Shhh! We're Having a Party

For many singles, a noisy bar is the perfect setting for the rituals of courtship. But for others, loud voices, pounding music and noisy cell phones make the sweet nothings too hard to hear. Enter the Quiet Party, where all talking above a gentle whisper is banned, cell phones are forbidden and the jukebox is muted. Participants chat mostly via notes; some are suggestive, others discuss current events, while still others seek creative potential mates by starting chain stories. The first Quiet Party took place in New York City last November, and now the idea is spreading nationwide. The first international Quiet Party is scheduled for this spring in Beijing. --By Lisa McLaughlin