Business Editors

DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2002

AOL Celebrates Valentine's Day With "Romance Week" Feb. 11-15

Whether you're looking for love, celebrating your singlehood or happily attached, America Online is celebrating Valentine's Day with offerings for everyone - no matter your romantic status. Today, America Online announced its top 10 "Best Cities for Singles" to help lovelorn people cut down on the chase and find romance once and for all. For married couples and "singletons," AOL is also kicking-off a special week-long celebration called "Romance Week" on February 11 with tips and advice for finding love and keeping the romance alive. Even families and kids will find unique ways to share their feelings with mom, dad, and their best friends.

Best Cities for Singles

If you're one of the 85 million singles living in the U.S., your best bet for finding a date this Valentine's Day is to spend some time in Chicago. According to AOL, Chicago ranks #6 among the cities that best cater to the single life.

Being single means two things: going out with your friends and meeting other people. AOL experts took at look at the top 60 metropolitan areas covered by AOL's Local Guide and gathered data on the number of potential places to find a possible love match, such as restaurants, bars and clubs, live music venues, and arts and culture events. The rankings are based on quality and variety of offerings, not quantity.

Based on this criteria, AOL's list of "Best Cities for Singles" includes:

#1 Sacramento
#2 Richmond
#3 Nashville
#4 San Jose
#5 Cincinnati
#6 Chicago
#7 Washington, D.C.
#8 Miami
#9 Denver
#10 Albuquerque

Or, Go Online and Meet Your Perfect Match. Win a Dream Date!

If you're tired of the dating scene in your hometown, go online. Singles who want to take their search for romance to the next level know that online personals are a great way to meet quality people. In fact, traffic to online dating sites has grown by 50% over the last year, according to Jupiter Media Metrix. By registering at Love@AOL by Match.com (AOL Keyword: Love), singles can access more than 2.5 million profiles of other eligible singles from around the corner and around the globe.

In addition, Love@AOL by Match.com is hosting a "You Find a Mate - We'll Pay for the Date" sweepstakes, which will award four Love@AOL by Match.com members the ultimate dream date. The package, worth $1,000, will include flowers, limousine service, a gift certificate to a clothing store and a gift certificate to a local restaurant. Entries will be accepted through February 15. Official rules and entry form can be found at AOL Keyword: Love. The sweepstakes is open to AOL members 18 and older.

AOL's Tribute to Romance

For singles, married couples, even families, AOL presents "Romance Week," an unparalleled array of information and advice surrounding a different romantic topic each day. "Romance Week" will last February 11-15 and will include themes such as "Plan the Perfect Date" (Wednesday), "Be the Perfect Date" (Thursday), and "Keep the Love Alive" (Friday). "Romance Week" will also include convenient access to gift and entertainment options, as well as creative (and free!) ways to express your love such as online poetry.

About America Online, Inc.

America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Time Warner, Inc. (NYSE: AOL). Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.

EDITOR'S NOTE

The following localized information can be provided upon request: local couples in your town who met online; top local picks for restaurants, weekend getaways, florists, stores and Valentine's Day events; and local escapes for the dateless and most unusual places to find love.