I recently moved to Huntsville, Alabama for my first job out of college, and I’d like some advice on how to meet young people like myself.
-All my coworkers are married and pretty busy with family life.
-All the adult sports leagues have already started and aren’t accepting walk-ons.
-Yoga, art classes, tennis, etc. tend to be exclusively geared towards housewives and retired people. Most meet during the workday. My other interests tend to attract middle-aged couples.
-I enjoy drinking, but going to bars all alone is no fun. Especially when you look like you’ve just started college, rather than finished.
-I don’t really have any hobbies outside of watching movies and hanging out with friends. None of my friends are here, so I’m completely open to activities outside of church that don’t require previous experience or partners.
Are you sure all of your co-workers are married/busy with family stuff? Sometimes I think single folks assume married people are joined at the hip, never socialize with single people, etc. If you have cool co-workers I’d seek them out as friends, even if they’re married.
Are you a fan of a certain sport, or team? Find out if there’s a local viewing club.
Check with your alumni association and see if there’s a chapter, or alternately, any alums in your city.
What did you major in? Maybe look for a professional association that will connect you to other folks in your line of work/study.
If you like movies, you can see if there’s a film festival in Huntsville that you might get involved with…
Are you against the idea of meeting folks currently in college? I don’t know if there are any major institutions of higher education in Huntsville or nearby, but I would check out lectures, etc. there. The older undergrads, and definitely the grad students, if they have any, will be closer to your age.
Well, it’s a GREAT time to pitch in and work for the presidential candidate of your choice. They’re always looking for volunteers. People of all ages and lifestyles are involved. You may not find your BFF, but it’s a good way to start to build a social network. As a bonus, the people will be at least somewhat like-minded.
You can go to my.barackobama.com and search for events in your area. I expect you can do the same thing on McCain’s site.
Volunteer for something. When I moved to this area, I volunteered once a week stuffing envelopes and the like at an advocacy organization whose cause I supported. I made several good friends who shared my general outlook on life. And I got to go to some fun rallies!
OKCupid, though started as a dating site, has evolved into more of a social network thing. You can specify that you’re looking for friends/activities partners and find like-minded folks based on their matching algorithm. In addition to dating, I’ve met a couple of women for the purpose of finding more female friends for, yanno, chick stuff. Haven’t found a new BFF yet, but women at least seem amenable to the idea.
So GET some hobbies that involve other people. Or turn the hobbies you do have into social events. I love to knit (obviously) which is generally thought of as an isolated activity, but I manage to make it social by going to stitch 'n bitch groups or holding my own.
I also wouldn’t write off my co-workers so fast. For one thing, no one cares what age you appear to be, trust me (in pubs or at work or wherever). Lots of those “busy” people are probably looking for social outlets that don’t involve their two-year-old twins.
Volunteer, go to church, join a reading group or a group for film buffs, and most of all, TALK to people wherever you are. If you strike up a conversation with people in your new environment, eventually a few of them will turn into friends.
Join a book club or a meetup or something. Check online for social organizations in your area. In NYC we have www.thelunchclub.com which is a wonderful way to meet new people and I am sure that there is something similar in Alabama.
Hey Admiral Crunch. I’m in the same position as you – too bad we aren’t in the same city. I don’t really know what to suggest since so far the only friends I’ve made have been coworkers (I work as a research asst in a lab with another assistant who is my age and a couple grad students and undergrads). If there is a university in the area, it might be a good place to look. Even if you feel to old for hanging out with undergrads, you’re the same age as the grad students.
I have moved several times - and I have made good friends through it each time I’ve tried. And it’s free!
There are all kinds of groups: book clubs, hiking/outdoors, board games, dancing, foodies, beer & wine clubs, political and volunteer, business networking, role playing, board games, hobbies, etc.
You could also organize a Dopefest for people in northern Alabama/southern Tennessee. If we’re good enough to hang out with online, you might like talking to some of us in person.
Thanks for the tips. I’m still waiting on a couple meetup groups to have a meeting and the Obama people have an event in late September around here, so I’m on deck for those. Neither seem too active, but I’ll take what I can get.
Any favorite volunteer work or charities? I’m liberal and non-religious. Habitat for Humanity doesn’t build until spring, and I’d rather not hand out leaflets or cold call people.
If anyone else is up for organizing, I’d gladly attend a dopefest.
If there’s a local community theatre group, I can promise they’ll welcome backstage volunteers. Useful skills are a bonus, but willing hands will do. There will be someone “in charge” to direct your activities.
Theatre folk tend to be generally groovy, and you’ll prolly score comp tickets to the show and/or an invite to the cast party.
You go hashing, of course. Highly non-competitive running, as much beer as you can shake a stick at, dirty songs and generally speaking, seriously nice and welcoming people.