Good god, this thread reads like a showcase of insecurity and fear. Some of you should put yourselves out to pasture now. The world is not that bad, trust me.
On looks: the shallowness on the part of females being portrayed here is not entirely non-existent, but the type of overly-picky, extremely shallow girl referred to here represents only a small subset of the population. If you are going to base your sample on the twentysomething club-goer, you shouldn't expect more to begin with.
Fact: I see more than enough highly attractive girls here in Toronto and in Montreal with guys most would not consider 'conventionally' handsome. I see girls out regularly with guys noticeably shorter than them also.
Point? Outside of that looks-first, meat-market mentality held by a relatively small group of people, girls are (in the long run, at least) attracted to the same things they always have been: confidence, charm, guys with aspirations, someone who can make them laugh, someone who makes them feel comfortable (this is most important, btw). These things haven't changed, and aren't likely to. Approach a girl with confidence, treat her well, be good in bed, and she can be yours.
On height: same applies as above. If you are going to limit your sample to the overly-superficial club-hopper, don't expect more.
Common knowledge on many dating sites, for example, that if you aren't at least 5'10, don't even bother. That might well be true, but dating site are not exactly a representative sample. This city is, though. Look at the diversity here. Asian, Filipino, Mediterranean, etc etc. Girls of these ethnic groups aren't exactly giants. There is a spate of girls barely cresting 5'5, if that. You don't need to be 5'10+ to play here. Insist on trolling clubs and dating sites? You'll need to be able to compete there.
Average height of females in this country is 5'5. Average height of males is 5'9. I'm 5'8. I hardly run across a girl (barefoot, at least) that's taller than me. Those that are, have a whole slew of men taller than they to choose from. Luckily for the rest of us, there are more than enough not as tall out there. Play in your league, and you should be fine.