5 Smart Tips for Making Friends in a New City

Let your neighbors know you’ve just moved in, and let them know you’re hosting a get-together at your place or a nearby park. The best part about attending a neighborhood meet-up event is that everyone is there for the same purpose—to make friends who live nearby. To find activities in your new neighborhood, try using Nextdoor to see what’s https://remotemode.net/blog/tips-on-how-to-make-friends-when-you-work-from-home/ happening near you each week. Without a doubt, the noblest way to make friends in a new city is to volunteer at non-profit organizations or charitable organizations in the area. Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community, and it’s definitely one of the most rewarding and satisfying things a person can do in life.

Make it a point to chat up your neighbors to gauge if there’s a chance for friendship. Help them if they need it and show courtesy if they do something nice for you. Many of them also have features that allow you to connect with people in your area.

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After uploading a photo and profile, you will be matched with others only with at least one common interest. Bumble will match you with friends of the opposite or the same gender based on what you’re looking https://remotemode.net/ for and your specific profile. If you’re shy, some of these may be difficult for you; and that’s okay! Follow these practical tips to handle those hard — but necessary — conversations in work & life.

• Below, we’ve sourced how to make friends in a new city from the travelers who have done it so you can get out there and do it too.
• Try to make plans with co-workers away from company-sanctioned events.
• I can vouch for hiking groups as a good way to make new connections.

Head to social media and find a local Facebook group for expats or digital nomads, then look for recent postings of people meeting up for a game. It doesn’t matter if it’s a proper league or a Saturday activity, just say yes. Once you land in your new city, it may be tempting to seek out meetups, networking events, and the like. But research shows that events structured around meeting new people often fail. Attendees generally spend time conversing with people they already know, or with people who are similar to themselves. A better option is to participate in a “shared activity,” an event where there is a bigger objective at hand and achieving that objective requires interdependence.

Make Friends, Find Dates, and Be More Social When You Work Remotely Like This

She is currently based in Chicago but has also lived in New York, Washington, DC, London, and several places in between. Over the years, Meena has written for publications including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Travel+Leisure. Nowadays, she writes mostly about travel, money, and career management for a variety of publications.

Few things in life are more emotional than moving to a new city. Between the stress of packing, the excitement over starting fresh, and the goodbye tears, it’s a whirlwind of emotions. However, when you’re making the move alone, it’s easy to feel isolated, small, and like an outsider who simply doesn’t belong in your new home. But having friends by your side can help make the transition easier. That said, like most things in life, finding a new friend group is often easier said than done.

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Locals.org is a great way to connect with people in your area with similar interests. You can attend real-life experiences, meet like-minded people, make more friends, have fun, and support good causes in one place. Get involved in company social events, even if they’re virtual.

Joining an organization of some kind is one of the best ways to make new connections that can then develop into friendships. Additionally, after college people start to get married or more involved in serious relationships. These take up time on their own, and then free time virtually disappears once people have kids. Of course, these are generalizations, but they both contribute to people’s overall busyness.

Find out if any former classmates or colleagues are nearby that you can reconnect with. It doesn’t need to be extravagant – just a small gathering to feel out any budding friendships. Or ask about the best place to grab lunch or dinner and invite a few people to join you. You could also initiate a group activity like happy hour or going to a ball game. The good news is there are plenty of things you can do to create an active social life with people you want to be around.

• But, as I spent more time in San Francisco, I learned that a friendship doesn’t mean having identical hobbies.
• Leaving the structure and routine of college life for the “real world” is supposed to be exciting.
• Don’t only talk about your jobs, your families, or your hobbies.
• Just change a few of your habits and force yourself out the door.
• Never again will you use the automatic mode on your camera too.

Reddit is a great place to start for the area and city-specific forums. It can be tough to put yourself out there and meet new people, but it’s a lot easier if you find social events that fit your interests. That way, you’ll already have at least one thing in common with the people you meet. Rather than attending large social events, find smaller events with a more niche interest. By using apps, websites, and connections, you are going to find that there are all sorts of fun and exciting people to meet.

Use social media.

With a little luck, you should be able to get a few contacts. And when you do, make sure you reach out to those people and meet them for a drink.

We often think likable people are funny or smart or charismatic, but the secret to being likable is actually to like people. According to the theory of inferred attraction, people like people who they think like them. If you’re interested in getting involved in local politics or activism, there are many groups that you can join. You can find these groups online or by asking around in your community. Howbout.app is quite a handy app for planning events when you have established friends in your area.