Apple of Their Eye

SoHo's Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) Store has become the latest singles hotspot.

The techie's paradise on Prince Street is a hive of young, hip New Yorkers who stop by to read their e-mail, load their iPods and check out new digital gizmos -- and each other.

Even though the state-of-the-art shop doesn't serve coffee or cocktails, singles say it's a great place to approach strangers because people often spend hours there and there's something in common to talk about.

"People in here glance at each other just like they do in a bar," said Frederick Pina, 25, a writer and Apple Store regular. "It's not a problem to open a conversation because you know everyone has similar interests."

Good-Looking Crowd

Newcomers to the store say they are instantly struck by the good-looking crowd, thanks to its location in fashionable SoHo -- right around the corner from four modeling agencies.

"You notice it's an attractive crowd," said account executive Justin Scott, 27, who recommended two approaches to snagging a date in the store. "You could play dumb or go for being the tech type, whatever your strong point is."

ID agency model and actress Evelina Pereira, 23, said she lasted five minutes in the store before a guy tried an opening line about the computer on which she was checking her e-mail.

"He said, 'Hey, nice computer,'" she recalled. "I looked around and said, 'Yeah?'"

"I didn't realize he was trying to hit on me until my friend said it always happens in here," she said.

Her model pal said she dropped by the store to pick up an iPod and iBook recently and a guy offered to buy them for her. She declined.

Actress Nina Rutsch, 27, said the way the store is set up is conducive to hooking up.

Easy Conversation

"When you're checking your e-mail online, you're really near your neighbor, so its an easy place to strike up conversation," said Rutsch, who was signing up for an iPod workshop.

"And if you talk to a guy in the Apple Store, you already know he's going to be modern and up-to-date and sober. It's healthier than picking up someone in a bar."

Her pal Julianna Chang, 30, agreed.

"Saying, 'What are you downloading these days?' sounds so much cooler than the line, 'What are you drinking?' in a bar," she said.