Volunteer. When you give your time to those in need, you will have the opportunity to meet locals with that same desire.Consider a day or more of volunteering by preparing and serving food at local soup kitchens, reading to children at a library, visiting elderly or disabled residents in nursing or group homes or even walking dogs for an animal shelter. NewYorkCares, NYCService and VolunteerMatch list a wide range of volunteer activities that you can join in New York, allowing you to meet people and offer your services to city residents.
Attend a lecture or discussion about a subject that interests you. New York community centers, religious institutions, cultural sites, universities libraries and other venues offer public talks where you can join other people who share your interests and meet people while you learn something new. You can find out about upcoming lectures through the Events Around Town section of the New York Post, the Entertainment section of the New York Magazine and the Events Calendar of the Community section of the New York Times.
Participate in group dancing activities throughout the Big Apple. Dance studios, nightclubs, community centers and other venues invite New York residents and visitors to join them for community dancing, featuring everything from line dancing to hip-hop and nostalgic rock 'n' roll. You can find dance groups that meet weekly for folk dancing, belly dancing, contra dancing and more. Many of these dance groups include instruction for newcomers as part of their activity.
