such as "Plan the Perfect Date"
(Wednesday), "Be the Perfect Date" (Thursday), and "Keep the Love
Alive" (Friday). "Romance Week" will also include convenient access to
gift and entertainment options, as well as creative (and free!) ways
to express your love such as online poetry.

      About America Online, Inc.

      America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Time
Warner, Inc. (NYSE: AOL). Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is
the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet
technologies and e-commerce services.

EDITOR'S NOTE

      The following localized information can be provided upon request:
local couples in your town who met online; top local picks for
restaurants, weekend getaways, florists, stores and Valentine's Day
events; and local escapes for the dateless and most unusual places to
find love.

    --30--aw/ny*

    CONTACT: America Online
             Kathie Brockman or Jennifer Rankin, 703/265-1746

    KEYWORD: VIRGINIA
    INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS E-COMMERCE INTERNET
NETWORKING
    SOURCE: America Online