Hey y'all,

I have been aware of this forum for quite a while, all the way back in high school. I am 25 presently, but over the past several years I would always come back and periodically read the latest posts or the sidebar. I am familiar with the general post format here (present a problem/question and end by suggesting your own solution). I believe I know the general answer already, but I would very much like to get the perspective of those who have actually accomplished what I desire to achieve.

Just to give some context as to who I am: I am a 25-year-old male, and I just moved to Virginia, pretty close to the DC / Arlington area, for work a few months ago. From ages 18 to 22, I spent my college years just going to class and completely avoiding women. I was terrified of social interactions and dealing with a brutal case of oneitis from a heartbreak I couldn't let go of for years. From 22 to 24, I did a master's degree while living at my parents' house. During that time, I opened up a bit and made more friends, but I still barely spoke to women—I spent almost all my energy grinding on my career, gaming, and hitting the gym.

Now that I've moved out on my own, I out-earn most people my age by quite a bit, and I'd even say my physique is a impressive. I'm not super lean and ripped yet, but I have enough muscle mass where it's hard to go a week without getting complimented by random men in a store/gym or a friend group (not younger pretty girls sadly). But while I make some pretty nice money, I am rather lonely. Most of my life right now is just gym, work, and cooking/grocery shopping. I have a few friends in the city, but they are either too busy with their own careers, or they are into partying and drinking, which really isn't my vibe. I am ready to shift gears and focus on meeting women.

I am not 100% on board with spinning plates like some of y'all are capable of, but it is clear that quite a few guys here have it down when it comes to meeting attractive women. I know bars are not really the place to be. I want to meet women of that higher caliber and given the time I have put into my career and gym (plus the fact that I am not ugly), I believe I would fare pretty well.

I know more and more couples nowadays meet via dating apps, so there is no shame in that. Admittedly, I was brutally made fun of when I was younger and in college, and photos of me went viral where my physical features were mocked. Though time has passed and those images are no longer true of my present self, I still remain insecure and absolutely hate taking photos of myself. So, there is some obstacle for me against dating apps.

I spent all my time on my mindset, career, and body, but failed to give a single thought to how I would actually utilize it with women. Now I am trying to catch up on that part of my life. So, I ask y'all: what did y'all do and where do y'all go to meet actual pretty girls? I know some are just hoes and it's my job to filter them out. To be clear, I don't think I am getting ahead of myself. I went on my first few dates recently with a chick I met while rock climbing who kept throwing herself at me, but I ended it because I didn't find her super attractive and she had a few years over me. (I could've worked into something casual, but I didn't feel like it with her). Occasionally I do see very pretty girls out in public, but they are usually in a group or there's some other factor that I end up using as an excuse not to approach. I plan on just shooting my shot the next time I see one I like.

Right now, my current plan is to keep going out to hotspots where young people hang out. I intend to get more involved in running clubs, rock climbing, VOLO sports, and volunteering in these areas. Maybe I need to try to get to work early and leave early so I am in time for happy hour in the hotspot areas. I also believe I just need to man up when it comes to photos and bite the bullet on dating apps.

My primary question is: besides my strategy above, is there anything specific activities or locations y'all would suggest that I am missing or overlooking? I am open to suggestions from everyone, though guys closer to my age would be a little more useful since the dating scene has really changed.

For additional context, I am living quite near the Arlington area, so I am considering sniping at Ballston and Clarendon. If y'all know of specific hotspots for young girls in the Arlington/DC/Alexandria/NOVA area, I'd appreciate the mention.

I should be clear, I still put a significant amount of effort into my gym and career goals, but this is a side pursuit I want to develop properly efficiently.