On Highway 101, a 42-Year-Old Bay Area Woman Bets Her Future on 12 Billboards to Find a Husband
Lisa Catalano, a Bay Area vintage clothes retailer from San Mateo, has rented a dozen digital billboards along California’s Highway 101 to advertise her hand in marriage. Her message is blunt and hopeful: she wants to fall in love, and she’s willing to spend to make it happen. “I’m putting myself out there,” Catalano told The Post with a laugh. “People would be shocked if they knew how much this is costing me.”
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A Personal Quest: From Breakups to a Public Plea
Catalano launched the campaign on September 2 after a painful breakup in April and a string of dating-app disappointments. The billboards drive traffic to her dating site, MarryLisa.com, where eligible bachelors can apply to be her guy. Her route spans roughly 45 miles between Santa Clara and San Francisco, and she’s also promoting herself on taxi ads to reach more drivers. Pricing is dynamic, so costs vary with supply and demand, time of day, and location.
The Price of Love: Not a Joke, a Serious, Self-Funded Gamble
Catalano insists, “This is not a joke. It’s not a gimmick. This is a serious, self-funded endeavor. I just want to find my husband.” Despite online chatter from cyberbullies who label her insane or delulu, she remains undeterred. After a failed relationship and a string of dating-app mishaps, she’s willing to invest more than money to find love.
A Growing Trend: Public Promises and Paid Visibility for Love
Catalano isn’t alone: others are betting on visibility to fix dating fatigue. Eve Tilley-Coulson, a corporate litigation attorney from Los Angeles, previously told The Post she’d pay a $5,000 “referral fee” to anyone willing to help her find “the one.” Mohamed Ibrahim, a New Jersey man on the prowl, has also bought billboard space, including prime real estate in Times Square, in pursuit of his soulmate. Shameless personal plugs — it’s how app-exhausted folks are meeting their matches.
Non-Negotiables, Forever Dreams, and the Hope for Happily Ever After
Catalano isn’t vague about the kind of partner she wants. She’s looking for a man aged 35 to 45 who shares her religious and political beliefs and leads a health-conscious lifestyle. Her “non-negotiables” include a monogamous relationship and a clean criminal record, plus a non-violent personality. She even jokes that it wouldn’t bother her if he admires actor David Duchovny. On MarryLisa.com she lays out her criteria before saying she wants forever: “I want to fall in love. I want to get married and start a family.” “He’s gotta be out there.”
