Go Outside
If you
have a dog, walk it. If you don’t have a dog, schedule regular jogs, walks, or biking rounds as part of your daily routine. “Doing so early in the morning or in the evening puts you in contact with neighbors,” says Jeanne Hurlbert, PhD, professor of sociology at Louisiana State University. This is a great way to casually bump into people. Over time, you’ll eventually build up a rapport.
Join Town Associations
It might be PTA, it might be a planning committee, it might even be a local book group. You can contact your town hall to see what kinds of activities are available and who you have to call to sign up. If you live in a large city, you can check out event postings in the local alternative weekly newspaper or on your local craigslist.org events page.
Hit the Local Gym
Not only will you be able to
exercise so you can burn off all that new-home and move stress, but joining a gym is also a great way to meet whoever’s in town. In order to get maximum meeting time, sign up for a class on the weekend. This will give you plenty of opportunities to chat with others in the area.
House Crawl
Once you at least know the first names of some of your neighbors, suggest a house crawl where everyone goes from home to home for a different cocktail and snack at each house. People will get to see your home, you can ask for decorating ideas and tips, and, if you’re renovating, you can find out key contractor names from those who have had work done on their homes.
-- Jen A. Miller
Nov 12, 2008
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