Love stories with organic beginnings aren’t nearly as common anymore as they once were, especially in this digital age. When was the last time you heard someone say they had to leave for a Tinder date? As recently as today or within the last week. When was the last time you heard that someone had a date with a person they met at a coffee shop? Probably two weeks ago or more likely than not, a month ago. But what about meeting someone while you’re driving and the other person was walking across a pedestrian walkway above you? Never.
Well, that’s exactly how Noam Harel and Crishelle Magaspi met, thanks to the dating app, Happn.
“I work in the Bronx VA and I walked to the subway. There’s a little pedestrian bridge over the Major Deegan Expressway,” said Noam.
“And I drive – I used to work in Westchester Medical Center so coming back to Manhattan so that’s the highway that we crossed paths,” said Crishelle.
Happn is a location based dating app that provides a pool of people that you have physically passed by in real life. Or in this case, drove by.
Noam saw her picture and noted that Crishelle looked like Jennifer Lopez. And on Crishelle’s end, she had just left a happy hour, and felt everything was fine. They started to chat and later found out that they were both doctors.
They eventually went on their first date, getting to know each other within the typical mishaps of a difficult restaurant. Despite a reservation having been made, too many people at the bar, and being unable to hear each other, things seemed to work.
They began to see each other three times a week, and even had dinner with Noam’s best friend nine days into the relationship.
The definitive start of the relationship is different depending on who you ask, but Crishelle found comfort in Noam’s clear and straightforward mindset when he texted her, “Happy two week anniversary!”
As unique as their crossing paths was, so is their living situation. They leased an apartment in Tribeca together just last month. However Crishelle has worked in Cooperstown for the past two years. The couple has been going back and forth throughout that time. The three and half hour commute isn’t the easiest but that town in between Albany and Syracuse is where Noam popped the question.
On October 28, 2017, Noam motioned for them to take a stroll around the lake despite Crishelle being on call.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t show up in scrubs. He was fumbling around the lifeguard chair. He got down on one knee and took the box out of his pocket. And I said ‘Um are you joking?’ because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a friendship bracelet or earrings. I had to open it first before I said yes because what if it was just earrings?” said Crishelle.
It wasn’t earrings and the couple got married at the end of the year in City Hall. Crishelle is moving back to the city in July. They’re currently planning their wedding in Aspen for August of this year. Thanks, Happn.
*The Happn application can be downloaded for free on the Apple/Google Play Store*
The post Despite the Odds, Two New Yorkers Happn'd to Find Love appeared first on Brooklyn Magazine.
