We Met At The Center
Robert Woodworth

True Tales of Love and Connection!

Farid Ali and George Constantinou met at a Date Bait event at The Center on a cold, snowy night in February of 2001.

"I saw George leaning up against a wall in the place and thought that he was very attractive," said Farid, "so I was very excited when I walked into the Date Bait event a short time later and saw him there." George and Farid began dating but the relationship did not fully develop for some time. "I knew going into the experience that, although I wanted to meet someone, I was not ready for a fulltime commitment."

That was not exactly what George was looking for: "It almost drove me away because I was ready to meet and settle down," he said. After a few up and downs, George went with some friends on a vacation and came to New York to discover that Farid had really missed him while he was away; at that point Farid knew he was ready to move on to the next step.

Since then, George and Farid have gone on to open a successful latin restaurant together in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Because running a restaurant is time-consumming, neither Farid nor George frequent The Center as often as before. The Center still serves as a focal point for them to connect with past and current friends when they do stop in. Farid also continues to use The Center as a resource for the many activities it offers and sponsors which allow him to meet people in numerous ways and contexts. "Earlier in my life, I used The Center often for personal growth, and now I utilize it for my professional development."We Met At The Center -- True Tales of Love and Connection!
Robert Woodworth

Farid Ali and George Constantinou met at a Date Bait event at The Center on a cold, snowy night in February of 2001.

"I saw George leaning up against a wall in the place and thought that he was very attractive," said Farid, "so I was very excited when I walked into the Date Bait event a short time later and saw him there." George and Farid began dating but the relationship did not fully develop for some time. "I knew going into the experience that, although I wanted to meet someone, I was not ready for a fulltime commitment."

That was not exactly what George was looking for: "It almost drove me away because I was ready to meet and settle down," he said. After a few up and downs, George went with some friends on a vacation and came to New York to discover that Farid had really missed him while he was away; at that point Farid knew he was ready to move on to the next step.

Since then, George and Farid have gone on to open a successful latin restaurant together in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Because running a restaurant is time-consumming, neither Farid nor George frequent The Center as often as before. The Center still serves as a focal point for them to connect with past and current friends when they do stop in. Farid also continues to use The Center as a resource for the many activities it offers and sponsors which allow him to meet people in numerous ways and contexts. "Earlier in my life, I used The Center often for personal growth, and now I utilize it for my professional development."