How to meet new people near you, in real life

Most of us would like a few more people to call. Meeting them is less about luck than about putting yourself where good conversations happen. Here are the places and habits that work.

Ideas that work in almost any city

Interest groups that meet every week

Book clubs, run clubs, language exchanges, chess nights, choirs, climbing sessions. Look for something that repeats: seeing the same people every week is how strangers become friends.

Small meetups

A walk, a board-game evening, a picnic, a gallery visit with a handful of people. Small numbers make it easy to talk to everyone, and easy to leave if it isn’t for you.

Supper clubs and shared tables

Eating together is one of the oldest ways to get to know someone. A long table with strangers sounds daunting; in practice, food and a shared evening do most of the work.

Volunteering

Working side by side on something that matters gives you a reason to talk and a reason to come back.

Classes

Cooking, pottery, dance, improv. You learn something, everyone is a little out of their comfort zone together, and there’s a natural “same time next week”.

How to make the first hello easier

Ask about the thing you share. “How did you get into this?” beats any opening line.
Remember one detail. Next time, ask about it. It shows you were listening.
Suggest a specific next step. “There’s another one on Thursday, are you going?” is easier to say yes to than “we should hang out sometime”.
Meet in public, in a group, at first. It’s relaxed for everyone and safer too.

Where Yoopzi fits in

Yoopzi is a new app for meeting people who like what you like, in real life:

Plans near you on a living map of your city: coffees, walks, games, picnics. Join with a tap or start the one you wish existed.
Circles for every interest, with a different name in each one if you like.
Yoopzi Nights: tables of six strangers at great local places, every week. The place is revealed on the day, and chats open only when you both say yes afterwards.
Postcards from places nearby: a photo, a note, a reason to say hello.

It’s coming soon to iPhone and Android. Join the waitlist to be first in your city, and tick the box if you’d like to try it early.

Questions people ask

Where can I meet new people as an adult?

Weekly interest groups, small meetups, classes, volunteering and shared dinners all work well, because they bring the same people together again and again around something you enjoy.

How do Yoopzi Nights work?

Save a seat for this week’s Night, answer six light questions, and you’re seated at a table of six at a good local place. The place is revealed on the day, and everyone pays for their own order.

Is it safe to meet people from an app?

Meet in public places and in groups first. Yoopzi is built around that: small groups, public venues, women-only tables, a name you choose, and report or block in a tap.

How to meet new people near you.