Ways to Build Community in a New City

Moving to a new city is one of those things that's exciting and a little disorienting at the same time. The apartment is great, the neighborhood looks promising, but your social life is essentially starting from scratch. The good news is that building community as an adult is more doable than people make it sound – it mostly just takes showing up. The question is: where?

If you're moving to Portland, you're in luck. It's a city that makes finding things to do easier than most. Here are some of the best ways to meet people in a new city to make it feel like home.

Find your fitness tribe

Fitness classes, run clubs, and sports leagues give you a built-in reason to see the same people over and over. So, if you want to know how to make friends in a new city fast – shared routines are the key. Classes, clubs, and fun outings build familiarity faster than almost anything else. Luckily, Portland has a deep fitness culture to tap into, including:

·       Cycling clubs and waterfront run clubs that meet weekly

·       Bouldering gyms, boxing, and boutique fitness studios in most neighborhoods

·       Yoga studios ranging from drop-in casual to dedicated community spaces

·       Affordable fitness programming through Portland Parks & Recreation

You don't have to be training for anything, sometimes it’s great just to share a hobby.

Take a class or join a club

Structured activities are a perfect way to build community in Portland because the awkward part – finding something to talk about – is already taken care of. You're there for a reason, and so is everyone else. Whether it's ceramics, cooking, a language exchange, or a book club, the shared focus takes the pressure off. A few good places to start:

·       Portland Parks & Recreation offers classes across the city at genuinely affordable prices

·       Meetup.com has active groups for hiking, board games, language exchange, and a lot more

·       Neighborhood community centers often post local workshops and events worth keeping an eye on. Most of these are low-key and openly welcoming to newcomers to town.

Go to local events

There's something about showing up to a public event that lowers everyone's guard a little. You're all there for the same reason, and conversation comes more naturally in group events than in more intimate settings. And, when it comes to things to do in Portland, the community events calendar alone is one of the best parts of living here:

·       Portland Saturday Market runs every Saturday from March through Christmas Eve and has been a gathering place for the city since 1974

·       Last Thursday on Alberta Street is a free monthly street fair with art, food, and live music

·       Travel Portland's events calendar is a solid resource for finding what's happening any given weekend

Volunteer

Volunteering connects you to people around shared values rather than just shared proximity – and it tends to create the kind of ongoing commitment that turns acquaintances into actual friends. And, when it comes to volunteering in Portland, Oregon, there’s never any shortage of opportunity. Here are a few of our favorites:

·       SOLVE Oregon runs cleanup and restoration events across the city

·       Friends of Trees hosts seasonal tree-planting events open to all skill levels

·       Oregon Food Bank makes it easy to get involved even with an unpredictable schedule

Unwind in shared spaces

Some of the best community-building happens slowly, without any particular intention behind it. Becoming a regular somewhere creates the kind of low-pressure familiarity that eventually builds into something more. Portland neighborhood activities like a weekly farmers market, a library branch, or a go-to coffee shop are the perfect opportunity for this. 

Here are a few we love:

·       Powell's Books occupies an entire city block in the Pearl District and hosts author events regularly

·       Tom McCall Waterfront Park draws people from all over the city on any decent afternoon

·       The Multnomah County Library system has free programming at branches across nearly every neighborhood



Ready to find a neighborhood worth getting to know? Browse affordable apartments in Portland, Oregon across Pinehurst communities and find a place to call home.