Along with getting to live in the liveliest, most exciting city in the world, New Yorkers all have to deal with the hassles and hustle it takes to get by around here. 

Sometimes dating can seem like the trickiest task of them all, right up there with deciding who sells the best $1 pizza.

It seems next-to-near impossible.

All the masses of humans that you encounter on a regular basis seem to form one enormous tangle of taken subway seats and bodega lines, and it starts to feel like no one will stand out.

Here are the qualities that should not be taken for granted, the ones that set some sweet and savvy city-dwellers far above the rest.

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1. They don’t care who makes the first move

No matter who you are, or who you’re looking for, one of the best feelings is when someone is content to let go of the stereotypes and traditions about who should do the asking, and just live and let live.

Whether you’re a girl who likes to take the lead, or a guy who prefers to extend the first invitation, finding someone who is down to go out with you no matter who initiated it, is awesome.

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No pickiness, no dropping hints, just people asking people to hang out, go on a date, or take in a bunch of delicious and well-deserved calories together, is a beautiful thing.

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2. They keep you in the loop

New Yorkers can sometimes be, as much as we are reluctant to admit it, downright flaky. With all that we are out doing on a day to day basis, it just comes with the territory.

We get it- snowstorms happen, work runs late, the subway is under construction, your roommate’s cat needs cuddles, dirty laundry is not cute. That’s why it is so encouraging when you track down someone who is able to wrangle with all of the nonsense and still make time for you.

Someone who makes a plan with you and sticks to it? Someone who doesn’t keep you waiting, isn’t wishy-washy about penciling you in? That someone is a keeper.

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3. They’re willing to surrender their time to the subway

We all know it, we all love to hate it. That sticky, smelly, human infested underground tube that is always affordable, that we rely on to get around out giant city. As much as we need it to survive, no one likes hanging out on the subway, no one enjoys a scenic tour of subterranean New York City.

That’s why when someone is ready and willing to go out of their way and sacrifice an hour (or more, gasp) of their short life to the underground beast just to see your charming face, it’s a pretty big damn deal. 

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Or maybe they while away their lives in a cab, on their bike, on a moped, whichever they prefer. 

And someone who doesn’t complain about the long trek to see you, well, that’s downright selfless. Don’t screw it up with this one.

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4. They read the news (well, at least sometimes)

We’re not saying you need to find someone who can recite verbatim the current numbers for the NASDAQ or the Dow Jones. Spending time with someone who has some idea of what is going on around them though, is always a plus.

Browsing through some updates, stories, interviews, editorials, reviews, (anything), maybe even cracking open a newspaper, should definitely be appreciated. 

We’re all busy, but those who take the time to check up on their surroundings, maybe look around at the shape of things in the rest of the world, should not be overlooked.

People who read (or listen to, or watch, whatever!) some sort of news can supply fresh conversation topics, can have informed opinions, have some healthy curiosity, and are ultimately able to stretch their necks outside of their own little bubbles to see what’s happening in the world.

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5. They bring you food

A thousand times yes to this one. Someone who saves your Seamless account some stress is nothing short of a saint.

Whether they’re willing to stop by your favorite pizza place down the street, order some take-out, or trek through a blizzard to buy you a four-course feast, there are no small deeds when it comes to food. 

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Anyone who is willing to snatch you that treat you’ve been craving, or whip up a meal on their own, deserves some recognition.

We can only hope that you return the favor.

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6. They aren’t Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Yes, it is very true that more than a few of us New Yorkers enjoy a good stiff drink when we want to. And while we do our best to avoid doing anything that will make us cringe when we finally peel our crusty faces off of our pillows the next day, we all know that shit happens.

However, we all know a person or two who seems to have some sort of magical, inexplicable personality overhaul once they start drinking. 

The sweet one that steals a kiss from your SO, or the friendly one that starts fights. You did not go out so that you could spend the night high-tailing it away from the unfolding craziness and chaos.

Trust us, you do not want to go on a drinks-date with someone who will morph into the Hulk once they have some booze in their system.

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7. They value your career

We all know that this is a hard city to make it in. With all the madness, you need someone who will encourage you whether you want to be an actor, a stockbroker, a street performer, a specialty cronut baker, whatever it is.

With all the naysayers, it is sometimes hard to take yourself and your goals seriously, but someone who digs your aspirations and knows you can pull it all off can make it all seem a bit more doable.

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A guy or girl who doesn’t need to step on your toes to feel good about themselves, someone without an ego who is interested in the places you want to go should not be overlooked.

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8. They don’t need to “lie like a rug about how we met”

We’ve all seen the dating profiles of people who outright offer to never admit to meeting on an app, or on a dating website. All we have to say to these people is, do you guys even know what year it is?

Meeting people through dating apps is a reasonable, realistic choice in a city as big as this. When you have to sort through thousands of people, you want to have the odds tweaked in your favor. 

Feeling too insecure to admit that you used a dating app does not a good relationship make. Really. You deserve a pat on the back for taking some control and not leaving things entirely to chance.

But that doesn’t mean you should ignore chance entirely. 

Check out 10 Ugly Truths You Need to Know About the Dating Scene in NYC. 

[Feature Image Courtesy of A Plus]