How to meet people when you’re new to New York

With a population of 8.6 million, you might think it’s easy to meet people in New York City. But the truth is that most of those people are rushing through the streets without the time or the desire to add more people to their circle of friends. In terms of meeting people, New York is a “water, water everywhere” situation — but that’s not to say you can’t cut through those waves.

Explore a hobby

NYC has everything on offer. Ever thought about live comic art drawing? Or inline skating by the Empire State Building? Finding a hobby is one of the best ways to meet new people, because it instantly lets you into a circle of friends with similar interests. And chances are, if the people you meet like the same things you like, you’ll probably like them too.

Websites like Meetup and Facebook events are good for this. Personally, I recommend the Bushwick Writers Group, which holds bi-weekly “Write Your Ass Off” workshops and more.

Become a regular

Explore your local area and you’ll be surprised how friendly the locals can be. Just going to your favorite bars or coffee shops on a regular basis can be the first step toward finding new friends.

If you’re not from the States, you might be surprised at how talkative strangers are at bars and restaurants. This isn’t them being creepy (mostly). New Yorkers are open, friendly people when you’re not blocking their way on the sidewalk and they’ll jump at the opportunity to explain their city and make recommendations to newcomers. Some of our favorites are Bootleg Bar and Braven Brewing Company in Bushwick, Burly Coffee in Bed-Stuy and Ange Noir Cafe in East Williamsburg.

Take advantage of tech

Apps for meeting friends have recently become trendy, including Bumble BFF and the networking app Shapr. Swipe right or left to find the perfect person and if you match, you can meet in real life. Or why not try the “experience” options on Meetup and Airbnb, where you can take a workshop or a walking tour and get chatting? Facebook groups like Girl Gone International and Expats World in New York can also help you meet other newbies through events held regularly in the city.

Try coliving

Although all of these options may work, they all rely on luck and your willingness to put yourself out there and corner your new friends into seeing you again. By far the easiest way to meet people is coliving, because your new friends won’t forget to call you back or give you a fake name (you know where they live, after all).

Coliving throws together groups of like-minded people and, at least at Outpost, helps you break the ice with a series of fun events, including trips, parties and workshops. You also know that everyone you meet has been vetted by our team, so you can sail away into the sunset on your brand new friendship with complete peace of mind.