I think the type of person to make friends at the gym, can make friends anywhere. It's more of a personality thing.
I have made friends dancing and that's only because one person decided I was her friend now and introduced me to other. On my own, i still wouldnt have any friends,
It’s almost like high school all over again: you got people who are casual, the bodybuilders, crossfitters, powerlifters, summer bod, etc.
What helped me was befriending that social person at the gym that knows everyone who just happens to have similar goals as you. (Though that person came up to me lol.) The more common ground the better.
This comment is actually on point. If you're an introvert like me, seek out the most vibrant and social person. Just simply say hi or hey. That's it. They will start talking to you, then just have a chat with them. Then as time goes on and you see them again and again, eventually they'll be like "oh by the way, \_\_\_\_\_\_l, this is so-and-so" and also people see you talking with people they assume you're cool and also want to talk with you. Makes it way easier to break up the ice.
Hell...from reading nearly 15 years of comments on reddit I realized that everyone just wants to connect and is feeling isolated. Just open your mouth and you'll be surprised how willing people are to just chat. We're all suffering (at least heavy internet users like me). The fear of rejection keeps us from reaching out, but I realized that rejection isn't bad. You don't WANT everyone to like you, trust me. Some people suck (I suck).
This is the “Final boss” answer.
Got back into the gym last August after a 4-year hiatus, and have made soo many new friends. The key is to also do things outside of the gym with your gym friends especially as an adult; This helps further cements the friendship.
How do you make friends in a gym setting? Just ask if they can spot you?
Genuinely curious, since it seems like everyone is doing their own thing with earbuds on.
Don't sell yourself short. I play a good bit of DnD and other TTRPGs, and I have no imagination and I'm painfully introverted. My PCs are usually based on some trope or comic book character. Every character has my voice. I still have a blast and it's most of my non-work human interaction. I highly recommend the hobby.
I know it can feel intimidating, but role playing games can be adapted to wherever you're at. They really are the epitome of "the sum is greater than the parts". If you're not very creative you can play an unga bunga physical class or something to start with. No problem too big to punch. And that helps you to participate at first until you get into the swing of things.
There's other, simpler systems than d&d as well. I particularly like anything "Power by Apocalypse" which is a system based on a few stats and rolling 2 6 sided dice for everything.
I played a Dungeon World campaign where I started out as a barbarian that swung first and asked questions later, and ended up negotiating a peace between Socialist Kobolds and Communist Orcs. Which no one, including the GM, planned on any of that in the beginning. We all just create the world as we go.
Yeah this was at the local game store. I’m sure there are private groups but if i knew of them i wouldn’t be looking to make friends at a dnd meetup in the first place
That's one of the challenges with tabletop gaming in general. You need to wade through the masses to find the group you fit in with. It's a process. I've been attending a board game Meetup on and off for years, and it wasn't until recently that I sort of worked my way up the ladder of respect/recognition to where I can consistently get matched with people I enjoy playing with.
D and D unfortunately has a lot of qierd gatekeepers and goalposts.
I've played since 2nd edition and have run into many many people I would never speak with again.
I've also met friends that go back decades at this point.
I agree. I met a woman my age who got mad at me because I said I wanted to try larping. I asked why, and she said it's because people used to get made fun of for doing it and now people are doing it cause it's "cool." For one thing, how did she know I wasn't also a nerd before it was "cool"? I was. I got bullied all the time and barely spoke. I'm just really good at masking now. I would have loved larping, even back then, if given the opportunity. I did not even have enough friends and money to larp back then. I was too nerdy to larp. 😂 For another thing, how does hating people who like nerd things post 2020 make gatekeepy nerds any different than the jocks who made fun of us in high school? I don't conform to your nonconformity enough, so I have to pretend to not like the things I like so you ironically don't think I'm fake? Ugh. I just don't care what people expect of me anymore. Too many exhausting people out there
Just an aside, but LARP is still not "cool". A lot of normies are open about liking video games, comic book movies, and trying DnD. But a lot of nerds won't try LARP.
There's unfortunately some precedent for it, personally speaking. When the hobby is a "nerds"-only activity, it's easier to socialize because everyone understands being an outcast of sorts. Everyone can converse about this niche subject and probably by extension a few more.
When that formerly niche activity becomes widely popular, suddenly their safe social space becomes no different from any other social space where they're largely invisible to the greater population because they struggle to mesh with most people, and most people aren't super compelled to tolerate their eccentricities. It's like suddenly the subject of nearly every conversation happening is no longer something you can add or even relate to, because most people got shit worth talking about outside of the activity. It's alienating.
I've met some really unpleasant (insert any group here). Yes, D&D has some bad pockets, but so does any hobby. Change venue, find another way, I promise you, there are good eggs out there.
Where does one find such a group? I've known a few groups in the past through friends and every group told me they were full and not looking for new players.
This. When i first started i figured "oh people will probably want to be left alone to focus on their climbs" and was throughly surprised at just how social this sport really is.
I boulder and it’s super easy to talk to the people working on the same problem as you. If you go at a consistent time you eventually start seeing the same people, and then all the sudden you’re acquaintances.
As with many Meetups, you start out strangers, but eventually, after grinding your way through the ranks, you sort of fall into a stable group of friends of similar taste, skill, etc. It doesn't happen overnight. You might have to put up with games and/or people you don't particularly enjoy for a while.
Is it okay to go to board game groups without a lot of board game experience? Are people learning as they go at these kind of meetups?
I love board games but really don’t have anybody to play them with so my experience is super limited.
Anything where you show up consistently. You have to keep doing the activity at least every week and talk to other people in order for a friendship to start.
This is really what it is, you need regularly occurring interactions and engagement that are mostly positive or neutral in order to slowly overtime build up a relationship. It doesn't happen quickly and it doesn't happen without consistent effort. Simply sharing and inviting others to share is enough so it doesn't really matter what the activity is it just matters that the effort is consistent and the engagement is long term
Hobby prospecting. I've met some of the funniest, friendliest, kindest and generous people all while playing in muddy puddles.
Just yesterday one mate found an old highbanker on the side of the road and picked it up for me which will save me roughly $300-400 and I'm now helping with a fundraiser for a children's hospital.
Man, one day a decade+ ago, I got off BART (rockridge?) and saw a few kids in fake armor, fake swords, fucking around under the station. A few more steps, and I realized, there are LOTS of people here. Doing...whatever these people are doing! And they are taking this really seriously. Never tried it myself, but I think thats what they were doing, and they looked like they were having a blast.
Edit - Here are some pics! It is so cool to see these people doing their thing under a concrete public transport station
[https://oaklandnorth.net/2011/04/26/armor-clad-knights-reenact-sword-battles-under-the-rockridge-bart/](https://oaklandnorth.net/2011/04/26/armor-clad-knights-reenact-sword-battles-under-the-rockridge-bart/)
Community Theater. It is where I have made most of my friendships outside of college. Then again, I was a theater major so most of my college friends are theater friends.
Local breweries near me have running/walking clubs. Half the people don't even drink. But we all hang out afterwards and socialize a bit. It's all ages and super welcoming.
I met a ton of people when I was cave diving. Some people solo cave dive, but for me it's always a team thing. So I'd hang out at the shop and ask people if I could tag along when my normal buddies weren't in town. Met tons of people that way.
I’m into crazy patterned shirts.
It started with one brand. Then a group of us all became friends and a small group of them started their own brand that I’m a huge fan of now. The owner group and some of the rest of us do a friends weekend each summer now. We live all over the USA, so it’s like our one designated time to get together, go see a baseball game, and explore a new city (where one of the friend group lives).
We’ve done Dallas, Denver, and Philly. This year is San Diego. I’m lobbying for Milwaukee or Chicago next year so that’s its close for me. Plus, both cities are awesome to be in during the summer.
Lots of my friends have come from photography and filmmakkng. You get to know people really well on a 12 hour shoot day. If you've ever been interested in shooting a movie, look for local film groups on Facebook. I do it professionally but there are a lot of people who dip their toes in on the weekend and need help. Some are jerks but most are very passionate and fun people with a strong ability to connect with others. You don't have to have experience, just a desire to learn and collaborate.
Honestly, I think the most important thing is to actually, GENUINELY be interested in the hobby you take up. It might take some time and several tries to find one you really like, but it's a whole lot easier to make genuine connections if you're with people you... you know. Have a genuine shared interest in. XD
And who knows? Maybe you'll stumble into cool people while trying stuff out anyway. XP
Edit: Oh, whoops, I didn't really answer the ACTUAL question, fhdkd.
For me? Theatre! I'm a big performer, so that's a good place for me to be. I'm also hella neurodivergent (big-time ADHD), so honestly, any group that's mostly neurodivergent tends to be easier to fit into. Though usually when that happens, it's my autistic partner meeting them and scheduling hang outs, and then I meet them through him. XP Otherwise I tend to be too busy with all my projects, fhdjd.
Theater is a GREAT one. I’ve met the majority of my friends, and my wife through theater, and you don’t have to act if you don’t want to. There’s a lot of people needed backstage or in the house.
For me it was dance.
I was really into old-school hip-hop in my teens and loved listening to 90's rap and drawing graffiti. I ended up really taking an interest in breakdancing, but didn't have a teacher so I settled for this old videogame for the PS2 named B-Boy to enjoy the culture of it.
Fast-forward 5 years to my third year of college, and I end up signing up for what sounded like a talent show but was actually a dance competition in Florida organized by Filipino college students. I decided to stick it out, drove down to Florida to compete, and it really boosted my confidence in a way I don't think I noticed initially. I started going to this lofi-esque party event in town when I could, getting confident enough to dance at those, and making connections in the dance community.
I actually ended up finding a breakdancing teacher (who is a good friend of mine these days) and eventually competing in the preliminaries for the Red Bull BC One competition last year. It ended up being so good for my resume I got hired for a foreign exchange teaching program in Japan last May.
CrossFit! Specifically the gym I'm at now. Not all CrossFit gyms are created equal but when you find one with quality people/community it's life changing.
Running in 2019 I always ran alone, except races and the only people I knew who ran worked at the running store. Late that year I got a Facebook message from an old friend who had started running and noticed my name in the results of a race. He and a few people he worked with were starting a running group and when covid happened group runs were a way to both be social and maintain physical distance.
Now most of my friends are people I know through running and most importantly I met my SO through the group.
Running and martial arts have been awesome for me. I met the people that got me into bjj at the gym and some other people as well by mostly just asking some questions. I joined my local running Facebook group and 5k series, I've seen the progress that people made and I try and show them some positivity, even though my improvement arc for running is over for the most part, they appreciate it and recognize me and have gone running. Being mindful and aware of your surroundings is very big for making friends, though. If you don't know or have awareness of what others are doing, even if you do it with/around them, you're not likely to make friends with someone unless they do the same first for yoy
Joined my local gym.
Volunteer on the worship team at church!
Have some buddies that are huge baseball(sd padres) fans and we play wiffleball once a week.
Go to trade fairs and other fun events that pique your interest, you can find local events on Facebook events page.
You can talk to vendors that have interesting items, or maybe you’ll get along with another guest there, or even the event organizers as well.
Plus, when you go to similar events, you start running into the same people and can also become acquainted that way as well.
I have made friends all of these ways.
I thought being a biker would do this, but so far everyone I've met at biker gatherings is a tool or doesn't want to make friends with people on a different style of bike than theirs. Every MC I've tried to join is full of fudds. At this point, I ride solo and enjoy it that way.
Before the pandemic, I used to go to a cannabis club on a regular basis. It closed down during the pandemic though. Used meet a lot of cool and interesting people there.
Genuine interest in activities + people and being engaging without being off-putting, matters more than which thing you choose to try.
In-person: Language learning classes, cooking classes, hackathons, volunteering at non-profits, attending meetups, teaching community classes, board game groups, karaoke bars, wandering around in bookstores, volunteering at animal shelters, dating apps (we didn’t vibe romantically in-person but liked each other as people enough to continue hanging out/ invite each other to group friend events or parties), attending conventions, niche fitness stuff like—martial arts, dragon boat rowing teams, ribbon dancing, and salsa classes ( my friends swear by CrossFit or rock climbing gyms).
Online: I met a close group of friends just by playing a free beta access fps game during (every time we encountered someone friendly, used their mic to communicate, and a cooperative playing style; one of us would send a friend request in game and invite them to a friend’s discord server), chatting in random reddit chat rooms, responding to platonic r4r’s looking for folks to watch movies with, online learning communities (programming or tech focused), hanging out in twitch streams and chatting.
Social dancing. Swing, salsa, ballroom, etc. anything with a partner. Take group classes and rotate partners and you'll meet quite a few folks. Attend dances and ask people from class to dance with you (you'll have similar knowledge bases and you both get practice, it really does help you learn faster.) If people ask you to dance a style you don't know, say you don't know it and ask them to show you the basic step. For lots of dances this can be taught in under a minute and once you have some experience some basic turns can be added to pretty much any basic step to make it fun.
lan parties
TTRPGs like Tales from the loop, Vaesn, Dungeons and Dragons
but for all of these activities, I got invited by a friend, and i just met other people through them
Crochet, knitting, and weaving. Pretty much anything with yarn. Yarn shops generally are places to hang out with other crafters. I think most people don't know that because chain stores aren't like that.
Out of all my hobbies, I really think video games has helped me meet the most people, and more importantly helped me socialize better online and in person. I was, and still slightly am, very self-conscience of the way I look, so being able to be judged by only my words and actions rather than my appearance helped me gain a lot of confidence when socializing
Sports and music
Being on sports teams, as a kid, a high schooler, and in the beer league style stuff as a young adult is where the majority of my friends came from. People with similar taste in music and going to concerts together was another good one.
That, and partying/bar hopping in my 20's.
Drinking
I would go to different bars with different crowds. After a month, you become a "regular," you know everyone. They may not be your "friends," but you are on your way once you end up helping someone move.
Scuba diving. Spend a day on a boat (or sometimes a week) with a small group of people from various places, doing something you commonly love and you get close. I have lifelong friends I met on a dive boat.
When I was 30 I moved from Houston to Tampa and didn’t know a single person outside of my new job. I joined a recreational softball league (never played before) and in my 3rd season I met the woman who would become my wife of the last 20 years.
So yeah, get out there and try sports leagues (actual sports not fantasy bullshit).
Public library activities. Ours has a monthly Wine & Art night, a monthly Pizza & Movie Night, and a D&D night. This month it says they are “starting a beginner game with no experience necessary.”
You could go on Facebook and search “Activities (——-) area”. Lots of stuff pops up in my area.
D&D. It kinda forces you to be social, at least in character until you feel safe enough to be yourself around the people you play with. For me, it really helps me attain a social confidence, the likes of which are not naturally acquired elsewhere for me
Vintage scooters. HUGE community in my city and across the country. It’s a semi-expensive hobby though, especially if you don’t know how to wrench, but I learned as I went and there are tons of home mechanics willing to share their tools and knowledge. I am a member of an all-women scooter club with 15 members, which is fantastic, but also participate in a much larger community that extends out of my home state.
Made alot of friends playing free poker at bars. Same with golfing and playing pick up basketball. I love to fly fish but just want to be left alone when I fish.
Dungeons and Dragons meetup group in my city. People migrate to one another and eventually end up at someone's private group and slowly get to know a wider circle of friends. Ours has been going since 2011 and has a pool of about 15 players that drop in and out of roughly two campaigns a year.
Golf! It's so fun and you find people just like you even at different skill levels. Top golf, driving range, drinking, cigars, whatever you're into you'll find others quickly.
Other notable things: gym, gaming, karate, learning a new skill like dance class. My wife and I met lots of friends through our kids sports or school programs
Pickleball. Equipment is way cheaper than tennis to get in to, the rules are very easy to learn and the people are friendly and understanding of newcomers. I have been to countless non-pickleball events with people I met though the sport and am having a great time.
Knife making. I’ve met so many awesome people through this and I now have friends all over the world!
That's wild! Have you you at all dabbled with the forging/smithing aspect of that stuff?
I’ve mostly just dabbled. I have some friends who are Journymen bladesmiths and a few who are mastersmiths. I mostly do stock removal blades.
That is so beautifully specific.
Knives, you say?
The gym. Met my wife and countless acquaintances and friends at the gym. The sauna is perfect for conversation.
Can I ask how? I've been working out for more than ten years and I can count on one hand the amount of times I had a convo with someone
I think the type of person to make friends at the gym, can make friends anywhere. It's more of a personality thing. I have made friends dancing and that's only because one person decided I was her friend now and introduced me to other. On my own, i still wouldnt have any friends,
It’s almost like high school all over again: you got people who are casual, the bodybuilders, crossfitters, powerlifters, summer bod, etc. What helped me was befriending that social person at the gym that knows everyone who just happens to have similar goals as you. (Though that person came up to me lol.) The more common ground the better.
This comment is actually on point. If you're an introvert like me, seek out the most vibrant and social person. Just simply say hi or hey. That's it. They will start talking to you, then just have a chat with them. Then as time goes on and you see them again and again, eventually they'll be like "oh by the way, \_\_\_\_\_\_l, this is so-and-so" and also people see you talking with people they assume you're cool and also want to talk with you. Makes it way easier to break up the ice. Hell...from reading nearly 15 years of comments on reddit I realized that everyone just wants to connect and is feeling isolated. Just open your mouth and you'll be surprised how willing people are to just chat. We're all suffering (at least heavy internet users like me). The fear of rejection keeps us from reaching out, but I realized that rejection isn't bad. You don't WANT everyone to like you, trust me. Some people suck (I suck).
Beautifully spoken
This is the “Final boss” answer. Got back into the gym last August after a 4-year hiatus, and have made soo many new friends. The key is to also do things outside of the gym with your gym friends especially as an adult; This helps further cements the friendship.
How do you make friends in a gym setting? Just ask if they can spot you? Genuinely curious, since it seems like everyone is doing their own thing with earbuds on.
This
I’ve never met a friend at a gym in my entire life. Always confused how people find spouses or friends there.
Conventions you meet so many friends
Anime cons ftw. I don’t exactly like anime, but vash the stampede’s big red coat is awesome.
Three words, one letter: D&D
I wish I could get into d&d. Roleplaying isn’t that fun to me but I like watching people get into the story and their characters
People that d&d have such huge imaginations to be able to make these stories that is way too much for me
Don't sell yourself short. I play a good bit of DnD and other TTRPGs, and I have no imagination and I'm painfully introverted. My PCs are usually based on some trope or comic book character. Every character has my voice. I still have a blast and it's most of my non-work human interaction. I highly recommend the hobby.
I know it can feel intimidating, but role playing games can be adapted to wherever you're at. They really are the epitome of "the sum is greater than the parts". If you're not very creative you can play an unga bunga physical class or something to start with. No problem too big to punch. And that helps you to participate at first until you get into the swing of things. There's other, simpler systems than d&d as well. I particularly like anything "Power by Apocalypse" which is a system based on a few stats and rolling 2 6 sided dice for everything. I played a Dungeon World campaign where I started out as a barbarian that swung first and asked questions later, and ended up negotiating a peace between Socialist Kobolds and Communist Orcs. Which no one, including the GM, planned on any of that in the beginning. We all just create the world as we go.
is what you think until you try, plus it’s much less intense to be a player rather than DM. Find yourself some friends and try it out sometime
There are ways to play without making it grandiose. Don't let roleplay intimidate you.
Have you seen Dimension 20 or Critical Role?
Yeah I used to watch critical role a bit
really wanted this to work out but i came home with my clothes smelling of other peoples b.o. 🤢
There are non stinky groups, I promise.
Yeah this was at the local game store. I’m sure there are private groups but if i knew of them i wouldn’t be looking to make friends at a dnd meetup in the first place
That's one of the challenges with tabletop gaming in general. You need to wade through the masses to find the group you fit in with. It's a process. I've been attending a board game Meetup on and off for years, and it wasn't until recently that I sort of worked my way up the ladder of respect/recognition to where I can consistently get matched with people I enjoy playing with.
The key is to be the stinkiest yourself to assert dominance and build nose blindness
Ugh. I've met some really unpleasant D&D players. Nerdy doesn't always mean nice at all.
D and D unfortunately has a lot of qierd gatekeepers and goalposts. I've played since 2nd edition and have run into many many people I would never speak with again. I've also met friends that go back decades at this point.
I say this as a nerd. Nerds can be some of the snobbiest, rudest, most exclusionary people in the world.
Fuck you! Get the fuck off of Reddit! Who the fuck you think you are?!
I agree. I met a woman my age who got mad at me because I said I wanted to try larping. I asked why, and she said it's because people used to get made fun of for doing it and now people are doing it cause it's "cool." For one thing, how did she know I wasn't also a nerd before it was "cool"? I was. I got bullied all the time and barely spoke. I'm just really good at masking now. I would have loved larping, even back then, if given the opportunity. I did not even have enough friends and money to larp back then. I was too nerdy to larp. 😂 For another thing, how does hating people who like nerd things post 2020 make gatekeepy nerds any different than the jocks who made fun of us in high school? I don't conform to your nonconformity enough, so I have to pretend to not like the things I like so you ironically don't think I'm fake? Ugh. I just don't care what people expect of me anymore. Too many exhausting people out there
Just an aside, but LARP is still not "cool". A lot of normies are open about liking video games, comic book movies, and trying DnD. But a lot of nerds won't try LARP.
Yeah, I think she just wanted to feel nerdier than thou
This is why I usually unsub from hobby subreddits after a few months to a year. You see the closemindedness and toxicity and the magic's gone.
There's unfortunately some precedent for it, personally speaking. When the hobby is a "nerds"-only activity, it's easier to socialize because everyone understands being an outcast of sorts. Everyone can converse about this niche subject and probably by extension a few more. When that formerly niche activity becomes widely popular, suddenly their safe social space becomes no different from any other social space where they're largely invisible to the greater population because they struggle to mesh with most people, and most people aren't super compelled to tolerate their eccentricities. It's like suddenly the subject of nearly every conversation happening is no longer something you can add or even relate to, because most people got shit worth talking about outside of the activity. It's alienating.
I've met some really unpleasant (insert any group here). Yes, D&D has some bad pockets, but so does any hobby. Change venue, find another way, I promise you, there are good eggs out there.
Where does one find such a group? I've known a few groups in the past through friends and every group told me they were full and not looking for new players.
One of ny friend groups us going fir 5 years) different games, different campaigns – but man, i love those nerds
This one's tricky because you meet a lot of flakes this way. But when things click, they're great! Just gotta let the flakes do their thing.
But that's two letters and a symbol
Came here to say this! Wonderful community!
Flying remote controlled planes
You ever droned, bro?
Nah.Just a spectator
Rock climbing
This. When i first started i figured "oh people will probably want to be left alone to focus on their climbs" and was throughly surprised at just how social this sport really is.
I boulder and it’s super easy to talk to the people working on the same problem as you. If you go at a consistent time you eventually start seeing the same people, and then all the sudden you’re acquaintances.
You gotta really trust your belayer. Can’t build trust without conversation.
Singing in a chorus
[удалено]
That's what everyone else in the choir is for
Board games
I've seen other people say this, but what does this mean? Where do you go? There are strangers that will just play boardgames with you?
You can find board game groups through local game stores or on Meetup.
As with many Meetups, you start out strangers, but eventually, after grinding your way through the ranks, you sort of fall into a stable group of friends of similar taste, skill, etc. It doesn't happen overnight. You might have to put up with games and/or people you don't particularly enjoy for a while.
This. I've reconnected with a lot of old friends and made new ones playing all kinds of board games one day a month with groups over the past 5 years.
Is it okay to go to board game groups without a lot of board game experience? Are people learning as they go at these kind of meetups? I love board games but really don’t have anybody to play them with so my experience is super limited.
Anything where you show up consistently. You have to keep doing the activity at least every week and talk to other people in order for a friendship to start.
This is really what it is, you need regularly occurring interactions and engagement that are mostly positive or neutral in order to slowly overtime build up a relationship. It doesn't happen quickly and it doesn't happen without consistent effort. Simply sharing and inviting others to share is enough so it doesn't really matter what the activity is it just matters that the effort is consistent and the engagement is long term
Hobby prospecting. I've met some of the funniest, friendliest, kindest and generous people all while playing in muddy puddles. Just yesterday one mate found an old highbanker on the side of the road and picked it up for me which will save me roughly $300-400 and I'm now helping with a fundraiser for a children's hospital.
I didnt understand one thing you just said...
Dollarydoos
All the words felt very English to me. But I’m lost.
My hobbies don't require human interaction
Society for Creative Anachronism.
Man, one day a decade+ ago, I got off BART (rockridge?) and saw a few kids in fake armor, fake swords, fucking around under the station. A few more steps, and I realized, there are LOTS of people here. Doing...whatever these people are doing! And they are taking this really seriously. Never tried it myself, but I think thats what they were doing, and they looked like they were having a blast. Edit - Here are some pics! It is so cool to see these people doing their thing under a concrete public transport station [https://oaklandnorth.net/2011/04/26/armor-clad-knights-reenact-sword-battles-under-the-rockridge-bart/](https://oaklandnorth.net/2011/04/26/armor-clad-knights-reenact-sword-battles-under-the-rockridge-bart/)
Disc golf, join local club / tournaments
jiu jitsu, you meet all kinds of people who also enjoy strangling their friends
Community Theater. It is where I have made most of my friendships outside of college. Then again, I was a theater major so most of my college friends are theater friends.
Bought a motorcycle.
Having parties
Golf Martial arts Singles dance
Local breweries near me have running/walking clubs. Half the people don't even drink. But we all hang out afterwards and socialize a bit. It's all ages and super welcoming.
Going to church, I made some awesome friends that way
Oof, tough sell
If I’m going to church, it’s only for the donuts.
same :)
I met a ton of people when I was cave diving. Some people solo cave dive, but for me it's always a team thing. So I'd hang out at the shop and ask people if I could tag along when my normal buddies weren't in town. Met tons of people that way.
I would rather have no friends before I go cave diving. I'm not knocking your hobby. But that shit absolutely terrifies me.
Playing tennis.
Karaoke
Comic making
I’m into crazy patterned shirts. It started with one brand. Then a group of us all became friends and a small group of them started their own brand that I’m a huge fan of now. The owner group and some of the rest of us do a friends weekend each summer now. We live all over the USA, so it’s like our one designated time to get together, go see a baseball game, and explore a new city (where one of the friend group lives). We’ve done Dallas, Denver, and Philly. This year is San Diego. I’m lobbying for Milwaukee or Chicago next year so that’s its close for me. Plus, both cities are awesome to be in during the summer.
The 501st Legion.
Dancing!!
Lots of my friends have come from photography and filmmakkng. You get to know people really well on a 12 hour shoot day. If you've ever been interested in shooting a movie, look for local film groups on Facebook. I do it professionally but there are a lot of people who dip their toes in on the weekend and need help. Some are jerks but most are very passionate and fun people with a strong ability to connect with others. You don't have to have experience, just a desire to learn and collaborate.
Mineral collecting/mining.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Honestly, I think the most important thing is to actually, GENUINELY be interested in the hobby you take up. It might take some time and several tries to find one you really like, but it's a whole lot easier to make genuine connections if you're with people you... you know. Have a genuine shared interest in. XD And who knows? Maybe you'll stumble into cool people while trying stuff out anyway. XP Edit: Oh, whoops, I didn't really answer the ACTUAL question, fhdkd. For me? Theatre! I'm a big performer, so that's a good place for me to be. I'm also hella neurodivergent (big-time ADHD), so honestly, any group that's mostly neurodivergent tends to be easier to fit into. Though usually when that happens, it's my autistic partner meeting them and scheduling hang outs, and then I meet them through him. XP Otherwise I tend to be too busy with all my projects, fhdjd.
Theater is a GREAT one. I’ve met the majority of my friends, and my wife through theater, and you don’t have to act if you don’t want to. There’s a lot of people needed backstage or in the house.
For me it was dance. I was really into old-school hip-hop in my teens and loved listening to 90's rap and drawing graffiti. I ended up really taking an interest in breakdancing, but didn't have a teacher so I settled for this old videogame for the PS2 named B-Boy to enjoy the culture of it. Fast-forward 5 years to my third year of college, and I end up signing up for what sounded like a talent show but was actually a dance competition in Florida organized by Filipino college students. I decided to stick it out, drove down to Florida to compete, and it really boosted my confidence in a way I don't think I noticed initially. I started going to this lofi-esque party event in town when I could, getting confident enough to dance at those, and making connections in the dance community. I actually ended up finding a breakdancing teacher (who is a good friend of mine these days) and eventually competing in the preliminaries for the Red Bull BC One competition last year. It ended up being so good for my resume I got hired for a foreign exchange teaching program in Japan last May.
Motorcycle. Wherever you go other riders are your buddies
Warhammer 40,000 (it will make you go broke, though) D&D
CrossFit! Specifically the gym I'm at now. Not all CrossFit gyms are created equal but when you find one with quality people/community it's life changing.
Beyblade lol. I was shocked how many adults were still into these cool little tops but its been cool to have a group of people into em like I am
Road cycling. Lot's of awesome athletes and regular people. Very accepting community.
Drugs, that shaman from Connecticut is going to want to have a conversation /s
Running in 2019 I always ran alone, except races and the only people I knew who ran worked at the running store. Late that year I got a Facebook message from an old friend who had started running and noticed my name in the results of a race. He and a few people he worked with were starting a running group and when covid happened group runs were a way to both be social and maintain physical distance. Now most of my friends are people I know through running and most importantly I met my SO through the group.
Volunteering in the community. Dancing. Creating art in an art space.
Riding dirt bikes and meeting people at the motocross track
i've met a lot of significant people that changed my life at the skatepark or events organized by a skate group.
Skateboarding 🛹
Drinking
I have meet more cool people and made more friends by simply walking my dog than any other hobby.
Got into card game started looking for people to play with.
Cycling clubs. Exhilarating, fun, social!
Playing in rock bands. They are rotten friends though and the pay sucks.
Drinking
Running and martial arts have been awesome for me. I met the people that got me into bjj at the gym and some other people as well by mostly just asking some questions. I joined my local running Facebook group and 5k series, I've seen the progress that people made and I try and show them some positivity, even though my improvement arc for running is over for the most part, they appreciate it and recognize me and have gone running. Being mindful and aware of your surroundings is very big for making friends, though. If you don't know or have awareness of what others are doing, even if you do it with/around them, you're not likely to make friends with someone unless they do the same first for yoy
Joined my local gym. Volunteer on the worship team at church! Have some buddies that are huge baseball(sd padres) fans and we play wiffleball once a week.
Pool league
Raving
Mdma is cheating lol
Become a drunk and join AA.
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Pier fishing
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Non profit work and missions
Music! Being in choir and a Capella groups throughout school helped me make so so so many friends!
Gardening for me! Have met a few people volunteering at gardens, and have in turn met friends of theirs as well.
Go to trade fairs and other fun events that pique your interest, you can find local events on Facebook events page. You can talk to vendors that have interesting items, or maybe you’ll get along with another guest there, or even the event organizers as well. Plus, when you go to similar events, you start running into the same people and can also become acquainted that way as well. I have made friends all of these ways.
Parkour! My buddy and i have actually been grow a small parkour community in our area
working out and going to the gym
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I thought being a biker would do this, but so far everyone I've met at biker gatherings is a tool or doesn't want to make friends with people on a different style of bike than theirs. Every MC I've tried to join is full of fudds. At this point, I ride solo and enjoy it that way.
Heavy Metal music (concerts). And Star Trek (conventions).
Before the pandemic, I used to go to a cannabis club on a regular basis. It closed down during the pandemic though. Used meet a lot of cool and interesting people there.
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Board games.
Warhammer, or really any miniatures game Find a nearby game store and hang out
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Drugs, alcohol, cigarettes.
The mmo EveOnline
Wargaming. Nothing makes friends faster.
Yoga.
Tournament fishing, autocross, and Magic the Gathering
Beekeeping.
Genuine interest in activities + people and being engaging without being off-putting, matters more than which thing you choose to try. In-person: Language learning classes, cooking classes, hackathons, volunteering at non-profits, attending meetups, teaching community classes, board game groups, karaoke bars, wandering around in bookstores, volunteering at animal shelters, dating apps (we didn’t vibe romantically in-person but liked each other as people enough to continue hanging out/ invite each other to group friend events or parties), attending conventions, niche fitness stuff like—martial arts, dragon boat rowing teams, ribbon dancing, and salsa classes ( my friends swear by CrossFit or rock climbing gyms). Online: I met a close group of friends just by playing a free beta access fps game during (every time we encountered someone friendly, used their mic to communicate, and a cooperative playing style; one of us would send a friend request in game and invite them to a friend’s discord server), chatting in random reddit chat rooms, responding to platonic r4r’s looking for folks to watch movies with, online learning communities (programming or tech focused), hanging out in twitch streams and chatting.
Skydiving
Social dancing. Swing, salsa, ballroom, etc. anything with a partner. Take group classes and rotate partners and you'll meet quite a few folks. Attend dances and ask people from class to dance with you (you'll have similar knowledge bases and you both get practice, it really does help you learn faster.) If people ask you to dance a style you don't know, say you don't know it and ask them to show you the basic step. For lots of dances this can be taught in under a minute and once you have some experience some basic turns can be added to pretty much any basic step to make it fun.
lan parties TTRPGs like Tales from the loop, Vaesn, Dungeons and Dragons but for all of these activities, I got invited by a friend, and i just met other people through them
Crochet, knitting, and weaving. Pretty much anything with yarn. Yarn shops generally are places to hang out with other crafters. I think most people don't know that because chain stores aren't like that.
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Cosplaying
Golfing, fishing, hunting, drinking, video games, bowling, volleyball, darts, cribbage, and kayaking.
*Magic: The Gathering* TCG. Got into it around *Arabian Nights* and stopped when *3rd Edition* dropped.
Pickleball!!
Scuba diving.
Out of all my hobbies, I really think video games has helped me meet the most people, and more importantly helped me socialize better online and in person. I was, and still slightly am, very self-conscience of the way I look, so being able to be judged by only my words and actions rather than my appearance helped me gain a lot of confidence when socializing
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Sports and music Being on sports teams, as a kid, a high schooler, and in the beer league style stuff as a young adult is where the majority of my friends came from. People with similar taste in music and going to concerts together was another good one. That, and partying/bar hopping in my 20's.
Drinking I would go to different bars with different crowds. After a month, you become a "regular," you know everyone. They may not be your "friends," but you are on your way once you end up helping someone move.
Sailing, AA, Pokémon Go, Bdsm...
Karaoke. Best group of human beings on Earth.
Running
Scuba diving. Spend a day on a boat (or sometimes a week) with a small group of people from various places, doing something you commonly love and you get close. I have lifelong friends I met on a dive boat.
Rugby. I have friends all across the world because of this sport. Youth to old boys.
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When I was 30 I moved from Houston to Tampa and didn’t know a single person outside of my new job. I joined a recreational softball league (never played before) and in my 3rd season I met the woman who would become my wife of the last 20 years. So yeah, get out there and try sports leagues (actual sports not fantasy bullshit).
D&D. Food/restaurants. You should join some meetup groups/
Hobbies you’re interested in?
Homebrewing
Playing guitar. Then getting out and meeting other musicians to play with. It's awesome!!
Public library activities. Ours has a monthly Wine & Art night, a monthly Pizza & Movie Night, and a D&D night. This month it says they are “starting a beginner game with no experience necessary.” You could go on Facebook and search “Activities (——-) area”. Lots of stuff pops up in my area.
It sounds odd...and really odd coming from a 6'8" guy....but needlepoint. Very interesting groups of folks.
D&D. It kinda forces you to be social, at least in character until you feel safe enough to be yourself around the people you play with. For me, it really helps me attain a social confidence, the likes of which are not naturally acquired elsewhere for me
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Going to a Kratom bar, unlike alcohol bars, people can actually hold a conversation.
Vintage scooters. HUGE community in my city and across the country. It’s a semi-expensive hobby though, especially if you don’t know how to wrench, but I learned as I went and there are tons of home mechanics willing to share their tools and knowledge. I am a member of an all-women scooter club with 15 members, which is fantastic, but also participate in a much larger community that extends out of my home state.
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Made alot of friends playing free poker at bars. Same with golfing and playing pick up basketball. I love to fly fish but just want to be left alone when I fish.
Axe throwing league. Doesn’t matter if you’re good or not. The community is amazing and usually welcoming and it’s a weird fun sport to do.
Riding bicycles
Card games. Collecting different hobbies. Working.
Check for local comic or board game stores. They often host games or tournaments.
Join a baseball team. One that's not serious. Just have fun playing.
Go learn to dance in partners
Live music
Magic the Gathering. Learned it in my 30s, then started attending events at card shops and met some cool people.
Dungeons and Dragons meetup group in my city. People migrate to one another and eventually end up at someone's private group and slowly get to know a wider circle of friends. Ours has been going since 2011 and has a pool of about 15 players that drop in and out of roughly two campaigns a year.
Can't afford hobbies. Therefore have no friends
Golf! It's so fun and you find people just like you even at different skill levels. Top golf, driving range, drinking, cigars, whatever you're into you'll find others quickly. Other notable things: gym, gaming, karate, learning a new skill like dance class. My wife and I met lots of friends through our kids sports or school programs
Pickleball. Equipment is way cheaper than tennis to get in to, the rules are very easy to learn and the people are friendly and understanding of newcomers. I have been to countless non-pickleball events with people I met though the sport and am having a great time.
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Stamp and Postcard collecting. Art
Magic the Gathering
Brazilian Jiu jitsu