DALLAS, Feb 6, 2002/ FW/ --- During his State of the Union Address last January, U.S. President George W. Bush said, 'September 11 has forever changed our lives.'

The president was referring to the U.S. in general. What he did not realize was that it also changed the way singles look at casual sex.

According to a survey by New York Magazine and MetroTV, shaken by 9/11, single New Yorkers are shifting their dating habits priorities and placing more emphasis on relationships, marriages and starting a family.

Highlights of the survey include:

• Since 9/11, 46 percent of single New Yorkers are more interested in a serious relationship.
• 36 percent are more interested in marriage and 32 percent are more interested in starting a family as a result of the terrorist attacks.
• 49 percent are spending less on dating and 58 percent are more likely to want to stay home for the evening.
• 35 percent are having less casual sex, with just 10 percent saying they are having more casual sex.
• A large majority -- 81 percent -- said that their priorities for an "ideal partner" have not shifted since 9/11.

When asked if 9/11 had impacted their dating lives, nearly half of all 609 New York singles who answered the poll said they were more interested in a serious relationship, and over a third report being more interested in marriage and starting family.

The shift in priorities is also changed the dating behavior, with casual sex and expensive dates losing ground to a new desire to just stay home for the evening.

A third of single New Yorkers say they are having casual sex less often, half said they are spending less on dates and nearly two-thirds said they are more likely to want to stay home for the evening since the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

"I feel like there could be a third world war or something; I feel like I should get married before it gets any worse," said one survey respondent.

At the same time, single New Yorkers are unshaken in what they look for in a partner. An overwhelming majority said that their priorities for their "ideal partner" have not shifted since 9/11. Singles rated personality, sense of humor, and values as the most important traits. These priorities are unchanged from a similar poll conducted in 1998.