For some New Yorkers, crossing the East River is a romantic adventure. <\/p>\n
For others, it\u2019s a logistical nightmare measured in subway delays, transfers and rapidly fading interest. <\/p>\n
In a city of 8 million, love may be everywhere \u2014 but it still comes with a ZIP code.<\/p>\n
And for many singles, a suitor\u2019s borough ranks right up there with height, salary and abs <\/a>on the ever-growing list of strict dealbreakers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Paula Jannell, 25, of Ridgewood, Queens, and her boyfriend, Devin Amaro, 25, of nearby Maspeth, Queens, are among the picky couples who prefer to keep their relationship local.<\/p>\n \u201cDating someone in another borough on the opposite side of the city instantly makes it a huge commitment,\u201d Jannell told The Post.<\/p>\n As someone who\u2019s never experienced the hassle of being in a long-distance relationship, she said, \u201cI love that my boyfriend lives within walking distance from me. It makes a big difference being able to see him without a huge commute. It\u2019s a big pro.\u201d<\/p>\n Devin Amaro and Paula Jannell are two lovers who are beyond happy to be living near each other.<\/p>\n Being close to her boyfriend, whom Jannell was introduced to through mutual friends, means less commuting, more quality time and fewer headaches when planning a day together.<\/p>\n \u201cDepending on where you live, 40 minutes is the standard and typical basis for going most places in New York, but if you\u2019re dating someone who is one hour or more away, that\u2019s so tough,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d obviously want to see them multiple times a week.\u201d<\/p>\n When Jannell has a \u201cbad day,\u201d she\u2019s able to walk to Amaro and \u201cfind solace and comfort easily,\u201d she noted, and this is something she\u2019s \u201cso grateful for.\u201d<\/p>\n Amaro, of course, is also thrilled to live close to his better half.<\/p>\n Living near each other allows the duo to meet up whenever they want.<\/p>\n He adds a commuter reality check: \u201cI\u2019d say it would be \u2018cooked\u2019 if someone lived in Canarsie, Brooklyn, and wanted to date someone in Whitestone, Queens. That\u2019s a horrible commute.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019re next door borough-wise, he said, but getting there is a nightmare \u2014 trains don\u2019t connect smoothly, and the transfers are a headache.<\/p>\n Now that they\u2019ve lived within walking distance of a partner, they wouldn\u2019t want it any other way and \u201ccouldn\u2019t imagine\u201d dating from across a different borough, Amaro said.<\/p>\n The two agreed that a commute of \u201cover 40 minutes\u201d could be a deal-breaker for many couples.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I ever had to take a commute like that, I\u2019d really, really have to like the person,\u201d he added, stressing that a commute\u00a0of \u201cover an hour\u201d to a partner, such as from \u201cThe Bronx to Far Rockaway,\u201d doesn\u2019t feel doable in New York City.\u00a0<\/p>\n On social media, countless viral clips show NYC couples joking about being in a \u201clong-distance relationship<\/a>\u201d \u2014 even though they live in the same city.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some brave women film themselves hauling suitcases<\/a> from deep Brooklyn to The Bronx just to spend a weekend with their boyfriends, while others warn that dating across borough lines is \u201cnot for the weak.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnother borough might as well be another country,\u201d one New Yorker quipped<\/a>, as another joked<\/a> she just had to \u201cquickly take the L to the J to the 5 to the 6 to the 7\u201d to be with her babe.<\/p>\n And other Big Apple residents say they won\u2019t even entertain<\/a> the idea of dating outside their own borough, or budge an inch<\/a> from their home neighborhood, to see a partner over 40 minutes away.<\/p>\n Thinking of trekking in from New Jersey to keep a New York City romance alive? Fuhgeddaboudit.<\/p>\n