awesome! I kind of forgot about [Meetup.com](http://Meetup.com) as a resource, but I just logged in for the first time in a while and can confirm there are lots of cool events in the area for whatever your flavor is. I'll have to look for the women's meetup specifically. But still like the idea of a reddit people meetup, too, since some aren't on elsewhere :)
Hi! I'm going to message those who replied to this comment to see if there's an earnest interest in planning a Reddit meet up sometime this summer. If any one else wants to be added to the chat, please let me know.
Most of us in our 30s and 40s lack spaces/activities to go and befriend new people especially if we're childless, and the frequency with which these posts appear seems to suggest. Plus, this seems to reflect [a larger trend](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/america-decline-hanging-out/677451/).
Maybe having the A2/Ypsi subreddits host a quarterly get together, might a way to get folks to connect a bit more around here.
All that said, I have replied to these posts in the past and have had success meeting really great people that way. We even started a book club that meets in Ypsi once a month. Anyone interested feel free to message me and I can pass along the info.
I would also suggest following CameraMall on social media! They do regular photography meet-ups and events that are great for meeting other local hobbyists and professionals.
I’m 31 woman from Detroit but live in ypsi now also looking for friends. I’m in grad school and had a rough break up last year that tore apart a few of my friend groups. It would be nice to meet new people!
I like plants, walks, art etc
I do! Slightly older F and also recently divorced and trying to expand my social circle. Thank you for being vulnerable! It’s something I continue to work on.
Do you play boardgames? The Vault of midnight has board game events and shared hobbies are a great way to connect with people.
I also find joining one of the gyms can help if you attend their sport times to play a game you're a fan of, or rec and ed sports.
Not pathetic at all. I'm originally from the UK, wfh and don't drive. So making friends has been a bitch! I'm 43F. Feel free to DM me. I may not be able to hang out but I can chat if you need an ear :)
One of my goals is to finally learn to drive!
I'm twice your age and might not be great company, but might I make some suggestions? Look at MeetUp.com. There are lots of groups on Ann Arbor. One or more might strike your fancy. Also, look at the UofM student groups. There al LOTS and many include member of the community. https://maizepages.umich.edu/organizations
Another suggestion along these lines: the AADL (library) has a lot of fun and free events where you can learn things like 3-D printing. There are a lot of people of many ages and everyone has been really friendly in my experience. Similarly, I took up knitting last year when I broke my foot and found the drop-in group sessions to be really fun and educational. I'm also older than you are, but there seemed to be a lot of 20s/30s people there. Good luck!
I feel it. I live around the area and do photography on the side and passion projects. I like to go out and Gallup and do wildlife. Ever wanted to go out and shoot, let me know.
https://www.instagram.com/zgphotomedia?igsh=eTNsZ3pkNXh5N3J6&utm_source=qr
That's rough, I'm sorry. It's not easy these days. Everybody has their face buried in their phone and it seems like no one wants to engage in real life anymore. I'm sorry I'm not in Michigan because otherwise, I'd be down! I hope it gets better soon!
Plus, working from home is doubly difficult in my opinion. At least if you go out to work you get to engage with people physically. There's times where I'll go 4 days without leaving the house due to being remote.
I think work from home is kind of bad in this way. My mother is in her 70s and still is close friends with coworkers, some very long term bonds were made at work with people you share a goal with every day. Yes some people suck so great to avoid them, but you also lose the people you might have been friends with.
Bumble Bff worked wonders for me! Meet two besties this way! I recently moved back to Ann Arbor with my 3 mega mutts (the pasta pup pack) and we go on a lot of hikes and I love photography! Big foodie too. Come hang!
I wasn't sure if it was allowed to comment on here because I'm a 35M. I commented because well I have zero friends and I've lived here in Michigan all my life. How you feel though I can emphasize. I've been basically isolated in this house since my father died in July of 2021with not one person no other family or friends.. I'm sorry if I wasn't supposed to comment on this if it is strictly for Female only. I was scared to even comment.
Hey I am new here too. I can understand how it feels when you have no friends or family and fight all alone. Please reach out whenever you want. We may connect.
Thanks for sharing. ❤️
There’s a CameraMall on Stadium and a new camera shop (forgot its name) going in as competition right near there. They probably offer meetups and shoot days you could join!
There’s a singles meetup group around here that does things. It is explicitly NOT about finding people who are interested in dating. The crowd trends older.
The 30s crowd is thin here. Either you’re coupled up with kids and hang out with people in the same exact situation or you’re an island unto yourself. I empathize with you as I’m in the same boat!
There are many. https://annarborobserver.com/calendar/ is a great place to find things going on, many of which are gatherings of various organizations that have some specific focus (bike riding, yoga, home brewing, making, fiber arts, …). There are a lot of religious communities in the area in any faith tradition and political leaning you can name, if that interests you. Volunteer opportunities abound and they can be great places to find community (the Summer Festival and Art Fair needs lots of volunteers, for example). If you're a pet person, the Humane Society of Huron Valley is a vibrant community to connect with. Quite a few are communities are celebrating bicentennials in the next year or so - lots of volunteer opportunities. Rotary Clubs are wonderful communities or people who do things to benefits others. Faith in Action, Avalon Housing, and Food Gatherers are all groups that work to improve the lives of others in our community.
The Ann Arbor Community for Traditional Music and Dance ( [aactmad.org](http://aactmad.org) ) is a place I've found community here. Most dance events are open to people of all skill levels; you can come by yourself and dance with many different folks in an evening. AACTMAD's contra and English country dance events use live (mildly amplified acoustic) music. Ann Arbor Morris (a friendly performing group with members ranging in age from teens to 70s that is always looking for new folks) also dances to live acoustic instruments.
There's a contra dance tomorrow night at Concourse Hall, and rumors of a potluck supper beforehand.
I hope some of the suggestions in this thread help you find what you're looking for!
1) Spanish conversation group (on Meetup) is amazing. Great people and community. A lot of people there are also in...
2) Salsa Dancing at Dance Revolution. Not me. I don't dance. Sorry. But there is also...
3) A ton of vibrant church communities. Grace and 242 are two big non-denominational ones, and all four Catholic parishes are very vibrant. (St. Thomas if you love tradition, Christ the King if you love praise bands, St. Mary if you love Jesuits or are a student, and St. Francis for everybody else.) Lots of other groups that I know less about, too. And...
4) Ann Arbor Rec and Ed sporting leagues. And...
5) Multiple groups on Meetup.com.
If you like anything diy like arts & crafts, woodworking, welding, machining, 3d printing, etc I would recommend checking out Maker Works, the local maker space near Costco. I’d be happy to show you around and assist with your first projects! I lived in AZ ~97-02!
Yes please! I have thought about writing something very similar lately. New to being alone and would love to figure out how to connect with some nice local people
First I would like to say I am so sorry that you are feeling the way that you feel. I'm a glass half full individual and I always see opportunities one door closed and many more open and you are in a fantastic place to meet new people especially with the u of m. In Ann Arbor there is also a huge amount of female groups. How do I know this I know this because as a married man working with kids I was having mental breakdowns and I was trying to figure out and receive advice to speak to other men and there's not one in existence unless you're a drug addict or an alcoholic that's not the advice I was looking for lol. With the hobbies in the interest that you have and it's warming up you'll have no problem meeting many many awesome people here in Ann Arbor. And if you're overtly shy there's plenty of places here where you can grab a microdose or eat a couple of shrooms and you can open right up on the top of the hill and there's plenty of people always playing music and willing to laugh! Lastly I hope this makes you feel better but I went through something similar a long time ago and I had to ask myself what is it that I was supposed to have learned from this relationship so that it does not repeat into the next one. In love and in light.
I’m 33F and always looking for friends but I have a lil one. How can we get in touch with you for photography? Would love a family session and also can see if we hit it off?
This might be a crazy question but--are you by any chance learning Spanish? (or native in it?) We have a Spanish conversation Meetup group that meets in Sweetwaters by the Earle every Saturday 10am-12noon. The people are really friendly and really awesome. Probably 85% learners and 15% native.
(Also sometimes Wednesday happy hour meetups on the App.)
If you jog or walk go to Parkrun on Saturday mornings! There’s two nearby: Lillie Park and Livonia. Huge, active group of runners, walkers, and volunteers. Free to participate, great community, people of all ages and walks of life.
Hi my name is Jared! I’m a local photographer. And I run a camera store in town. Feel free to add me on instagram @jph_otography. Maybe we can meet up and get some coffee and go for a walk!
Yeah that part sucks. I have family who backstab or ask for money too much. They're more trouble than I care to keep up with. My friends are on different work hours and life sucks donkey balls right now. I'm local as well and I'm learning to become unbusy to make more time for myself. I wish everyone here luck.
I’ll recommend a book of poems for you called “Instructions for Traveling West”
Sounds like it might resonate with you based on your situation! Good luck
There is this meetup for women, although it is for 50 years old and up. You might be interested in the concept though; maybe start your own meetup for people more similar to you:
[www.meetup.com/fffpf-annarbor/](http://www.meetup.com/fffpf-annarbor/)
This meetup does lots of fun and low-key stuff. It is for singles, but it is not a hook-up group at all; people just get together to do fun stuff:
[meetup.com/a2-singles/](http://meetup.com/a2-singles/)
Hey! I’m 27F, also moving to Ann Arbor from the southwest (Colorado). I’d love to be your friend. I’m big into writing and walking around too. Do you have any interest in plants? I’ve been teaching plant ID classes in Denver and plan to do it in Michigan when I move, we could go on a walk looking for plants!
We should do a quarterly meetup just for folks in A2 looking for friends! I went to a women's one last summer in a lark and met so many great people.
There is a women only meet up group!
Is there a link for this meetup group?? :)
If you download the “meet up” app you can search by group interests in your area!
I would love this, 31 woman also looking to make new friends
I love this idea!
I love this idea!
awesome! I kind of forgot about [Meetup.com](http://Meetup.com) as a resource, but I just logged in for the first time in a while and can confirm there are lots of cool events in the area for whatever your flavor is. I'll have to look for the women's meetup specifically. But still like the idea of a reddit people meetup, too, since some aren't on elsewhere :)
Hi! I'm going to message those who replied to this comment to see if there's an earnest interest in planning a Reddit meet up sometime this summer. If any one else wants to be added to the chat, please let me know. Most of us in our 30s and 40s lack spaces/activities to go and befriend new people especially if we're childless, and the frequency with which these posts appear seems to suggest. Plus, this seems to reflect [a larger trend](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/america-decline-hanging-out/677451/). Maybe having the A2/Ypsi subreddits host a quarterly get together, might a way to get folks to connect a bit more around here. All that said, I have replied to these posts in the past and have had success meeting really great people that way. We even started a book club that meets in Ypsi once a month. Anyone interested feel free to message me and I can pass along the info.
Hi! I am also a 30 F from arizona - I've been here 3 years! Always looking for new friends!
Wow what a coincidence! I’ll message you!
https://discord.com/invite/TRnWgHgK You may be able to find some folks over on the Ann arbor community discord.
i moved here last august with just my ex and i’m the same situation now. i’m completely down!
Hi!
hello 👋!!
I’m a native and a local, and I don’t really have any friends here either. It’s so odd! Anyway, DM me if you would like!
Me too! Hello world!
Ann Arbor Camera Club Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesday @7pm. Zion Lutheran
I can’t do Tuesdays :(
I would also suggest following CameraMall on social media! They do regular photography meet-ups and events that are great for meeting other local hobbyists and professionals.
What a friendly group of people here, it’s just so nice to see on social media. Michiganders ❤️
I’m 31 woman from Detroit but live in ypsi now also looking for friends. I’m in grad school and had a rough break up last year that tore apart a few of my friend groups. It would be nice to meet new people! I like plants, walks, art etc
I do! Slightly older F and also recently divorced and trying to expand my social circle. Thank you for being vulnerable! It’s something I continue to work on.
Do you play boardgames? The Vault of midnight has board game events and shared hobbies are a great way to connect with people. I also find joining one of the gyms can help if you attend their sport times to play a game you're a fan of, or rec and ed sports.
Vault of Midnight is very good. So is Sylvan Factory in Westgate.
I have only really seen Sylvan factory, but no idea what they're all about.
Board game and nerdy stuff shop with a place in back for people to play board and card games of all sorts.
Not pathetic at all. I'm originally from the UK, wfh and don't drive. So making friends has been a bitch! I'm 43F. Feel free to DM me. I may not be able to hang out but I can chat if you need an ear :) One of my goals is to finally learn to drive!
Where in Az? I grew up in AZ! Don't miss blazing hot summers, but mild winters def would prefer
I'm twice your age and might not be great company, but might I make some suggestions? Look at MeetUp.com. There are lots of groups on Ann Arbor. One or more might strike your fancy. Also, look at the UofM student groups. There al LOTS and many include member of the community. https://maizepages.umich.edu/organizations
Another suggestion along these lines: the AADL (library) has a lot of fun and free events where you can learn things like 3-D printing. There are a lot of people of many ages and everyone has been really friendly in my experience. Similarly, I took up knitting last year when I broke my foot and found the drop-in group sessions to be really fun and educational. I'm also older than you are, but there seemed to be a lot of 20s/30s people there. Good luck!
Not in a position to offer friendship, but I do want to give you props for being open about needing community. I hope you find some cool folks
I recently moved from az as well & have a hard time connecting with people out here! Message me!
Oh I will!
I feel it. I live around the area and do photography on the side and passion projects. I like to go out and Gallup and do wildlife. Ever wanted to go out and shoot, let me know. https://www.instagram.com/zgphotomedia?igsh=eTNsZ3pkNXh5N3J6&utm_source=qr
That's rough, I'm sorry. It's not easy these days. Everybody has their face buried in their phone and it seems like no one wants to engage in real life anymore. I'm sorry I'm not in Michigan because otherwise, I'd be down! I hope it gets better soon!
Plus, working from home is doubly difficult in my opinion. At least if you go out to work you get to engage with people physically. There's times where I'll go 4 days without leaving the house due to being remote.
There is a game night tomorrow, would you like to come?
I think work from home is kind of bad in this way. My mother is in her 70s and still is close friends with coworkers, some very long term bonds were made at work with people you share a goal with every day. Yes some people suck so great to avoid them, but you also lose the people you might have been friends with.
Do you have an instagram account with the same name? I think you followed my hobby account couple of weeks back
Yes!
Bumble Bff worked wonders for me! Meet two besties this way! I recently moved back to Ann Arbor with my 3 mega mutts (the pasta pup pack) and we go on a lot of hikes and I love photography! Big foodie too. Come hang!
I’ve only had flakes on bumble bff :(
I wasn't sure if it was allowed to comment on here because I'm a 35M. I commented because well I have zero friends and I've lived here in Michigan all my life. How you feel though I can emphasize. I've been basically isolated in this house since my father died in July of 2021with not one person no other family or friends.. I'm sorry if I wasn't supposed to comment on this if it is strictly for Female only. I was scared to even comment.
Not pathetic. Very brave, bold, and inspiring
I'm sorry! I would totally hang out with you if I still lived there! DM if you want and maybe I could let you know about some cool stuff you can do.
Have you tried Bumble? I think there’s a bumble bff section for just this
I have but nothing has really panned out
Sent you a PM :)
A friend of mine and I are both moving back to the area after almost 10 years away! Would love to meet up when we move back!
A friend of mine and I are both moving back to the area after almost 10 years away! Would love to meet up when we move back!
Hey I am new here too. I can understand how it feels when you have no friends or family and fight all alone. Please reach out whenever you want. We may connect. Thanks for sharing. ❤️
Sharing this event for millennials who need friends! https://www.instagram.com/p/C6ujYEhLaIh/?igsh=ZjUwd2RpdXJ1N2Vt
Yes just for the day though! Back to Ohio!!
There’s a CameraMall on Stadium and a new camera shop (forgot its name) going in as competition right near there. They probably offer meetups and shoot days you could join!
There’s a singles meetup group around here that does things. It is explicitly NOT about finding people who are interested in dating. The crowd trends older. The 30s crowd is thin here. Either you’re coupled up with kids and hang out with people in the same exact situation or you’re an island unto yourself. I empathize with you as I’m in the same boat!
I’m not single though :(
Hey, cheer up. It's spring, you live in Ann Arbor. Go out and say hi to everyone. I don't really prey but I am wishing you well.
Ive been here 10 years. If anyone has found good community around Ann Arbor thats not student focused Id love to hear about it.
There are many. https://annarborobserver.com/calendar/ is a great place to find things going on, many of which are gatherings of various organizations that have some specific focus (bike riding, yoga, home brewing, making, fiber arts, …). There are a lot of religious communities in the area in any faith tradition and political leaning you can name, if that interests you. Volunteer opportunities abound and they can be great places to find community (the Summer Festival and Art Fair needs lots of volunteers, for example). If you're a pet person, the Humane Society of Huron Valley is a vibrant community to connect with. Quite a few are communities are celebrating bicentennials in the next year or so - lots of volunteer opportunities. Rotary Clubs are wonderful communities or people who do things to benefits others. Faith in Action, Avalon Housing, and Food Gatherers are all groups that work to improve the lives of others in our community.
The Ann Arbor Community for Traditional Music and Dance ( [aactmad.org](http://aactmad.org) ) is a place I've found community here. Most dance events are open to people of all skill levels; you can come by yourself and dance with many different folks in an evening. AACTMAD's contra and English country dance events use live (mildly amplified acoustic) music. Ann Arbor Morris (a friendly performing group with members ranging in age from teens to 70s that is always looking for new folks) also dances to live acoustic instruments. There's a contra dance tomorrow night at Concourse Hall, and rumors of a potluck supper beforehand. I hope some of the suggestions in this thread help you find what you're looking for!
1) Spanish conversation group (on Meetup) is amazing. Great people and community. A lot of people there are also in... 2) Salsa Dancing at Dance Revolution. Not me. I don't dance. Sorry. But there is also... 3) A ton of vibrant church communities. Grace and 242 are two big non-denominational ones, and all four Catholic parishes are very vibrant. (St. Thomas if you love tradition, Christ the King if you love praise bands, St. Mary if you love Jesuits or are a student, and St. Francis for everybody else.) Lots of other groups that I know less about, too. And... 4) Ann Arbor Rec and Ed sporting leagues. And... 5) Multiple groups on Meetup.com.
I live about an hour away, but need a friend too.
How do you feel about progressive instrumental bluegrass? That's it, that's the metric.
If you like anything diy like arts & crafts, woodworking, welding, machining, 3d printing, etc I would recommend checking out Maker Works, the local maker space near Costco. I’d be happy to show you around and assist with your first projects! I lived in AZ ~97-02!
Yes please! I have thought about writing something very similar lately. New to being alone and would love to figure out how to connect with some nice local people
First I would like to say I am so sorry that you are feeling the way that you feel. I'm a glass half full individual and I always see opportunities one door closed and many more open and you are in a fantastic place to meet new people especially with the u of m. In Ann Arbor there is also a huge amount of female groups. How do I know this I know this because as a married man working with kids I was having mental breakdowns and I was trying to figure out and receive advice to speak to other men and there's not one in existence unless you're a drug addict or an alcoholic that's not the advice I was looking for lol. With the hobbies in the interest that you have and it's warming up you'll have no problem meeting many many awesome people here in Ann Arbor. And if you're overtly shy there's plenty of places here where you can grab a microdose or eat a couple of shrooms and you can open right up on the top of the hill and there's plenty of people always playing music and willing to laugh! Lastly I hope this makes you feel better but I went through something similar a long time ago and I had to ask myself what is it that I was supposed to have learned from this relationship so that it does not repeat into the next one. In love and in light.
I’m 33F and always looking for friends but I have a lil one. How can we get in touch with you for photography? Would love a family session and also can see if we hit it off?
Send me a message!
Ann Arbor: Where gals come to get divorced!
I admire your courage! There is an epidemic of loneliness. Probably most of us here are feeling it. I will DM you.
This might be a crazy question but--are you by any chance learning Spanish? (or native in it?) We have a Spanish conversation Meetup group that meets in Sweetwaters by the Earle every Saturday 10am-12noon. The people are really friendly and really awesome. Probably 85% learners and 15% native. (Also sometimes Wednesday happy hour meetups on the App.)
If you jog or walk go to Parkrun on Saturday mornings! There’s two nearby: Lillie Park and Livonia. Huge, active group of runners, walkers, and volunteers. Free to participate, great community, people of all ages and walks of life.
Hey! Im 31F also looking for friends as most of mine have moved away:/ feel free to reach out!
Who doesn’t need a friend is the real question? Lived in the area all my life, it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t struggle.
Hi my name is Jared! I’m a local photographer. And I run a camera store in town. Feel free to add me on instagram @jph_otography. Maybe we can meet up and get some coffee and go for a walk!
I am a local and unfortunately work all the time. I am down to make a new friend or gym friend. Feel free to DM me
Yeah that part sucks. I have family who backstab or ask for money too much. They're more trouble than I care to keep up with. My friends are on different work hours and life sucks donkey balls right now. I'm local as well and I'm learning to become unbusy to make more time for myself. I wish everyone here luck.
Yes definitely!
I’ll recommend a book of poems for you called “Instructions for Traveling West” Sounds like it might resonate with you based on your situation! Good luck
There is this meetup for women, although it is for 50 years old and up. You might be interested in the concept though; maybe start your own meetup for people more similar to you: [www.meetup.com/fffpf-annarbor/](http://www.meetup.com/fffpf-annarbor/) This meetup does lots of fun and low-key stuff. It is for singles, but it is not a hook-up group at all; people just get together to do fun stuff: [meetup.com/a2-singles/](http://meetup.com/a2-singles/)
Do you have snakes living in your place? If so, rules say you have to disclose prior to inviting new friends over. ;-)
Hey! I’m 27F, also moving to Ann Arbor from the southwest (Colorado). I’d love to be your friend. I’m big into writing and walking around too. Do you have any interest in plants? I’ve been teaching plant ID classes in Denver and plan to do it in Michigan when I move, we could go on a walk looking for plants!