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I also love Meetup.com and I tell ya, everyone on there wants to meet other people too... It's great! You join for free and join whatever type groups you want...there are hundreds in this area...then RSVP to an event that organizer schedules. It's easy and a lot of fun. You could be busy all day, every day, if you wanted to.
I'm giving another vote to meetup.com. There is a group for everything! If you can't find a group that suits your needs - create one! You could look for or create a weekend playgroup.
Going to meetups really helped me meet people when I moved here and still does. I met my boyfriend at a meetup, in fact!
I love sushi and he doesn't, so I'm in a sushi meetup where I can enjoy eating sushi with a group of people who love it as much as I do. There are groups just for women, just for moms, for motorcycling, bicycling, running, knitting, reading, working out - you name it, they have it.
Nope, we haven't. I kinda feel awkward knocking on the door randomly introducing myself as so and so... and then what? I wouldn't mind at all if somebody did that, but you never know about others! . Also, you don't know when is a good time for them... etc etc.
Throw yourself a Meet The Neighbors party. Give each of your neighbors an invitation, either in person or in the mail. Somebody is bound to show up if there's free food & booze.
You can try out a "non-threatening" church that has people/programs that fit your family's lifestyle. There are a lot of churches in the triangle that are casual and are used to having a lot of visitors and won't "weird you out" when you attend.
The church we attend, Connections Church, has mid-week mom's bible studies, mom's morning out, dinners for 6 (where you sign up to have lunch with 2 other couples to meet new people) and other ways for you to connect to the community (both the Church community and the local community it serves).
How does a family with a toddler socialize here in RTP? My spouse and I both have a full time jobs. Since we recently moved to this area, we don't know anyone around here. Or don't know the family-friendly activities and places around here. Any ideas??
I personally believe that it's hard to make new friends once you are out of college. You may make some friends at work, but it's really not the same.
-fidodido25
We simply walk out our front door in the evening. Lots of families are hanging out in front of their homes talking or walking about the neighborhood. It's that simple if you live in a community where there are families, as opposed to on the go professionals. People tend to have a lot in common and get outside more to socialize.
A lot of people have suggested meetup.com so am gonna give it a shot. Although I have to admit it makes me feel like am joining match.com or something similar. But hey, looks like that's the way to go these days!
Quote:
Originally Posted by skaternum
Throw yourself a Meet The Neighbors party. Give each of your neighbors an invitation, either in person or in the mail. Somebody is bound to show up if there's free food & booze.
As far as throwing a Meet the neighbors party is concerned - it's a good idea but is too labor intensive. I don't think am up for that gig right now.
Is it MeetUp.com? I bookmarked that site a long time ago, and only looked at it now for the first time. There really is a ton of stuff on there, huh?
Meetup.com is a great resource. I used it to find a mom's group (which has subsequently branched out somewhat to be a moms & dad's group) in Michigan where I am currently. We'll be moving to the Triangle area in the fall and while I'm a bit heartbroken to have to leave all my friends, I've already started looking into groups here and am hopeful I'll find wonderful people in the Triangle as well.
We just moved to the area also (from Manhattan). Our move is an "experiment" since my husband's postion is for 2 years (we have an "out" if we don't like the area).
I am finding that I have the same issues as you. It is not very easy to meet people and even harder to meet people that we feel "connected" to. We have a 7 month old, and we decided that I would stay home with her for the first year, so I have joined lots of moms' groups, taken the baby to classes, etc. The classes and groups are not as active as those I was a part of in Manhattan, but they are a great way to get out of the house.
I sympathize with you and do think it is hard to make friends. However, this is the first time we have lived outside of the New York Metro area, so it could be characteristic of anyplace we go... not just RTP.
One other thing that we are finding that could be specific to the area is that a lot of people are active in churches and that a lot of social activities revolve around churches. We are not the churchgoing type, so that option is completely closed off to us.
I am a part of 3 different mom groups, and I am very glad for that. I have met some nice people through these groups, but no best friends. It does get lonely here sometimes, and we haven't met other "couple friends" yet, but it probably is also a matter of time.
Other ideas: We joined our neighborhood pool and my husband is joining a tennis league.
It takes a long time to make friends (vs. 'acquaintances'). And that is true regardless of where you go--that is not unique to the Raleigh/Triangle area. I've lived in several different cities and I'd say it's the same challenge everywhere. People are 'busy,' there isn't the sense of community that once existed a long time ago, people connect electronically instead of in-person, and it's like ADHD is afflicting a large % of our population. Even if you're with people in person you'll find them checking their iPhones for email, etc.
My recommendation is to start with a few of these groups, then organize a small casual luncheon or a coffee gathering for the few you hit it off with...something that is separate and see how that goes. It doesn't have to be entertaining in your house right off the bat. Invite 3 or 4 other people who you think might enjoy this and take baby steps. Then see if your reaching out is reciprocated by any of the 3 or 4. If not, keep trying...it's not *you*!
Keep reminding yourself that you're dealing with people who (tend to) have over-structured, busy-busy-busy lives. This is the start of the generations that when they were kids the parents kept the kids super busy in lots of activities and this is the reality they know and duplicate in their own lives.
As others say, this is far from an "RTP"-specific issue and more of a "moving to a place where you don't know anybody" issue. Actually, in this area, with so many moving from other places, is probably a lot easier to meet people than in a less explosively-growing area, where you might end up in a neighborhood where everyone's been neighbors for decades and you will always be "the new ones".
I do understand that with a toddler, committing to any kind of volunteer work is out of the question, but don't mothers still take their babies to the park for fresh air? Check online listings for baby-related gatherings (you're on your own for those, with me) and then just be chatty with the moms you see there. And they do say meetup.com is a very successful wayto connect with folks--I don't know where you moved from, but there are probably gatherings of "Transplants to the Triangle from ____" who get together every now and then; I recall hearing about groups like that even in pre-Internet days.
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. Also, you don't know when is a good time for them... etc etc.
Meetup.com sounds good!
