How to Make Friends in a New City

Sometimes it's for work, at times for school, or maybe you just need a change, but moving to a new city can be rough on your social life. It’s exciting to check out the restaurants, museums and more in your new city, but if you have no friends to share those places with it can be a little lonely. These are some easy ways to make new friends, while improving your life at the same time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A positive attitude
• Free time
• A willingness to seek out new areas

How to Make Friends in a New City

1. Painting, writing, cooking ... what have you always wanted to learn? Use this time to take a class in something new. You'll meet others who are excited about the same activities as you. Be polite and interactive in the class, and once you've gotten to know your classmates see if they would be interested in grabbing a coffee or a drink after class.
2. If you have a dog, start walking it in areas where there are other dog owners, or bring it to the dog park. You love your pet, and chances are they love theirs too, so already you have something to chat about. Ask dog owners questions about their dogs and be sure to introduce yourself- and your pet!
3. Get a part-time job. Baristas, sales associates and servers all work in fields with flexible hours and interact with many customers and other employees. Be friendly and do not be afraid to tell people that you’re new to the area, that always opens up conversation.
4. If you're out of college, seek out an alumni association in the area. Or, check out any professional organizations or clubs that include people in your same field. They often host mixers or organized trips to museums or sporting events.
5. Join a running club. Many major cities have groups that jog together to train for marathons or just to stay in shape. Do not be intimidated if you’re slow, most of these groups are set up for runners of all speeds.
6. Volunteer. Better yourself and your new community by putting in a few hours a week at a soup kitchen, a child-mentoring program, a non-profit organization or another place looking for assistance.
7. Say yes to invitations! Your coworkers or classmates are going to lunch and they’ve asked you to join them, go along! It is important, socially, to eat lunch with at least one person per week. If money is tight then brown-bag it and eat in a local park or company lunchroom. Coworkers and classmates can turn into your closest friends, especially based upon the amount of time you spend together!

Tips & Warnings

• Take care of yourself. Let's be honest, if you have bad hygiene or dirty clothes you may not attract new friends very easily.
• Introduce yourself. There is no better ice-breaker than that.
• Be friendly and complimentary. Make sure to smile and speak with confidence.
• Once you've made new friends, have a party. Have your friends bring their friends and soon you'll have double the amount of friends.
• Be outgoing, but also respect the space of others. Watch for visual or verbal clues that someone is not interested in conversation.