Being single in New York City gets a bad rap: So many picture a sad, lonely woman, eating take-out in her studio apartment, tearing up about just how hard it is to find a decent mate to split the rent with.

Well, news flash: Dating in NYC — or life here in general — isn't exactly how Sex and the City said it would be. The fast pace, the lack of time, the obsession with making it big, these factories and more can seriously impinge on someone's ability to Netflix and chill. Add that to a rotating list of get-to-know-each-other apps (Tinder! Bumble! Hinge!) and too-loud and too-crowded bars, and the prospect of meeting someone you don't mind sharing a 300-square-foot studio with seems like far-fetched fantasy.

But, with nearly 8.6 million people living here, there's no reason to give up hope. All you really have to do is look a little harder. To celebrate the single women in our lives (as Beyoncé would say, "Put your hands up!") we sifted through the city's female population to find 19 of the most awesome ladies looking for love. Sorry, Carrie Bradshaw, but this is what being solo in the city really looks like — and it doesn't require any Chinese food.