I agree that - in general - the dating scene is pretty crummy 'round the Fresno area. Native 'Fresnans' tend to be pretty clingy to established social circles. I would suggest using one of the online dating sites, honestly. The http://Fresno.Craigslist.org website is pretty good but tends to be somewhat spammy. You might also check out http://FindFresnoSingles.com - it's pretty new but you can create a profile free.

Otherwise, there's always http://eharmony.com and http://match.com for the pay dating side.

this really great old illustrator I used to know, 'Hector.'

'...so like, like, Hector, you been around the block a few times,
-what's your feelings about this whole 'ya gotta kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince thing...'

'...Didn't work with me...'

'no?'

'Nah... she kept kissing, and I just kept getting froggier...'

Here I am Amyk .. where do you want to go on our first date?

Dont lump "us people" all together. I think many women feel the same about men.
i think the flaky part comes in when someone doesnt find the other as interesting/attractive as they thought they might and instead of just being honest, they flake. this happens everywhere not just Fresno.
i think you just gotta dig for that diamond in the rough and then be prepared to polish her/him til they shine.
there's nothing a little chivalry cant fix!
thats just my opinion but then again, i've been single for 2 years!

And when a freak coincidence happens and I actually run into an attractive, interesting girl in Fresno who isn't either,

1. Already taken
2. A yuppie
3. A ghetto person

They turn out to be a total flake.

What is the deal with the people in this town?

Golly!

The tower is a cool place, but unless you like your men

a) artistic, self-absorbed and broke or
b) gay

Then you might have to find a different spot to fish in.

Avalon is going to have live Reggae tonight. I don't go very often, but you never know who you can run into on the dance floor... and reggae is always good time music in my book!!!

Well hello, ladies !

I dont know any good places either, all the pubs I visit downtown have patrons who are already couples or what seems like girls/guys night out..

North End can get even worse than you think... a guy can have his eye on you, and his arm around his wife while he is holding his kid... ok, maybe I just have had some bad experiences. I am going to give Falltini a try, it'll be fun even if I just get to tip back a few martinis with my friends.

Perhaps a version of speed-dating on the south end of town is needed. Maybe famous could help with advertising it???

I second that thought! I moved to Fresno four years ago and the dating scene sucks! North end bars are meat markets, a guy has one eye on you and another on the next girl that walks through the door. The Tower is fun but guys don't make a move. What the hell?