Exploring Love Stories: “Meet Cutes” Initiative Gains Popularity
It began with a simple question: “Excuse me, are you two a couple?”
In 2023, three friends—Aaron Feinberg, Jeremy Bernstein, and Victor Li, all 31—took to the streets to inquire about the stories behind couples they encountered. Bernstein led the interviews while Feinberg and Li captured everything on video, sharing these moments online. While they faced rejections about half the time, the responses they received often struck a chord—full of relatable and hopeful narratives.
Their project, titled “Meet Cutes,” quickly went viral, amassing 3 million followers on Instagram and 1.9 million on TikTok. They’ve compiled their experiences into a book called *Meet Cutes NYC: True Stories of Love and Connection*, which is currently available.
From over 5,000 filmed interviews, they chose 85 couples with diverse backgrounds and age groups for inclusion in the book.
Feinberg, who is currently single and searching for love, remarked, “This showcases the hope that love is out there. It can mean so many things to different people, though there’s no scientific backing for that.”
Here are some of the couples they featured.
Alice and Jeffrey
Alice and Jeffrey’s tale is particularly captivating. Their paths first crossed decades ago at Channel 13, where Alice worked as an assistant on “American Family,” and Jeffrey was a mail clerk. Each week, he would deliver fashion magazines to her office. One day, he overheard her joking on the phone: “Oh, darling, I was just in Morocco.” He couldn’t resist making a sarcastic remark, which led Alice to respond, “Who the hell do you think you are?”
Later, after getting extra tickets to a popular late-night show, Alice invited Jeffrey. The two ended up walking 46 blocks together, talking nonstop, and they haven’t looked back since. Feinberg shared that their story resonates deeply. It’s unexpected and unforgettable, proving that love sometimes starts with sarcasm rather than an initial spark.
Mike and Karen
This pair’s story highlights the theme of second chances. Mike first noticed Karen during a lecture at university and hoped she would sit next to him, which she did. He asked her out but discovered she was already in a relationship. Years later, after she became single, they started dating. Yet, they eventually broke up because Mike wasn’t ready for commitment. But fate intervened when they crossed paths two years later and began dating again, continuing ever since. Their video has become one of the most popular, resonating for its portrayal of love’s winding path.
Thuy and Sun
When Feinberg, Li, and Bernstein spotted Tui and Sun sporting matching hoodies in Clinton Hill, they were intrigued. The couple met at a climbing gym in New York while Tui visited from San Francisco. Initially, it seemed like a fleeting encounter, but when Tui later moved to New York, fate had them cross paths again, and Sun recognized that it was meant to be.
Joe and Liza
Feinberg noticed Joe and Liza in Williamsburg, captivated by their evident affection. He assumed they were newlyweds, only to find out they had been together for 15 years. Their introduction happened when Liza entered Joe’s hardware store with her boyfriend. Joe felt an instant connection and wished to be with someone like Liza, which ended up being her. Liza, unhappy in her prior relationship, made a change, and the undeniable connection between her and Joe has kept them together since.
