If you were in a new city...

[Someone Else]

If you found yourself in a new city, far away from the life you know now, and were for some reason cut off from the internet and all long distance conversation with old friends and family, what would you do to meet new people ? 

[alto]

Probably go to a lot of open mics?  I don't know.  A lot of my friends are long-distance, I might try to stay with one depending on where I am.

[Guest]

Having been in this situation several times, I can say that I would talk to the neighbours, scout the local area for sociable looking cafes/bars etc. and ask if they had any social evenings, look at notice boards and ask around for if there are any clubs to join in the area.

 

These days "cut off from internet" would never happen and I would just go on meetup.com and join an interesting meetup, or create a new group if there wasn't anything which interested me.

[Lord Jade Cross]

I wouldn't do anything. Having to put up with family is a huge pain enough as it is. I would see this as a god sent. 

[A User]

if i was cut off from the internet, then i'd be free of the one man i despise

but the new city part would take some getting used to

[Morays]

No contact with family or old friends whatsoever? I'd probably walk into the sea.

 

But to answer the pertinent part of your question, I'd be inclined to go to open drawing sessions or other get-togethers specifically for artists and branch out from there. I'd also look at book clubs, especially those geared around speculative fiction, as well as any area comics conventions. I might even get in touch with some of the local cartoonists and see if we could connect over our work! We tend to be a tight-knit bunch.

 

And, as incredibly lame as it sounds, I might also check out the local contra dances. My best friend went to them regularly pre-COVID, and outside of the comics scene, it was one of the friendliest and accepting environments I've ever been in.

[ben8884]

I might think about things I like, say movies for example and see if there are any groups for people who share my interests.

[Snao Cone]

Go to a coffee shop and subject the staff to small talk. Go there routinely until repeat patrons start to look familiar to me, and gradually chat them up. 

 

Go to a local dog park and become familiar with the regulars there, as above. 

 

From these connections, try to see if there are community organizations I can join. 

 

Volunteer. 

[LeChat]

Well, I don't feel comfortable trying to meet new people, offline; so, I'd just walk/cycle around the new city.

[Guest]

That sounds like me when I first moved out of my parents' house! I didn't have internet for a good 2 weeks.

 

I didn't socialise at all and just played Pokémon instead. After a modem got installed in my flat, I went on the internet again. (I did find a community locally through the internet eventually, though XD)

[Homer]

2 hours ago, Someone Else said:

If you found yourself in a new city, far away from the life you know now, and were for some reason cut off from the internet and all long distance conversation with old friends and family, what would you do to meet new people ? 

Nothing. I'd probably adopt a dog.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Someone Else said:

If you found yourself in a new city, far away from the life you know now, and were for some reason cut off from the internet and all long distance conversation with old friends and family, what would you do to meet new people ? 

The old fashioned way. Spark up small talk to a stranger. 

 

Ideally join a course or community that shares similar passions and let the friendships naturally grow.

 

Without the family or significant other, the city would truly suck to me so would Slum Dog Millionaire style go on game shows and plead for a reuniting with my family and significant other. 

 

"I've been kidnapped, help!" as the game show cameras awkwardly cut back to the host.

[NewStart]

If I was in a new city, it would take a while for me to meet new people.  I tend to wait for people to approach me, which is not easy because I have a resting bitch face and tend to be closed off and not very approachable.   Most likely I would start by doing things I enjoy, hitting museums, zoos and taking my dog to the dog park.  I am not a bar or nightclub person, but I could definitely spend time at a coffee house.

[Elsin]

If it were a city in the UK, Ireland or Australia, I'd just go to the nearest pub every day. I'd ask the bar staff if there were pool or darts leagues that I could join and try to meet people through that. I wouldn't be drinking booze every day myself, but occasionally I'd offer people I met a pint if I didn't feel out of place by doing so. Local music scenes would also be a good place to start, and if I could find some pubs or bars with pool, snooker or darts and open mic nights that would be perfect for me; I suppose bars and clubs in North America would also be good for me by the same token. Other countries, though, I really don't know. I'd seek out sports clubs as a starting point, but I don't know - it's hard to imagine myself alone in a new city in any country besides the ones I've mentioned.

[JumpingJay]

If I was in a new city I would use the internet to look for meetup groups and events. But if I for some reason lived a life without internet access, I would look for flyers mentioning groups or community events. Places like school campuses, libraries, coffee shops, and nature trails have boards where members of the community post about events or groups.

If I was religious I would try out a couple churches in the area and try to find people there.

I would also try to meet people through work.

And if I found out about any volunteering opportunities, I'd check them out and try to meet people from there.

I'd maybe check to see if the newspaper or phone book had any useful information?

[Ashmedai]

Cities usually have live music venues of some description, so that's a start.

[Guest]

I wouldn't have to do much since everybody's new anyway. I don't need to socialise as much as most people so I'd cope better by myself anyway and stick to needs must. I'd endeavour to leave the city instead.

[Cosmic Latte]

wow, without internet? That's a real challenge these days 😮

 

The overall advice is the same, just harder to find without the search engines & wifi

 

I would try to find events that I'm interested in, I guess via TV and/or print media? 🤔

 

Once I figure out where the cafes, game shops, and library are I can find more events to go to, or at the very least become a regular at those places.

 

I'm a big fan of conventions because everyone there has the same interest(s) as you, and typically a good con has a handful of decent panels to attend as well as a few social events all packed into one weekend 😄 

 

Also, it's surprising who you can meet waiting in line, taking public transportation, or walking around. Not that every stranger is a new friend, but sometimes a shared experience as short as those can be a friendship opportunity.

[Epitaph]

Find a restaurant that stays open late at night. Visit libraries. Find the sections that have street performers.

[Guest]

My options would be so many I wouldn’t know where to start because this back 40 poser is all I’ve ever known. Almost everyone I’ve ever known has already left, I have only one friend here who can visit if he wants, and my mom is the only family I have so I could just bring her to where I am, no big deal, assuming I survive the shock of a dream come true.

[J. van Deijck]

I already did it by getting a job.

[riskygamble]

I did this last year and ended up meeting some people from my work. It's still kind of lonely though ngl, but I benefited greatly from meetup and pushing myself to get to know some people in the area so if I didn't have that I probably would've been screwed. I used to be a frequent patron of a coffee shop but rarely had interactions from it and I haven't been able to go in a while with current circumstances.

[Sherlocks]

On 12/29/2020 at 10:25 AM, Someone Else said:

If you found yourself in a new city, far away from the life you know now, and were for some reason cut off from the internet and all long distance conversation with old friends and family, what would you do to meet new people ? 

This is literally me every couple of years.