Making Friends in a New City is Easy with the Right Tips

June 3, 2021 / Posted in How-to
Eva Johnson

Digital nomad born in New York but currently living online, Eva knows everything there is to know about packing and moving.

Relocating to another town or state all by yourself may look terrifying, especially if you don’t know anyone there. For that reason, making friends in a new city and becoming a part of a local community is most likely to be the very first task on the list of things to do after you relocate to another place. The good news is – it’s easier than you think. Here are the tips that will help you on how to meet new people in a new city, acquire acquaintances, and some long-term friendships for which your cross-country moving will be worth it.

smiling youngsters taking a selfie
Being an adult and making friendships is easier than you might think

How Do You Create a Social Circle in a New City?

For many of us, moving to another state alone, being an adult, and starting all over again, including making new friendships, is more difficult than anything else in the world. Especially for those of us who are introverts or shy and think how they are not good at making friendships or feel difficult to have close bonds with people they still don’t know well. Another problem is that many adults, after years of experience in interpersonal relationships, start to be pretty picky when it comes to letting someone they still don’t completely trust in their life zone and feel it difficult to connect to others. However, the balance has to be achieved since we are all social creatures and because the power of relationships is surprisingly strong.

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Start Expanding Your Social Network by Meeting Your Co-Workers

There are many reasons to move. Maybe you’re moving across the country for love and have a plan for moving in with your significant other, or you’ve finally got the promotion and relocating for a job. In any case, creating a social circle is of tremendous importance for assimilating into the community and becoming its active member. When moving out for the first time and about to move to a city alone, it is completely understandable if you might not be in the mood to actively pursue friendships at the moment you’re changing your whole life.

In such situations, you might try leaning on your colleagues at work. Accept that after-work invitation to a nearby bar, or spend the lunch break with some of your colleagues, or go for that barbecue house party your colleague organized and invited you to join. These simple but very important socializing techniques can lead you to further familiarization with your workmates and grow those connections into real friendships and even more contacts. The first rule of how to meet friends in a new city is – take every opportunity that comes your way.

colleagues at lunch break
Your colleagues will be your first contacts, so ensure to connect with them

How Do You Make New Friends in a New City?

There are literally hundreds of different ways to expand your social network and find like-minded people who will support you in adjusting to a community and help you make friends in a new city. Trying to find activities associated with your hobby or favorite sport or joining a book club are only some of the ideas that can support you in this process, and here comes many more!

Tip #1: Connect With Your Friends’ Acquaintances

During the moving rush, while trying to create a list of things you need for your first apartment or exploring what the most commonly forgotten things to pack are, you can easily forget to ask your mates if they have some contacts in your future town. If they could provide you with those connections, moving from a small town to a big city will be much easier. At least, you will have someone close to share advice on how to deal with feelings of loneliness and nostalgia. That person can tell you some practical tips, too, such as what places you should avoid at night, or where the best party in town is. Also, these contacts can introduce you to their social circles and provide you with meeting even more people that could potentially become your fellows.

Tip #2: Throw a Moving In Party in Your Home and Invite Your Neighbours

If you’ve ever wondered how do I make friends in my new neighborhood, the answer is pretty simple – throw a moving-in party and introduce yourself to neighbors. This is one of the best ways t  meet new neighbors and make a good impression on them. They will certainly appreciate your friendly gesture, and more importantly, they can reveal some precious information regarding the neighborhood, town, and activities that could be interesting for you. There is also a huge possibility you share the same interests with some of them. If so, they could invite you to join the same sports club or mountaineering society and help you acquire various connections.

Also, as a newcomer to the neighborhood, you can easily spot the things that could be improved, like fixing the kid’s playground, for example, and initiate a joint action. This way, you will show that you care about others, and also, you will get another chance to connect with your neighbors. So, when preparing your packing, don’t forget to pack your grill because you will not be able to throw any party without it.

barbecue party in the garden
Meeting your neighbors can be a helpful way of expanding your social circle

Tip #3: Try Out Some Apps to Engage With New Fellows

We live in the internet era, and there are hundreds of apps that could help you meet like-minded community members. Update your Facebook profile information and post you’re relocating to another place. Explore Facebook groups, join some of them, initiate socializing live, mention that you want to have some new connections, and ask the members what they would recommend when dealing with nostalgia. Also, remember to ask if there is someone from your hometown or state because maybe someone is in that group and would want to connect with you. Aside from Facebook, there are many more apps to explore, such as:

  • Meetup app matches members based on their shared interests and local communities. The search features are advanced, and you can perform a broad search or very specific like Western Florida Golden Retrievers Crew.
  • Hey! VINA is an app created with the aim of empowering women. Hey! VINA algorithm matches members on proximity or mutual connections and suggests the place to meet, such as a wine bar, hiking trail, or book cafe.
  • Friended app is the best choice for all those who feel shy to initiate conversations. This app is made to help you break the ice by playing quizzes, guessing games, or even video chat with someone.

Don’t waste your time pondering what to do. Choose the app you’ll install, or several of them, and start friendships that can become real, quality, and long-lasting relationships made for your whole life.

Tip #4: Believe it or Not, Your Dog Can Be Helpful When Trying to Meet Acquaintances

The greatest advantage of moving with pets, aside from the fact you’ll never be alone, is they can help you meet a bunch of people thanks to them simply being cute. There is a small chance that random passers-by will remain indifferent once they see your lovely dog running around, and they are likely to initiate the conversation with you. Also, your dog can connect you with other dog owners, who will share their contact information and agree to take joint walks with you. The icing on the cake – this will be great for pets because they need to socialize, too. Don’t hesitate, and take that walk to the nearby dog park, go to the beach or lake, and start using all the benefits of your decision to move in the summer to another town and take advantage of nice weather to the maximum.

Woman is drinking coffee and sitting on a bench with her dog
Your dog is really your best companion capable of helping you with socializing

Tip #5: Take some Sports Activity! Join to Gym, or Take Yoga Classes

Sports activity will get you multiple wins! Not only will you maintain your body in perfect shape and better fit to deal with moving stress, but you will also meet many people there. So go to a game or head to the gym. These are among the most common answers to how do guys make friends in a new city since this is a terrain where they feel confident and always ready to share the working out tips with others. So, for guys, this is just the perfect method for adjusting.

When it comes to women, joining yoga classes is one of the best methods to use if you’re moving while pregnant and searching for some company after you’ve moved to another state. In that case, you might need the support of mom-to-be society, and you can share the same thoughts and worries or simply go for a cup of coffee and chit-chat.

Tip #6: The Best Way to Connect With Like-Minded People is Joining Clubs Dedicated to Your Hobby

What is your hobby? Are you fond of books, golf, dancing, singing, or horse riding? Whatever your interests and hobbies are, you can easily nurture them in some club whose members want to express their interest in a particular subject and connect with kindred souls.

So perform a Google search, and find all the clubs in your local community that can offer membership, and start enjoying sharing opinions and experiences with others similar to you. This is a great opportunity to find support and assimilate in the community, and at the same time, get over the nostalgic or melancholy thoughts of moving away from friends and being alone.

Tip #7: Your Old Friends Can Help You Meet New Ones Too!

When thinking about how to make friends in a new city, the best way is with the help of your old friends! Saying bye to friends doesn’t mean you will part from each other forever. There is always a way to nurture your old connections and stay in close touch with them, even if you’re miles away. However, when video calls, messages, and letters are no longer sufficient to replace physical contact and a hug, you can always organize their visit to a place where you live now and spend some quality time together.

Your old mates that know you better than anyone else can help you overcome the restraint of initiating conversations and stop avoiding going out to bars and meeting new people even if you’re alone. Another idea is to explore the surroundings and famous attractions of the area you’ve relocated to. Having that many cities have vast metro areas, you’d better explore all the ways of transporting a car and find a reputable car shipping company before you move. Having your car with you is the easiest way to organize your friends’ visits and makes adjusting to the environment easier, too.

Exploring the surroundings and meeting some locals during this trip can give you a feeling of belonging to that place, which is crucially important when trying to adjust to a different lifestyle. So, whenever you feel like you need the support of a familiar face, don’t hesitate to ask for comfort, because in the end, this is the greatest purpose of every true friendship.

Need More Tips on How to Expand Your Social Circle?

If you want to know more about all the possible ways on how to create connections and how to communicate with people you actually see for the first time, take a look at the video below and resolve all your doubts once and for all.

Making Friends in a New City Require Strategy, Just Like Your Relocation to Another Home.

Thinking of ways to make a social circle and connections in the area you are relocating to might be the last on your list of thoughts. At the same moment, you are probably overwhelmed with all other obligations of organizing your long-distance moving and trying to learn how to move efficiently. Or perhaps how to find trustworthy cross-country movers. Still, it is of tremendous importance to have some strategy and tactics before you move there. So, when taking a break from booking the moving services, choosing what packing services you will need, or scheduling your auto transport, don’t forget to think of ways to become an active member of the future community easier and faster.

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