How to find friends in Indianapolis
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Making friends in a new city can be hard.
- And even if you've lived somewhere for years, meeting new people is no small task.
Why it matters: The Indy metro has grown at twice the pace of the national average since 2020 thanks to our booming 'burbs, meaning we have plenty of newcomers.
- Having a group of friends is crucial to fighting the ongoing loneliness epidemic that has become a major threat to Americans' well-being, Axios' Carly Mallenbaum writes.
We're here to help. Here are eight ways to meet new people and grow your social circle in the Indianapolis area.
🚴 Roll into a cycling group
The Central Indiana Bicycling Association focuses on providing opportunities for bicyclists of all ages and abilities to take part in safe, friendly and organized rides in Central Indiana.
Meet them: Website, Facebook, X, and Instagram.
Go deeper: Indianapolis area bike routes for 20-, 40- or 60-mile trips
🌹 Get a new BFF
BFF Indy is a group for women to forge meaningful connections. It began with watch parties for "The Bachelorette" and now boasts more than 11,000 members.
Meet them: Website, Facebook and Instagram.
🤝 Link up with a mentor via IndyHub
The networking organization for young professionals has a team of city ambassadors who help curate customized connections through its Meet Indy Project.
Meet them: Website, Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
👋 Say "yes" to Let's Be Friends
Let's Be Friends Indy was a group created specifically to address how hard it is to make friends as an adult.
Meet them: Facebook, Instagram and Google.
👔 Join a professional networking group
Connect with local professionals at a (now legal) happy hour in the city.
Groups to join:
Young Professionals of Central Indiana connects people through events, volunteer opportunities, golf outings and more.
Indy Black Professionals is a community of local Black professionals dedicated to supporting and empowering one another in their personal and professional lives.
⚽️ Bond through sports and fitness
Turn a teammate into a friend through friendly competition.
Groups to join:
Circle City Athletics has seasonal leagues for nearly every sport under the sun.
Stonewall Sports is an LGBTQ & Ally community-based, nonprofit sports organization.
November Project Indy is a free fitness community that gathers for running stairs and doing bodyweight exercises at the Indiana War Memorial and other city locations.
🏳️⚧️ Check out an LGBTQ+ group
Connect with LGBTQ+ community members at one of many local organizations.
Organizations to join:
Indy Pride works to unite members and the LGBTQ+ community through leadership development, educational efforts, support programs and community events.
CILYAG, Central Indiana LGBTQ+ Young Adult Group, wants to create a safe community for LGBTQIA+ young adults that doesn't focus on drinking and nightlife.
💻 Scroll the internet
It may sound strange to connect through a cell phone screen, but Indy has a fairly popping Reddit page, and new events ranging from community walks and board game nights are always being added to Meetup.