‘Swiping America’ singles travel around the country to date: ‘I have high standards’

They’re on a cross-country search for love.

Four single New Yorkers travel around to check out the dating scene elsewhere, in the new series “Swiping America.” Premiering June 15 on Max (formerly HBO Max), the show is a docuseries that calls itself a “rom doc” (for “romantic documentary”).

It focuses on lesbian entrepreneur Ashleigh Warren, 31; hairstylist Reagan Baker, 38, realtor Kesun Lee, 36; and gay data scientist Krishnanand “Kris” Kelkar, 30. 

“I wouldn’t say I was tired of the New York dating scene, but it did feel like a lot,” Baker told The Post. 

“It was nice to remove myself from that, in order to reset.”

The eight-episode series sends the four singles to eight cities: Asheville, North Carolina; New Orleans, Louisiana; Miami, Florida; Austin, Texas, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Boulder, Colorado; Seattle, Washington; and Honolulu, Hawaii. 

There, they use dating apps to select potential new partners, and go on dates – all on camera. 

“There would be cameras around, and I’d be like ‘So…what’s your favorite color?’ I would lose my mojo, at times,” said Baker. 

“There were a couple of dates that were more awkward than others. But, that’s part of dating.” 

Not all of the singles agreed on which cities offered the best dates.

“I was surprised by Asheville,” said Baker. “That was one of my favorite cities for dating. I think my cast mates liked it least. But, I grew up in Tennessee, just one state over. So, there was a little bit of home for me there.” 

The singles all noted that the dating scene in each city had a lot of variety. 

“On a superficial level, in Boulder, you’re going hiking,” said Baker. “So that’s different than New York, where you’re not going hiking here unless it’s a walk-up. The [cities] did have their own vibe. Miami really stood out. Santa Fe and Boulder definitely had very outdoorsy kinds of guys. But, I found that people were people [wherever you go], as well.”

Kelkar said that he found the gay dating scene to vary broadly, between the different locations. 

“For the gay community, the hookup-oriented kinds of apps like Grindr or Scruff…will show you who is next to you. And in Santa Fe, there were two people [that came up for me as dating options] in the city, on one of the apps. So, how you find queer spaces and communities to date is super different in some of these cities, compared to New York.”

Both singles said that the experience of appearing on “Swiping America” gave them a new appreciation for the New York dating scene. 

“I missed dating in New York, because I do feel that the men are incredibly engaged, impressive. I have a very high standards, which I’m proud of,” said Baker, adding that her standards are for “Personality and intellect. I’ve dated some not-so attractive guys.”

“I realized that I was keeping people around that maybe they didn’t want a future with me,” she said.

“Or, I  didn’t want one with them. And it was safe to keep someone around just so that I always had someone. In New York, it’s common to have five to seven people like that at one time. I learned that that doesn’t work for me. I care about a deeper connection.” 

Kelkar said that he hopes viewers find their experiences relatable. 

“We all have things that we’re scared to share, and dating is really personal. So, there’s this large narrative out there that if a guy isn’t into you, it’s scorched earth – screw him! And if they don’t respect you, yes. But, the most courageous thing you can do is put yourself out there. Always be open to the unexpected.”