Where the men are; a close look at six cities uncovers a wealth of marriageable males

Ebony, Feb, 1989

39,066 Number of Single Black Women:

41,146

Like Washington, Atlanta boasts more than its fair share of professional Black men. Little wonder. The city is the financial and mercantile capital of the South and the Southern home for 439 of the Fortune 500 industrial firms. Fifty of the largest life insurance companies in America have offices there, as do numerous banks and top-drawer retail establishments.

Atlanta also boasts several illustrious colleges and universities, including the all-male Morehouse College. Best of all, Atlanta men combine the sophistication of the bon vivant with legendary genteel Southern charm. WHERE TO GO, HOW TO MEET THEM * HEALTH CLUBS: Atlanta men take their fitness seriously. On any week night, you'll find dozens of handsome Black men working off the day's frustrations at the Downtown Athletic Club. According to the club's membership director, the ratio of male to female members is aproximately 60/40. If that isn't enough, several members of the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Braves work out there. * BUCKHEAD: This is the very beautiful, very trendy area north of downtown. It has chic restaurants, stores and clubs. On weekends, numerous folk can be found browsing through Lenox Mall shopping or just people watching. The mens department of any major store is prime hunting ground. * MOREHOUSE: You haven't lived until you've dated a "Morehouse man." That's what numerous women interviewed for this article swear. If the current class of coeds is too young, no problem. Call the alumni department and find out about upcoming meetings and social functions. Go and find out firsthand if all the talk about "the Morehouse man" is fact or fluff. You should also take the time to cheek out the men at Clark and Morris Brown colleges and Atlanta University. NASHVILLE Number of Single Black Men:

15,069 Number of Single Black Women:

15,919

This Southern city is full of up-and-coming single Black men who have made their home here for a host reasons. For one thing, Nashville is a top-notch educational center with 17 colleges and universities, including the renowned Black institutions Fisk, Tennessee State and Meharry Medical College (which graduates the most Black doctors in the country). Second, the city offers diverse employment opportunities for all those educated, career-minded graduates. In fact, the significant concentration of banking and insurance companies in the city has earned Nashville the nickname "The Wall Street of the South," and dozens of major companies. WHERE TO GO, HOW TO MEET THEM * UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES: On any given day, hundreds of-soon-to-be doctors, engineers, accountants, and other future professionals can be found studying in any one of the city's numerous colleges and universities. If the current crop of students is too young, you have two options: find out where the graduate ,aw, medical, business, etc.) students study and get on the alumni association mailing lists for both community and social activities'

THE JAMES K. POLK CENTER: This is a history center combining the best of Nashville culture and government. The Center houses the State Museum (make it a point to attend special exhibitions), two theater halls (get tickets for a favorite show, leave your seat at intermission and mingle), and a state government office complex (the best a lunch). * MUSIC STUDIOS: Music is big-time business in Nashville and the city boasts more than 50 state-of-the-art recording studios. Call one of the studios close to you and find if and when you can attend some sessions to just listen. After all, the majority of successful studio musicians are men.