8 Ways to Meet People In A New City

8 Ways to Meet People In A New City Anxiety swallowed me whole the first time I moved to a new city. I wrote in my jurnal a few days after Id landed in Rabat, Moroccos capital He pierced through me with the tip of his fork, precisely in the pit of my stomach. The four spikes, they incited this tingling sensationlike butterflies, but not quite so sweet. And then it was dark. And I couldnt see where I was headed, where I would end up. Anxiety had consumed me.I call that culture shock. Id left all comforts behindthe ease of being surrounded by my native language, restaurants where servers know just how pink I like my burgers, pizzerias that save me the last penne slice before closing up shop, and even pharmacies that know when someone in my family falls ill, not because theyre refilling prescriptions, but because they get our holiday cards and we talk. Having familiar faces on every corner is what makes a distribution policy feel like homeand those faces are why memories arememorable.Iv e since moved to Manhattan and am preparing to move to Brooklyn on my own, too. Naturally, moving to any new country, city or neighborhood unaccompanied and unsuspecting of what lies before us is intimidating. But its not difficult to meet people to make new memories, simply because youve got everyone to meet. Regardless of how near or far youll be, or of how long you intend to stay, here are ways to get yourself assimilated and make some friends or, at the very least, contacts while youre at it.1. Consider CouchSurfingIve called out CouchSurfing before, and I will always stand by it. Again, avid backpackers know CouchSurfing the remainder of the human population is bemused by its concept. Its essentially a free social networking site and hospitality service for over 14 million locals and travelers committed to sharing authentic experiences.Members create profiles and offer up their couches/spare rooms/entire homes to each otherall of which is for free. It takes a lot of the work ou t of meeting new people oftentimes like-minded people and can quickly turn strangers into new friends. Travelers use it to meet locals, wander off the beaten path and cultivate insider experiences hosts use it to swap stories, learn from new people from inimitable backgrounds and ensure that visitors love their cities as much as they do. You can also just use CouchSurfing to meet up with locals, attend traveler events in cities across the globe or departure discussion boards to research destinations. Whether youre just visiting or moving there, CouchSurfing is a solid start.2. Take Advantage of Social MediaUse your social circle toconnect with friends of friends on social media platformslike Facebook and Instagram. Make it known that youre visiting or moving to a new city, and simply ask if anyones out there or knows anyone out there. People will comment, message or tag their friends in the areaafter all, social networks are designed forsocial networking.Plus, through Facebook, yo u can ask friends for tips by turning on Recommendations on your posts, and Facebook will map them out for you and save them all in one place. This is a surefire way to scout out local hotspots where you might find like-minded people to meet. Likewise, utilizing the Explore tab to find Nearby Places and events in your area will help you meet people with common interests.3. Join MeetupsMeetup is a website with a corresponding that brings people with common interests together. Its tagline What do you love? Do more of it with Meetup. Its sole mission is to bring people together in thousands of cities around the world because, when we get together and do the things that matter to us, were at our best.Hence Meetup gathers groups to do, explore, teach and learn the things that help us come alive. You can scope out all types of get-togethers across a vast gamut of categories outdoors and adventures, technology, sports and fitness, photography, food and drink, language and culture, music, f ilm, dance, book clubs, you name it. Discover local meet ups or, if youve got an idea for something you dont already see, create your own.4. Become Part of a Club TeamSports inherently bring people together and help forge friendships because kollektiv work makes the dream work. Most major cities offer club teams you can join, ranging from super competitive teams to those that are entirely for leisure. You have options that span the usual football, soccer and kickball to corn hole, skee-ball and drinking games in sports bars.Zog Sports, for example, operates in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC, and boasts 100,000 participants who have donated over $3,000,000 to over 2,000 charities by playingat the start of each season, every team selects a charity and, at the end, Zog Sports donates 10 percent of net proceeds, 100 percent of happy hour bar contributions and an allocation from its sponsors to the charity pool of the winning teams. Sports wit h this company range from bowling to bubbleball and beyond, but check out all of the options in your new neighborhood.5. Volunteer in the CommunityIf you dont have the dollars to pay to get yourself on a club team, you can still donate your time. Check out websites likeVolunteerMatch.comor search local nonprofits in your new city and reach out to them to inquire about potential opportunities.You can get involved with anything from administrative work and farming to helping the homeless and playing chess with seniors. Whatever you choose, youre likely to begin meeting people with similar beliefs and life goals as you, since theyre spending their free time the same way you are.6. Dont Skip out on Outings with New CoworkersIf youre moving to a new city and have a job lined up, take advantage of company events, especially if youre feeling down about your social life. Make it a point to network the office and get to know your coworkersthis is a group or people youll be spending every day with whether you want to or not.Coworkers are quick friends or, at the very least, peers and contacts you can talk to about the place you now call home. And oftentimes, youll meet more even more people through them. If it feels appropriate, you might want to get an after-work get-togother or happy hour going yourself, and simply ask someone else in the office to recommend a local spot to check out.7. Get off Your PhoneWhether technology is breaking or making our society is a nuanced debate. In many ways, it brings people together by making the world a much smaller place you can connect with friends and friends of friends in all corners of the globe instantaneously, and you can learn about places to which youve never been and people with whom youd never otherwise engage.On the contrary, people are too often consumed in their technology and their virtual lives begin to overrun their real lives. If youre always stuckverzierung with your nose in a screen, youll seldom meet people authe ntically and youll miss out on the conversation opportunities that are around you at the present time. Sometimes its a good thing to leave the technology at home, get outside and, instead of Yelping the best local coffee shop, asking someone on the street for some help. Maybe youll make a connection from doing just that.8. Opt for RoommatesThis goes for traveling and for moving. If youre traveling, consider staying in a hostel or in a more social hotel, where youre bound to meet other solo travelers. If youre in a hostel, and dont mind the noise, staying in a shared dorm room will introduce you to bunkmates and roommates who might want to explore the city with you.If youre moving to a new city, consider living with a roommate for at least the first month or two youre there. Even if you dont hit it off with your roommate, they might be a good person to hook you up with coveted local tips on places you wouldnt otherwise know about. Also consider subletting before yousign a lease on a rental, so you can get to know the area before settling on a place.FAQsHow Do I Make Friends When I Move to Another State?When you move to a new state, you can easily follow the aforementioned steps to make new friends. Joining a Meetup group or a club sports team are two of the best ways to make friends in a new state.How Do I Make Friends in My New Neighborhood?To get to know your neighborhood better and make new friends, consider volunteering or joining a community Meetup group. Youll certainly get to know likeminded people with similar passions and interests in your neighborhood.How Do You Make Friends in a Small Town?Making friends in a small town can sometimes be easier than making friends in a big city, since everyone knows everyone. This means that the few friends you may already have can easily introduce you to others they know. And, unlike a big city, you dont have to travel far to spend time with them.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficiona do with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solo travel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.