How to Find Friends in a New City
Moving to a new place can bring a lot of challenges. One of the biggest challenges is finding a new circle of friends. The unfortunate reality is that your new city won’t truly feel like home until you find other people to enjoy it with. Luckily, making friends in a new city can actually be really easy! By trying out some of the tips below, you can easily discover plenty of ways to find friends in a new city.
Use Your Network
Ask everyone you know if they know anyone who lives in the city you’re moving to. Have them set you up to meet their connections. Getting to know new people in your area is so much easier when you already have something in common – like a mutual connection. Some will work out and become friends, and some may not. But giving it your best effort and being open to meeting up with common connections is a great first step to meeting new people and finding friends in a new city. You never know, they may introduce you to their circle and you could find a ton of other people you get along with.
Choose the Right Neighborhood
If you are concerned about meeting new people and making friends, location is everything. Consider moving to a busy neighborhood or large apartment complex where there are plenty of people to connect with. You may also choose to rent a room in an apartment with other people so that you have an instant group of people to get to know. Try not to move anywhere too secluded when just starting off, as it may make it tougher to find friends.
Take a Class
A great way to meet like-minded people is to take a class you’re interested in. This could be a fitness class at your local gym, an art class, a cooking class – whatever piques your interest. Diving into something you enjoy is the easiest way to find friends who like the same thing as you. If you’re doing something you love, you and your new friends will feel more open and safe, making it a great environment to get to know each other. Many people also go out of their comfort zones by going to classes alone, so they’ll be excited to make a new friend with whom they can enjoy the class.
Join a Club
Similar to taking a class, joining a club is perfect for meeting people with similar interests to you. This could be a book club, an intramural club, or whatever you’re interested in. MeetUp.com is a great resource for finding groups and clubs for every interest. There are even ones specific to age groups or those new to the area that may be a great first step in finding friends in your new city.
Create a Routine
Creating a routine not only gets you more comfortable with your surroundings but also with the people you see during your routines. Whether it’s at the gym, on a walk or run, or at a coffee shop, seeing the same people will make you more comfortable around them and vice versa. Once you begin seeing someone along your routine multiple times, it’ll be easier to strike up a conversation and spark a new friendship.
Volunteer Your Time
If you enjoy giving your time for a cause you care about, volunteering is a great way to meet people who also care about that cause. Take the time on a weekend or whenever you have off work to volunteer a few hours of your time. You’ll have the opportunity to make new friends and become affiliated with a local organization you care about. If you’re looking for a place to get started in your area, try VolunteerMatch.org.
Join Your Local Chamber of Commerce
If you are a business owner or are looking to network professionally, the local chamber of commerce is a great way to find friends and colleagues in your new city. Most chambers of commerce hold monthly networking events where you can get to know other professionals in your area. Even if you start off networking, those connections can easily turn into friendships after you get acquainted.
Join NextDoor
NextDoor.com is a great way to get to know your neighbors and learn about things happening in your neighborhood. When you join, you’ll be placed with everyone in your surrounding area, almost like a Facebook for neighbors. You can join conversations about things going on, or even introduce yourself and spark your own conversation.
Try Bumble BFF
Although Bumble is typically thought of as a dating app, it actually has a specific feature called Bumble BFF for finding new friends in your area. To get started, you simply upload a few photos of yourself and write some things to help potential friends to get to know you better. Then, you can start swiping through other profiles to read and see who you think would make a great friend. After you “match” with a potential friend, you can chat with them through the app. Then, you can make plans to get to know each other in your new city.
The more things you open your mind to, the more opportunities you’ll have to meet new people and make connections. Most importantly, try to say yes to everything and allow yourself to try new things. For more tips on enjoying your new home, sign up for our once-monthly blog newsletter.
