Socially Isolated Young Adults

Although I am older than you I just moved to a new country where I knew no one. I made friends slowly through the following activities:

local gym ( if you take a class try to meet one person and say hello after each class)

tennis ( or any sport of interest)

volunteering

social clubs ( they often have activities like book groups, hiking groups, walking groups, local art tours etc)

also- I am not sure where you live but I heard there is a cool pub on solano avenue ( the pub, near Safeway) where everyone is new to meeting new people. It’s not a big drunken hang out spot but rather a place where interesting people go to chat. All ages mingle and it seems really cool from the few times I have been there. 
 

good luck! 

Hi - I have a niece (in her 20s) who moved here knowing no one for a job that unfortunately has stayed mostly remote. It has been a very isolating year, as she too has found it hard to meet people. Most people she has met already have established social networks and she’s on the introverted side, so has found it hard to break into existing friend groups. She’s looking for friends who are interested in going to see live music, arty stuff, chatting at coffee shops, hiking, community service, etc. If this is appealing to your daughter, have her reach out to me and I’ll connect her to my niece. Also my niece suggests finding a shared housing situation with lots of roommates. She has that now and it’s much better than her previous housing with just one couple. Good luck! 

Maybe try some meetups: 

Meetup | Find Local Groups, Events, and Activities Near You
 

If they are at all open to a sport.. ultimate frisbee is really social and a great way to meet people.  The Bay Area Disc Association https://bayareadisc.org/ has clinics to learn the game.  Another idea - if they like dogs - some dog parks can be really social and a good place to meet people.  Even if they can't have one of their own, no doubt there is a neighbor dog nearby who would love (and the owner would love) to be taken out.

Welcome to BPN! Yes finding people you enjoying being locally with is important. Have you tried Meetup? Groups cover a wide range of interests and and some specific age groups. I join free hiking groups. Hikers tend to be a friendly lot and the hike provides a natural opportunity to casually meeting many different people. Different groups have different vibes. Weekend and after work hour groups have younger people. Keep trying out groups and have fun!

Hobbies? Find an in-person class or group that gets together to do something you like? Sports, art, music, ?? Try something totally new?

there’s a social aspect to a lot of hobbies!

I thought this was such a great post - both that the adult child had shared with their parent their desire to make more friendship connections, and is open to hearing ideas from others on how to grow connections and make local friends. I'm the parent of a young adult, so have perspectives from both sides. I reflected on my adult friendships and realized that I met most of my closest friends at work. Working remotely is tough for building out of work relationships with coworkers, but there are also networking groups that host in person events. Does the OPs career have any networking groups they can join? 

Most recently, because of COVID, my newest friendship developed from online groups centered around different things that interested me. There are groups for everything online! While we don't live in the same area, it's been really fun to travel to see this new group of friends, and host them when they come to CA.

For local friends for 20 somethings, my son found a wonderful group of friends through his hobby. He started going to local events and connected with people there who shared his passion and interests. There is so much to access in the Bay Area - hiking groups, craft groups, game board groups, intramural sports teams, volunteer causes, and so much more! 

The post didn't share a gender, but for women, there's an active Facebook group connecting women looking to build connections and friendships and get together in person to do fun things - https://www.facebook.com/groups/bayareaadventuregals/?mibextid=oMANbw.&…;

I also have a wonderful friend who was a new mom in a similar situation coming out of the pandemic, feeling isolated coming out of COVID. She was looking to connect with other new moms and made little "business" cards that she would pass out at the park or library that said something like, I'm a new mom looking to make other mom friends and then linked to her social media. It was a silly little way to break the ice and start conversations with people she met casually at the playground.

I enjoyed reading the responses and find this thread interesting.  We all need friends and it is difficult to make connections later in life. Here's a suggestion: The New Parkway theater in Oakland has community events:  www.thenewparkway.com   They host Speed Meeting Mondays (not dating, but meeting new people), also Bingo, Dungeons & Dragons, Drink & Draw (but you don't need to drink alcohol), Trivia night, Karoke, Super Smash Bros,  They serve a variety of foods and beverages, but there is no entry fee for the community nights.  They show a combo of arty/alternateive/classic films AND new releases.  When I saw films at The New Parkway, I found the staff are friendly and inclusive of all types of people. I confess that I have not tried the social events only recently learned of them.  However, I think it is a great idea that should be supported.

Also, I have heard good things about Victory Point Cafe.

My dragon boat team welcomes new members all the time, and the team members and meetup participants range in age from 18 - 70+ so you have the opportunity to meet lots of different folks and try a new sport. The first three practices are free and anyone can try it even if you have no experience -- we'll provide instruction! We host meetup participants on Sundays and you can sign up at https://www.meetup.com/kpdragons/