How To Meet New People in 2023: 30 Fun Ideas

Whether you are looking to meet new friends in your area, you’ve moved to a new city or you just want to meet people in general, there are numerous ways to meet new people these days.

So, how do you meet new people?

Part of it is about your mindset and the other part is trying new ways to connect with people.

This might seem a little scary at first, but once you read the breakdown below on how to meet new people, you’ll be surprised at how straightforward many of the ideas are.

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How To Meet New People: 30 Fun Ideas To Try

1. Join a Book Club

Or start one. You can start a book club (aka wine, appetizers and laughs) with a couple of friends and get everyone to invite one more person.

You can also start a local book club of people who live on your street or acquaintances from the office.

This will allow you to get to know people you sort of know on a deeper level – and have fun while you’re at it.

Plan to meet every month or two to get started.

2. Facebook Groups

Is there something you’re super passionate about? Gardening, blogging, step-parenting? Then join a related group on Facebook.

I personally met a very good friend of mine through a blogging Facebook group about 5 years ago and it’s truly a gift that we met online – otherwise, I never would have met her.

Sure, we haven’t seen one another’s legs yet as we have an online friendship of video calls, but I know we will one day soon!

3. Take Your Dog To The Dog Park

No matter what dog park I go to, I meet new people every time.

Talking to other dog lovers can be fun and by going to the dog park regularly you may even create some friendships too.

4. Join A Local Group

There are so many groups you can join – in real life! Just do a Google search for your area and see what’s available.

Types of groups you could join:

Walking group
Running group
Bird watching
Nature
Parenting / new moms
Badminton
Choir

There is literally an in-person group for everything out there!

5. Get to know your friend’s friends

The first step is to ask your close friends to introduce you to their friends.

You can widen your social circle by simply asking if you can come along when they meet other friends.

6. Try Meetup.com

A great app/website to try that will help you meet locals in your area is meetup.com.

Simply, select your area and then you can search by interest or what’s on today/tomorrow.

You can also start your own group through Meetup as well.

7. Dating Apps

There are soooo many dating apps out there these days and they are really the go-to for meeting new people you’d like to potentially have a relationship with.

When using an online dating app to meet others keep in mind that you can use this connection to meet friends too.

More likely than not, you may not have a romantic connection with someone but that doesn’t mean you can’t be friends.

A good way to think about dating apps is to use them as a social tool to just have fun.

Your intention might be to find a romantic partner, but if you don’t – enjoy the process. Go on fun dates.

Instead of dinner, go rock climbing or for a hike.

If you focus on having fun you’ll also increase your chances of showing your true self and reducing any stress.

8. Friendship Apps

As with dating mobile apps, there are even friendship apps you can use to meet new people.

Here are a few you can check out:

Bumble BFF
Yubo
Wink
Ablo
Nextdoor

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9. Community Center

Community centers are filled with loads of activities and just by attending these on a regular basis, you’ll meet loads of new people.

If you live in a small town, community centers can also be the heart of the community, so look for your local center and see what’s going on.

10. Church

Attending weekly church services is about religion but also about community.

You can volunteer with your church, be on the church social committee or simply have coffee and treats after the service each week.

11. Volunteer for a local organization

Think about what you’re passionate about and where you might like to spend time volunteering.

Lending a helping hand to a charity is an easy way to connect with like-minded people who are passionate about the same thing as you.

12. Fitness Class

Whether it’s a dance class, yoga class or any class, this is the ideal spot to meet new people and create friendships.

Also, since you go to fitness classes at least once a week, this means you get to know these people even better, which can turn into friendships where you get together outside of class too.

13. Join a Gym

Similar to fitness classes, when you have a gym membership you are ideally going at least a couple times a week, which means you’ll get to know the gym staff as well as the other people working out.

14. Try a New Hobby

Once you join the class, start a conversation with others, ask questions and have fun while doing so.

This could turn into walking to class together each week or grabbing a coffee afterwards.

15. Get involved in a sports league

This could be you helping out at your kid’s baseball league as a coach or volunteer or you joining a sports team.

There is so much you can choose from too – local volleyball, hockey, tennis, soccer, basketball.

Many sports leagues can be like extended families, especially if you stay in them over the long term.

So, if you love sports or your kids love sports this is an excellent way to meet new people.

16. Talk to your neighbors

Getting to know the people on your street or in your building can make a huge difference to your daily happiness.

Knowing you have people you connect with that are close by can be a beautiful thing – and the relationship can be more than just borrowing a cup of sugar or saying good morning.

17. Travel Group Tours

If you’re looking to do some travelling and if you’re going to a part of the world that it’s beneficial to do a group tour this can be a wonderful way to make new friends from different parts of the world.

I did this years ago when I went travelling through Africa. The tour company I went with at the time is no longer around, however, some other popular tour groups are Intrepid Travel, Exodus Travels and Contiki.

Through this tour group, I travelled for 2 months in a small group with people from all over the world. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

18. Make friends at work

A great way to do this is to go to work events or even join the social committee at work. You can also ask people for coffee, lunch or attend a happy hour after work.

Making friends at work also has huge benefits for your career.

You’ll be seen as:

A team player
Someone who’s collaborative
Working well with others

We also spend more time working than we do not working, so why not enjoy it more by having some people you enjoy being around?

19. Attend a networking event or conference

Sometimes meeting people is about making new connections that can help you in your career as well.

By attending a networking event or conference you can meet people that can mentor you, refer you for new positions or simply just to connect with you on the spot.

20. Take a course

Whether in person or online you can connect with others by being homework buddies, accountability partners or forming a study group.

Some great online resources for online courses:

Skillshare – get one month free
Masterclass
Udemy

21. Check out local games nights

Many pubs and bars have regular games nights, trivia nights and other fun events.

Start attending these social events and you’ll be surprised how many of the same people go to all of these events.

22. Go out alone more often

There is a true art to dating yourself but one of the best parts is the people you meet along the way.

Get to know the vendors at your local farmer’s market, go to the same cafe every week, hit the gym at the same time each week.

This will open you up to getting to know people when you’re out.

23. Talk To People

From relationships with your barista, your grocery store clerk, and your postal worker.

Even smaller friendships with people who you see on a regular basis who aren’t necessarily people you hang out with are still super meaningful and can bring you a lot of joy.

24. Try Group Therapy or a Support Group

This is great for individuals who could use some support if dealing with anxiety, PTSD, depression, ADHD or other mental health issues.

Connecting with like-minded people in a group can be truly healing especially when you realize that your troubles are not unique to you. Others really do understand.

25. Join a Newcomers Club

Look for a newcomers club in your area. This non-profit organization is in Canada, however many other countries have similar groups.

26. Coffee Shop

If you work from home this is the perfect way to meet new people.

Not only does getting out of the house to work beneficial for productivity, it’s also an amazing way to make new acquaintances and friends.

27. Meet New People At Parties

Going to a party or get-together is the perfect way to meet new people.

A social event is set up for conversations, so take advantage of this and attend some parties now and then.

These can be casual house parties, dinner parties, games nights or fancier charity events, weddings and holiday parties.

28. Get a Part Time Job

Most importantly, get a part-time job doing something you love.

By working somewhere you love you dramatically increase your chances of connecting with people who have similar interests to you.

Here are some examples:

Love gardening? Work at a garden center.
Consider yourself a wine connoisseur? Work at a winery or vineyard.
Love books? Get a job at a local bookstore.
Passionate about art? Look for job opportunities at an art gallery.

29. Go To The Library

The library is obviously a great place to pick up books and connect with avid readers, but did you know that they have a lot of events too?

You’ll find events and programs such as:

Author readings (for kids and adults)
Classes for subjects such as computer training and ESL
Storytime readings for children
Cultural events
Musical performances
Book clubs

30. Sporting Events (Especially Local Ones)

Nothing beats watching a local baseball game on a summer night, or cheering on a hockey team at your local arena.

If there’s a sport you love, look for local teams and catch their weekly games. This is the perfect way to meet others in your community.

Tips For Meeting New People

Keep an open mind
Get out of your comfort zone
When invited somewhere, go out – it can be tempting to stay home in your cozy cocoon, but if you want to meet new people you have to put yourself out there. So next time you’re invited to someone’s holiday party or kids’ birthday, just go! You never know who you could meet.
When you meet someone you like, arrange a get-together. Anything as simple as a coffee or a walk in the park.
Good friends can be hard to find IF you’re not trying – so open yourself up to new things.

How To Meet People in a New City

When you move to a new city it can feel really daunting and scary, especially if you don’t know anyone.

I did this in my early twenties (in a new city and country) and here are the things that helped me meet new people:

I asked my roommate to introduce me to his friends
I got a part time job on the weekends – one at a wine bar and one at a local theatre
I always accepted invites from people in my new 9-5 job
When I met someone I liked, I asked them for coffee or a drink at the pub
I said yes to things even when I felt shy

Meeting new people when you move to a new city can seem hard, but I encourage you to stay positive and you will definitely make some friends.

Stay busy, be social and always look for new opportunities to make new friends.

How To Meet New People: Next Steps

Now that you’ve read through this list of new ways to meet new people, do the following:

Write down 5 to 10 ways you plan to meet new people
Try 1 new way to meet new people each week
If there are any things you’ve learned along the way, take note of these or share these tips in the comments section below
Once you try your top 5 to 10 ways to meet new people, give some more suggestions a try (if you need to).
Lastly, always look for ways to meet new people in your daily life.

Final Thoughts:

Meeting new people can come in all shapes and sizes, meaning you can eventually create long-lasting friendships and get to know people in your community.

Meeting new people can simply be about having a great conversation with someone you don’t know in a coffee shop or chatting with someone at the bus stop.

Whether you’ve moved to a new neighborhood or you just want to meet new people in your existing neighborhood there are so many amazing ways you can create meaningful connections and create new friendships.

I hope you found these ideas helpful.

I’d love to hear from you…

Have you tried any of these ideas on how to meet new people?

What worked for you? Share in the comments below to inspire others.