Dating Apps Were ‘Getting Old.’ Why Not Try Something Older?

Hot Singles, a weekly email newsletter, evokes nostalgia for a simpler approach to finding romance, before dating apps were ubiquitous.

Every Friday, when Randa Sakallah sends out her free newsletter, Hot Singles, she hopes to make a match. Maybe not a forever love, but a connection, however fleeting, between two people who are interested in something more.

Her emails feature profiles of eligible New Yorkers, framed in the old-school style of personal ads. One day, subscribers might learn about a “spiked-seltzer-loving, beat-boxing, techno dancer extraordinaire.” Another, a “31M Pomodoro Papi” looking for his “Bucatini Baby.”

Each subject answers at least three questions: What is your toxic trait? What makes you hot? What are you looking for?