4 Ways To Make Friends In Your New Town

By January 28, 2020 12:15 pm Making Friends In The Suburbs

Moving to the suburbs is amazing for all the perks it brings into your life — hello, extra closet space, but it also comes with its realities that need to be adjusted to. For instance, city-living meant being able to maintain friendships a tad bit easier because that’s what after-work-drinks were made for.

Things become a bit harder when the choice is between those after-work-drinks and the train you want to catch to make sure you’re home by dinnertime. This means that your friend group also starts shifting to your closer to home crowd. 

Being new in a town and community can be rough, which is why we pulled together some key ways to start forming those new bonds and finding people who are right up your alley and in relatable life stages. 

Ask your realtor for tips

This is tip number one and should be the second thing you do after celebrating getting your new house keys. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of your realtor’s expertise in the town and the people in it. They know neighborhoods in and out and can make warm introductions to everyone from your next door neighbors to the best playgroups in town.  

Where your kids socialize

Talking about playgroups – if your little one is the top reason why you’re making the move from the city to the suburbs, their fun filled activities can be a great place to meet more parents who live in the neighborhood. Same goes with kids who are making their way to preschool, elementary school, high school, and the long list of extracurriculars where they’ll be spending their afternoons. Add a few minutes at the beginning or end of drop off or pick up to start setting the foundation for yourself and any new friendships that could be born. 

Visit local eats + hangs

Make a weekend out of exploring your new town. It seems like an impossible way to meet new people, but there are plenty of family-owned restaurants or bookstores in any town, so stopping in and striking conversation can help you start finding both people and places that align with your interests. 

Introduce yourself to next door neighbors 

A person can live in the same New York City apartment for years and never meet their next door neighbors. Don’t carry this habit with you into your new town. Make it a point to say hello to those right across the road from you and don’t be afraid to ask them about how to start making the neighborhood more of your own home. If you’re lucky, they’ll take you under their wing and point you in all the right directions. 

The first step to embracing any of these tips is to remember that even if you’re new to the town, you already belong. It’s about finding the corners of the neighborhood that you want to belong to the most.

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