NYCity Matchmaking Reviews: Cost, Process & Results

NYCity Matchmaking is a boutique firm founded by Michelle Frankel in 2012, with offices in Midtown Manhattan and Ridgewood, New Jersey. It serves a client base ranging in age from the 20s to the 60s, with a primary geographic focus on New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, DC, and Connecticut.

Frankel built her reputation partly through Jewish matchmaking and an appearance on the Netflix series My Unorthodox Life, though the service works with clients from many backgrounds. The New Jersey side of the business operates as an extension of the same firm.

Before matchmaking, Michelle Frankel spent about a decade practicing law, including time as an attorney in Washington, D.C. She moved to New York City after ending an engagement, and at her new firm she found herself informally introducing colleagues, including introducing her boss to his future wife.

“As time went on, I realized that I was much more passionate about matchmaking than practicing law, and so I took a risk and gave up my career after 10 years of practicing.” 

She describes the shift as trading in law for love. That legal background is something clients frequently connect to her thorough, detail-oriented vetting process.

Every prospective client goes through an interview with Frankel to determine fit and to define what they are looking for in a partner. The conversation covers physical attraction, personality, lifestyle, values, and relationship goals.

Paying clients are then matched either from the firm’s internal database or through Frankel’s wider network of contacts and other matchmakers. In a Thrillist interview she described not limiting matches to her own client list, instead drawing on her full network and doing targeted searches while networking.

Depending on their goal, we talk about what their ideal match is like. We talk about what they are attracted to physically and how important that is for them. We also talk about personality. Not everyone is a good match with a Type A personality, for example.

Here is the process at a high level:

1. Complete the initial interview and define your match criteria with Frankel.

2. Get matched from the internal database of several thousand singles or through her external network.

3. Have the date planned and coordinated for you by the NYCity Matchmaking team.

4. Exchange objective feedback after each date to refine future matches.

As Frankel explained to Thrillest, 

When people retain me as their love headhunter I don’t limit matching to people who are just clients because that would be restricting. When people retain me, my entire network becomes part of it. It helps to know a lot of people. In my database I have several thousand singles, so that’s the first place I look. I do specific searches when I’m out networking. I talk to other matchmakers around me who might have a good match.

Beyond introductions, the service also offers image consulting, body language coaching, photo sessions, and mock dating exercises.

NYCity Matchmaking offers three ways to engage, and only one includes an active, dedicated search on your behalf. Pricing starts with a required consultation and rises to full packages comparable to other premium NYC matchmakers.

As Frankel told Bergen Magazine, the most important part of that first session is uncovering what a client truly wants, noting that people often think they want one thing when it is really something else. Package prices are not published as a flat rate because they depend on how specific your criteria are, where you want to meet people, and which added services you need.

Client ratings are consistently strong across the major review platforms, and the praise tends to cluster around the same themes: thorough vetting, personal attention, and useful, honest feedback.

Michelle Frankel’s NYC matchmaking service has a solid 4.8-star rating on Yelp with over 40 positive reviews.

Many were from members of the database, like this reviewer who had a positive experience meeting Frankel’s paying clients: 

Other reviewers like this one appreciated the care that went into the vetting process:

This reviewer appreciated Frankel’s use of networking:

NYCity Matchmaking’s Google reviews are similarly positive, earning the service a 4.8 out of 5 star rating.

As with Yelp, the reviews were from a mix of singles who paid for services or joined the database for free:

NYCity Matchmaking has a 4.8 out of 5 star rating with TrustAnalytica, with over 40 mostly positive reviews. The two negative reviews were from people who had not actually used the service.

Reviews are a useful starting point. They can surface questions worth asking in your consultation, and a company’s responses to criticism reveal something about how it treats clients. What matters more is deciding what you want from a matchmaking service before you sign anything, because matchmaking pays off when the decision is an informed one.

Want to be confident you're making the right decision? Check out our comprehensive guide to hiring a matchmaker!

Frankel’s pricing is in line with other established New York matchmakers. Services like Enamour, Maria Avgitidis, and Lisa Ronis occupy the same $20,000+ tier, usually structured as a 6-month, 9-month, or yearlong package paid upfront.

The main structural question for most people is the contract. Boutique matchmaking almost always asks you to buy a fixed block of time in advance, which means you may pay for months you do not end up needing if you meet someone early.

A Flexible Alternative for Busy Professionals

If the upfront-contract model gives you pause, it is worth knowing it is not the only option. VIDA Select offers professional matchmaking on a pay-as-you-go basis, with packages that can be paid monthly, so you are never buying time you might not need if you meet your person right away.

VIDA’s matchmakers also search the largest network of singles available, which means more compatible matches who fit your preferences. The results back it up: 82% of VIDA clients begin a relationship with a match within 90 days, and most meet their person after just 4 to 7 introductions.

You bring strategy to your professional life, so why leave finding your partner to chance? See how VIDA’s modern matchmaking works and get started here.