How to Meet People in a New City: A 30-Day Plan

The short answer

Moving somewhere new is one of the best times to make friends, because you have a reason to say yes to everything and so do other newcomers. Follow a simple plan: show up somewhere new in week one, pick one recurring activity in week two, make the first invitation yourself in week three and widen the circle in week four. Then keep going.

Why the first months matter

Research from the University of Kansas followed adults who had recently moved and estimated that it takes around 50 hours together to become casual friends and about 90 to become friends. It also found that new friendships tend to form in the period right after a move, when people are actively looking. The first few months are your window: use them.

Visit University of Kansas friendship study ↗

Week 1: set up and show up once

Sort the basics, then get into a room with new faces. Create your Konnectors profile with a clear photo and two specific interests, look at the hangouts near you, and join one. Explore your neighbourhood on foot, find a cafe you like and say hello to your neighbours. The goal this week is not friendship; it is to stop the city feeling empty.

Apps with people nearby →

Week 2: choose one recurring activity

Pick one thing you can repeat every week for at least six weeks: a sports club, a class, a language exchange, a volunteering shift, a running group or a regular hangout. Seeing the same people again is what turns small talk into familiarity. Interest-group sites like Meetup are useful for finding these.

Visit Meetup ↗

Week 3: make the first plan yourself

Suggest a specific plan to someone you liked: a coffee, a walk, a match, a market. Give a day and a time. "We should hang out" rarely happens; "Saturday morning parkrun then breakfast?" usually does. You can also post your own hangout on Konnectors and let people come to you.

Week 4: widen the circle

Introduce people from one group to another, join a community around a hobby, and host or organise something small, such as a board-game night or a picnic. Hosting makes you the connector, and connectors never run out of invitations.

Where newcomers find their people

• Local hangouts and friendship apps with group plans near you.
• Sports clubs, run clubs and weekly fitness classes.
• Language exchanges and expat or newcomer groups.
• Volunteering on a regular shift.
• Work, if your workplace is social: join the lunch, the team sport or the after-work drink.
• Friends of friends: ask everyone you know whether they know anyone in your new city.

If you are travelling, not moving

Look for travel buddies and local hangouts a few days before you arrive and share your dates. Meeting a local on day one makes the whole trip better.

Make friends when traveling solo →Find travel buddies →

City guides

We have written city-specific guides for places where many of our members live, with neighbourhoods, clubs and the best time of year to start:

London →Dublin →Karachi →Delhi →Mumbai →Nairobi →

Your first weekend checklist

• Walk your neighbourhood and find a cafe, a park and a gym or club you would actually use.
• Join one hangout or event, even a short one.
• Message three people you already know: "I just moved to ..., do you know anyone here?"
• Join two local groups online (a hobby group and a newcomers or expat group).
• Put one recurring activity in your calendar for next week.

Moving abroad vs moving within your country

Moving abroad adds a language, new social rules and often no existing network, so start with the groups built for newcomers: expat associations, international meetups and language exchanges. Use them as a launchpad, not a bubble; one local hobby group or sports club will teach you more about the city than months of expat brunches. Moving within your own country is easier on the culture but can feel lonelier at first, because nobody assumes you need help. Say it out loud: "I'm new here" opens a surprising number of doors.

If you are shy or introverted

Choose small, structured activities where the activity does the talking: classes, volunteering, walking groups, board-game nights. Plan one social thing per week rather than five, arrive early when groups are smaller, and give yourself permission to leave after an hour. Consistency matters far more than charisma.

Common mistakes when you are new in town

• Waiting to be invited. Everyone else is busy with their existing circle.
• Trying a different activity every week, so nobody sees you twice.
• Chatting online for months without meeting.
• Saying no to the first few invitations because you are tired from the move.
• Comparing new friends to old ones. They are new; give them the 50 hours.

Say yes more than feels natural in the first month. That is when your new circle forms.

Stay safe while you explore

Meet in public places first, tell someone where you are going, and keep your new address private until you know someone well. On Konnectors others only see an approximate distance, never your exact location, and every profile and chat has report and block.

Safety tips →

When it feels slow

Loneliness after a move is common and usually temporary; a 2025 WHO report found about one in six people worldwide is affected by loneliness. Keep counting the invitations you send and the evenings you show up to, not the friends you have yet. If loneliness starts affecting your sleep, mood or health, talk to a doctor or a local support service.

Visit WHO report on social connection (2025) ↗

Frequently asked questions