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You're young. You're excited. You're starting out on your own. And well, you're kind of lonely.
Luckily, the Charlotte area offers many ways to meet people and is good at making newbies feel welcome.
Here are five tips for making friends:
1. Party it up. If you've moved to an apartment complex or a new development, check with the property manager or homeowners' association to find out if there are recurring social events. Williamsburg on Commonwealth in Commonwealth Park, for example, holds monthly parties, with each block hosting a different course.
If you've moved to an older neighborhood, join your neighborhood association or get involved with planning festivals or block parties.
2. Get out there. Plenty of other newcomers are hanging out in the neighborhood. But be sure to look outside your community, too. Visit NoDa and South End on gallery crawl nights (NoDa on the first and third Fridays; South End on the first) to mingle. Check out Thomas Street Tavern in Plaza Midwood, Philosopher's Stone in Elizabeth and Dilworth Neighborhood Grille in Dilworth, to name a few.
3. Get a dog. Charlotteans love their pets. Spend some time with Fido at one of the county's dog parks (more info at parkandrec.com) or just out in the neighborhood. You're guaranteed to meet some other dogs – and their owners. For uptown residents, check out the new dog park in Frazier Park.
4. Support the arts. Meet other arts-loving professionals and fill up your social roster with parties and performances by joining a related group. There are several options: Young Affiliates of the Mint, Blumenthal's Club Blume, Opera Carolina BRAVO!, N.C. Dance Theatre's Opening Night Insiders and Charlotte Symphony's OPUS X. Web sites for each: youngaffiliates.org; clubblume.com; operayoungprofessionals.org; opening-night.org; opusxcharlotte.org)
5. Get active. Join a sports club like CHOA or a tennis league like MatchMaker Tennis. Take an arts or exercise class at a YMCA branch. On the Web: choa.com; matchmakertennis.com; www.ymcacharlotte.org.
Amy Rainey covers uptown and central Charlotte for Eye, the Observer's free weekly magazine. She can be reached at 704-358-5321 or arainey@eyecharlotte.com.
