Gina Nicastro, 32
Speech pathologist, University Hospitals
Speech pathologist, University Hospitals
The perfect date: Maybe a Cleveland sporting event or a concert. Maybe a Cavs or an Indians game. Something that’s a little more low-key and not a ton of pressure.
Something most people don’t know about me: I am first generation Italian. My dad came over from Italy. I’m all Italian.
My cell phone: I don’t even know the name of it. I think it’s an EnV 3, and it has a really cute purple cover. Texting is my preferred method of communication because it’s quick and to the point. You can do it anywhere anytime.
Biggest turn-on: Probably confidence or good sense of humor. Nice eyes.
Biggest turnoff: Probably arrogance and cockiness. Someone who is overconfident. Somebody who is self-involved and who doesn’t ask questions about you and goes on and on about themselves.
I own too many: Shoes and purses. I could spend hours in DSW.
My favorite … place in Cleveland: Probably Little Italy when the weather’s nice and you can walk in and out of the galleries and sit outside and eat. Or Tremont and Ohio City. … sports team: Cavs. I love LeBron, of course. … book: I think A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I love that story and that time. It was never required reading for me, and it’s one of my mom’s favorite books. She recommended it. It was in my late 20s when I first read it. I love the characters and the storyline about immigrants in New York City and how hard they had to work to live. It reminds me of how my family came over as immigrants and worked really hard to make the best of their life. … vacation destination: I’ve been to Florida a lot in recent years. Naples or Fort Meyer. It’s really fun and the weather’s great. It’s so nice to go during cold Cleveland winters. My parents have a condo, and we have people who are there who we can hang out with. It’s like a home away from home in Florida. … dessert: Probably tiramisu. I could eat it all the time, every day. It’s terrible. Or a really rich chocolate torte.
Facebook: yes or no? I do. I’ve had it for a few years now, really to kind of stay in touch. It’s another way to have fun with current friends by posting, but it’s really fun to find past high school and middle school friends.
My usual hangout: If my friends and I stay close, it’s Coventry. We definitely rotate Coventry. It’s fun because my friends and I are also open to traveling, and it’s hard to get people to go to the West Side.
In high school I was … class vice-president. I was always involved in absolutely everything and a total honors student. I was involved. In high school I was busy.
My passion: Probably helping people and teaching, which obviously I do a lot of both with my job. That fulfills a lot of it. Really just trying to give people a better life or quality of life for the patients and resident positions and graduate students. It’s a really rewarding part of what I do. I didn’t know it was going to be in the medical setting, but that’s where it’s taken me.
My best feature: Probably either my sense of humor or my eyes and my smile. Those are what I get compliments on.
My bad habit: Shopping. Legacy Village, Beachwood. I need to cut back.
My first kiss: I think it was at a middle school dance or party. It was not very memorable at all. It was pretty much awkward. It was a classmate. I didn’t even see it coming.
My guilty pleasure: Chocolate. I love Malley’s dark chocolate.
How my ex would describe me: Probably super sweet.
Blonds or brunets: Probably more of a brunet.
Going out or staying in: That totally depends. I love going out to try new places, but you can totally have fun staying in making dinner or doing something.
Early, late or right on time: I’m either right on time or fashionably late.
Dogs or cats: Dogs. Hands down. But I don’t have one right now. I’d probably try to rescue a dog because that’s something that I care about. The kind doesn’t matter as much as trying to make a connection with the dog.
My longest relationship: I’ve not had very long relationships at all. Under a year.
Beer, wine or martinis: Beer or wine. It depends on the night or where we are. I’m always open to trying new beers. Whatever the mood strikes. If I’m going to drink red, I drink a pinot noir, and white usually chardonnay.
Roses or chocolates: Probably roses but not necessarily red roses. Not necessarily a dozen, but a cool color of a rose. I don’t usually buy flowers, so it’s a nice treat. I do love chocolate. I’d be happy either way.
My No. 1 dating rule: Mutual honesty and respect
My deal-breaker: Smoking. Smoking is never good. And cheating.
I hate when a date orders… as long as I don’t have to eat it, I’m cool.
Worst pickup line: There have been many. My group of friends and I were out after a game and a group of very young gentlemen approached us and tried to pass off that they were our age the whole night. They had no excuse, but they wanted to whip out their fake IDs that showed they were our age. It was totally transparent. That was pretty bad.
If I could marry anyone: I love Matt Damon. I think he’s really well-educated and a really nice person who also happens to be a talented actor. He’s everything — funny and smart and cute.
On a first date I never … kiss. End the night with a hug. I do hate it if a guy talks about past relationships.
Best place to meet someone: Maybe at a sporting event or a concert or just anywhere where there’s the younger crowd. It’s hard to meet people in a bar.
Most unusual place I’ve met someone: I had someone approach me and try to start something up, and so did one of my friends, in Whole Foods in the middle of the vitamins and supplements aisle. It was the most random thing ever. There was someone out there just scoping out and approaching girls.
My take on Cleveland’s single scene: I think it’s hard to meet people. If you’re not set up with people, it can be hard because I think a lot of people go out in groups, and it can be hard to start intermingling groups or to approach a group.
Something most people don’t know about me: I am first generation Italian. My dad came over from Italy. I’m all Italian.
My cell phone: I don’t even know the name of it. I think it’s an EnV 3, and it has a really cute purple cover. Texting is my preferred method of communication because it’s quick and to the point. You can do it anywhere anytime.
Biggest turn-on: Probably confidence or good sense of humor. Nice eyes.
Biggest turnoff: Probably arrogance and cockiness. Someone who is overconfident. Somebody who is self-involved and who doesn’t ask questions about you and goes on and on about themselves.
I own too many: Shoes and purses. I could spend hours in DSW.
My favorite … place in Cleveland: Probably Little Italy when the weather’s nice and you can walk in and out of the galleries and sit outside and eat. Or Tremont and Ohio City. … sports team: Cavs. I love LeBron, of course. … book: I think A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I love that story and that time. It was never required reading for me, and it’s one of my mom’s favorite books. She recommended it. It was in my late 20s when I first read it. I love the characters and the storyline about immigrants in New York City and how hard they had to work to live. It reminds me of how my family came over as immigrants and worked really hard to make the best of their life. … vacation destination: I’ve been to Florida a lot in recent years. Naples or Fort Meyer. It’s really fun and the weather’s great. It’s so nice to go during cold Cleveland winters. My parents have a condo, and we have people who are there who we can hang out with. It’s like a home away from home in Florida. … dessert: Probably tiramisu. I could eat it all the time, every day. It’s terrible. Or a really rich chocolate torte.
Facebook: yes or no? I do. I’ve had it for a few years now, really to kind of stay in touch. It’s another way to have fun with current friends by posting, but it’s really fun to find past high school and middle school friends.
My usual hangout: If my friends and I stay close, it’s Coventry. We definitely rotate Coventry. It’s fun because my friends and I are also open to traveling, and it’s hard to get people to go to the West Side.
In high school I was … class vice-president. I was always involved in absolutely everything and a total honors student. I was involved. In high school I was busy.
My passion: Probably helping people and teaching, which obviously I do a lot of both with my job. That fulfills a lot of it. Really just trying to give people a better life or quality of life for the patients and resident positions and graduate students. It’s a really rewarding part of what I do. I didn’t know it was going to be in the medical setting, but that’s where it’s taken me.
My best feature: Probably either my sense of humor or my eyes and my smile. Those are what I get compliments on.
My bad habit: Shopping. Legacy Village, Beachwood. I need to cut back.
My first kiss: I think it was at a middle school dance or party. It was not very memorable at all. It was pretty much awkward. It was a classmate. I didn’t even see it coming.
My guilty pleasure: Chocolate. I love Malley’s dark chocolate.
How my ex would describe me: Probably super sweet.
Blonds or brunets: Probably more of a brunet.
Going out or staying in: That totally depends. I love going out to try new places, but you can totally have fun staying in making dinner or doing something.
Early, late or right on time: I’m either right on time or fashionably late.
Dogs or cats: Dogs. Hands down. But I don’t have one right now. I’d probably try to rescue a dog because that’s something that I care about. The kind doesn’t matter as much as trying to make a connection with the dog.
My longest relationship: I’ve not had very long relationships at all. Under a year.
Beer, wine or martinis: Beer or wine. It depends on the night or where we are. I’m always open to trying new beers. Whatever the mood strikes. If I’m going to drink red, I drink a pinot noir, and white usually chardonnay.
Roses or chocolates: Probably roses but not necessarily red roses. Not necessarily a dozen, but a cool color of a rose. I don’t usually buy flowers, so it’s a nice treat. I do love chocolate. I’d be happy either way.
My No. 1 dating rule: Mutual honesty and respect
My deal-breaker: Smoking. Smoking is never good. And cheating.
I hate when a date orders… as long as I don’t have to eat it, I’m cool.
Worst pickup line: There have been many. My group of friends and I were out after a game and a group of very young gentlemen approached us and tried to pass off that they were our age the whole night. They had no excuse, but they wanted to whip out their fake IDs that showed they were our age. It was totally transparent. That was pretty bad.
If I could marry anyone: I love Matt Damon. I think he’s really well-educated and a really nice person who also happens to be a talented actor. He’s everything — funny and smart and cute.
On a first date I never … kiss. End the night with a hug. I do hate it if a guy talks about past relationships.
Best place to meet someone: Maybe at a sporting event or a concert or just anywhere where there’s the younger crowd. It’s hard to meet people in a bar.
Most unusual place I’ve met someone: I had someone approach me and try to start something up, and so did one of my friends, in Whole Foods in the middle of the vitamins and supplements aisle. It was the most random thing ever. There was someone out there just scoping out and approaching girls.
My take on Cleveland’s single scene: I think it’s hard to meet people. If you’re not set up with people, it can be hard because I think a lot of people go out in groups, and it can be hard to start intermingling groups or to approach a group.
