7 places to meet people and make friends that aren’t your mom, Tinder or Bumble
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Transitioning into the Real World is a sticky, messy journey on which every step has to be carefully placed as you move away from the safe space that is your college dorm or your hometown or the job you’ve left for something better and, with it, the life you’ve created and the friends that fill it.
Coming to Charlotte without a predetermined group of friends isn’t easy. Instead, it feels like everyone around you has, though you know it’s not true, found the space they fit comfortably into and, frankly, don’t feel the need to make any extra room.
Finding that space, though, is crucial – Charlotte’s not the kind of place you do something alone often.
If you’ve tried your hand at meeting people through your mom, Tinder and Bumble (BFF or otherwise) and nothing’s really stuck, and you know that bars and breweries aren’t where it’s going to happen, where else is there to turn?
[Related: Why aren’t we making friends at bars and breweries?]
Art and cultural organizations
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Local organizations like the Charlotte’s Woman Club, Young Affiliates of the Mint, Sustain Charlotte’s Community Corps and Club Blume give young Charlotteans ample opportunity to get to know each other while getting involved in a cause they’re passionate about.
Want to take it one step further and join a board? See our six steps it takes to score a seat (and learn about more organizations).
The grocery store
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Hear me out on this one: When was the last time you walked into the South End Publix and weren’t overwhelmed by the amount of young, twenty-something shoppers? All it takes is a comment about a clever t-shirt or “accidentally” reaching for the same item to spark a conversation.
Talk about a meet market that goes to waste.
#instabeerupCLT
When Corri Smith and Amy Herman cooked up #instabeerupCLT a few years ago, the idea was to get everybody that knew each other on social media in the same room and hanging out. At the first meet-up, about 25 people came out – at January’s meet-up, over 300 people marked themselves as ‘interested’ on the event’s Facebook page.
Doing a thing tonight #instabeerupclt
A post shared by danceitupclt (@danceitupclt) on
Not only do the meet-ups give young Charlotteans an excuse to get out of their comfort zone and explore the city (events are often held at different locations), but they’re consistent and provide a laid-back chance to network and, yes, make friends. Expect name tags. Don’t expect an agenda, presentation or – maybe the best part – to have to stay.
[Related: Why #instabeerupCLT grew 15x by its second birthday]
The next #instabeerupCLT is happening Thursday, February 23 at VBGB at 6 p.m. Details.
Meetup.com
The amount of Charlotte-based Meetups is incredible, but so is the breadth of categories they cover.
New to Charlotte? So are these 2,200+ other people in the Charlotte Newbies group.
Been in Charlotte too long to be considered new, but not long enough to feel like you know it? You’re in the same boat as these 3,000+ people looking to experience it.
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Total wino? These 1,690+ people are wine lovers, too.
Love your dog and/or rely on Fido to get you out of the house? There are 3,200+ people that feel the same way.
[Related: 16 Charlotte Meetup groups to join based on personality and interests]
Sports leagues
When it comes to intramural sports teams, Charlotte’s not lacking. Check out Sportslink ($55-$95), Sports Connection and Nakid Social Sports ($55-$65) for sports like soccer, basketball, ultimate frisbee and kickball.
Looking for something a little more specific? Try QC Flag Football or Buzz City Beach Soccer.
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Volunteer
Are you a people person? Good, because Charlotte has people that need you.
The city has a wealth of volunteer opportunities at places like Big Brother Big Sister of Charlotte, Habitat for Humanity Charlotte, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, the Men’s Shelter and Make Welcome.
If you’d rather work with both two-legged and four-legged friends, check out Dog Days of Charlotte, Project H.A.L.O. and Carolina Raptor Center. See our list of nine more places to volunteer with animals.
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Your own house
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Seriously. Take it from Emily Grigg, who, for the better part of a year, didn’t feel like she could make friends. Her solution? Throw a party and invite every single person she and her roommate had made friends with in Charlotte.
Spoiler alert: It was a huge success.
Cover photo courtesy of Jimmy Lawler