I moved to this town a couple of months ago, first job out of college, and I haven’t met ANYONE. Sure I’ve met people at work, but they all tend to be ten years older and seem to have retreated into their families & kids. To give a sense of how desperate I am, I even considered going to the church in town and joining some discussion groups, and I’m agnostic!
This must be a common situation… any tips??
What kind of things interest you? When a friend of mine recently moved from Tulsa to Charlotte for a better job, he found the University of North Carolina-Charlotte’s website and looked up the student activity groups. They cover a wide variety of interests and welcome people from the community to their meetings. He’s met several interesting people and forming some really good friendships and contacts.
Here is Stillwater, in addition to the campus gatherings, we have a large gaming/music/comic store that just seems to draw new people of all ages and walks of life to it.
Where in Conn. are you? I have some friends up in that neck of the woods.
Here are two ideas that have worked for me. Your mileage may vary.
For example, do you like to play tennis? If so, walk up to tennisy looking people and ask where the best courts are.
In my case, I wander the streets looking for cool people, walk up to them, and ask, “Know where I can buy some crack?” 
2) Get committed to a mental hospital. Don’t laugh, this one really works! Trust me. When I was in the hospital last spring, I met two people who are now really good friends, and one woman who I dated for a few months and had wonderful sex with. We’re no longer dating, but are good friends nonetheless. One of the people I met there was oldscratch. I wouldn’t have learned about SDMB if it wasn’t for taking my little vaycay from reality and meeting him there.
Thanks for the suggestions… I don’t have much luck with clubs. It amazes me that some people can actually care that much about any one topic to be interested in it for years. I’ll be interested in something for a few months, and then move on. Makes it rather tough to meet people with the same interests. 
I’m going to try going to the NYC Dopefest. Maybe that will work.
smackfu, you’re gonna have to do just the opposite of what your mama told you: talk to strangers! My very best friend in the whole world was pretty much just a chance encounter type-of-thing. Just started talking and found out we had a whole lot in common.
What about taking a class once a week? Learn French or water color painting or how to build model ships.
Go to a gym … I have heard this works for other people, personally, no one would want to meet me at a gym.
Go online and look for upcoming events in your area. A concert with 10,000 people might not be ideal for this, but something like a walking tour of a historical neighborhood might be a nice way to meet people. I’ve noticed that even small towns seem to all have websites now, and many of them list events and also calls for volunteers for various community activities.
Libraries often have book discussion clubs, and I think some of the chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble do this as well.
Casually let your coworkers know you are looking to meet people. They probably have younger siblings or other single friends. They might assume you have no interest in hanging out with them because you are younger, but if they know you are looking to be more social, they will remember to invite you to things where you will meet other people.
Do you like sports? Or, could you cultivate an interest in a sport? Many pubs show football, hockey, basketball etc. on TV, and fans like to chat with other fans.
If you now live in a large town, and you went to a large school, there might be an alumni association from your college in the town where you live now.
Good luck!
I’ve moved three times in the last couple’a years and I travel a lot for work, so let me offer this:
If you frequent bars, start conversations with strangers. What’s the worst that could happen, they ignore you? Oh well, you’re no worse off. Better case, you make some friends/acquantances.
If you don’t, check the apartment work-out room. Don’t go hitting on people there, just introduce yourself and next time you see them, you can say hi and move on from there.
This is what I do, with all the travel I do: just go out. Invariably, I’ll find something to talk to the person next to me about, fomr there, it’s a matter of personality.
Good luck.
It might sound a little lame and predictable but I think this works: local Amateur Dramatic Societies. You need no ability (probably be third spare floor sweeper for the first few productions), a keen ear for gossip, an ability to massage ego’s and the women will be eager to introduce you to every spinster within 100 miles.
Get Arrested
guaranteed you will get to meet heaps of people then.
What you want to do here in this situation is drink. A lot.
That way, even if you don’t make any friends in the local bars, people will have an excuse for you when asked why you don’t seem to have any friends. “Oh” they’ll say “he drinks”.
it’s a win win situation!
Upham
Lol Upham… Funniest thing I’ve read all day.
At long last, i have a sig.
Careful, a sig like that will get you… shhh shhh… [sub]enemies[/sub]
JK. Thanks… I think.
I dunno, i think it’s sort of a dual compliment
everyone’s happy and i’m still drinking and now i’ve got a sig line
What more can i ask for?
Upham
Drugs?
That’s just me though
I don’t like to mix drugs and booze these days, call me better for experience.
Man, we’re hardcore hijacking this thread…
sorry serious people!!