meeting people and dating in raleigh (Charlotte, Durham: transplants, home, college)

[CoraRN]

What's the dating scene like in Raleigh? How easy is it to make friends? Are the majority of people friendly? What's there to do to be social besides the bar scene. I like the water salt water fishing beaching and tennis. I'm in my mid 20s. Please advise I'll be moving alone and want to be Social and outgoing and develop a good group of friends/steady relationship

[RoaminRebel]

The beach and salt water are rather far from Raleigh. There have been a number of posts here saying it's difficult to make friends etc. If that's the case it could be because of the suburban sprawl and the fact the city appeals mostly to middle income families. Many people are also heavily involved in their churches...

Not really the first place on my list to spend my 20's if I had any left to spend..

[CoraRN]

Do you recommend any other locations in North Carolina

[Flamenguista]

I dont think its going to get any better than Raleigh (or Charlotte) in terms of meeting people. There are tons of people that are moving here in the same situation. It really all depends on the person and how open are. If you are socialable and proactive, you wont have any problems.

But whats more important to you, being in a city around similar transplants your age, or being near a beach (Wilmington, NC)?

[luv4horses]

Take classes at a college or maybe join a church or country club. It gets more difficult the older you are.

[annabanana123]

Join a church or sports group (running clubs, adult kickball come to mind) or meet some friends at work. I don't think it's hard as long as you try to do it. As for dating I know people use the apps a lot here like anywhere else.

[Myghost]

Originally Posted by CoraRN

Do you recommend any other locations in North Carolina

For every person who stays at home and types complaints on their computer that they can't meet people, there are three who are out doing stuff. I understand there are different personalities, but if you don't mind putting yourself out there, there is a TON to offer here.

For fishing, you are 2+ hours from the coast, but if you like fresh-water, we have wonderful lakes here that have bass, catfish, crappy and lots of other stuff. Bass fishing is a blast.

There is an active community of windsurfers, paddleboarders, kayakers. Mountainbiking here is huge, with (litterally) hundreds of miles of legal singletrack, and a well-connected greenway system that can bring you from DT Raleigh to DT Durham with minimal contact with any cars.

For the introverts and geeks (I say that with affection), there is a huge IT community here, a huge gaming community, and we have sci-fi and other conventions all the time.

Great food scene, and great live music scene, with festivals going on in downtown probably 70% of all weekends (guessing). Anything from art festivals, to music festivals, to food-truck rodeos to gay pride marches.

I'm sure there's more, but the point is that if you put yourself out there, there is more than you can do. That said, we are not SF, NYC or Atlanta.


If I were mid-20's and wanting to meet people (I'm late 40's and trying to get rid of all my friends, LOL), I'd want to live in DT, and be in the middle of it all. I'd probably learn about Raleigh and Durham, two very different and distinct communities, and pick the one that fit my lifestyle better.

I grew up in Charlotte. It's cool. Personal preference, but I like Raleigh better. You may also check out Richmond, which is pretty cool and unique.

[BC1960]

Originally Posted by CoraRN

Do you recommend any other locations in North Carolina

Charlotte.

[PDF]

It's not that bad. It really depends on where in Raleigh you live and how social you are. I lived in Raleigh for the last 11 months (just relocated) and I moved there without knowing anybody...also in my mid-20's.

It would help if you live in one of the vibrant areas of the Triangle. I couldn't imagine living in one of the non-walkable areas. You won't find any beaches/water in Raleigh. Plenty of tennis courts and greenways, though.

Downtown Raleigh is very good, and you mentioned you're not into the bar scene but hanging out Downtown and going to the bars is an excellent way to meet people. Other than that, I guess you could try Meetup groups.

Raleigh is a sprawled out family-friendly city but it's not that bad for singles either. You just have to put yourself out there more than you would in some other places. If you are social and make it a point to get involved, you'll be fine.

[pierretong1991]

I don't think it's that bad - it will only get better as more and more young people move here. If you live towards downtown and get plugged into the social scene there instead of living in North Raleigh and Cary and having to drive downtown, it's much easier to meet young people