Check Out These 5 Cities For New Friends
Top 5 cities for new friends!
Are you finding that it’s hard to make new friends where you’re living? If so, then maybe it’s time for a new place to be. Fortunately, there are so many places in this wonderful world with plenty of opportunities. And one of those opportunities is of course meeting new friends.
So where are these great places to meet new people? That’s what I’ll be talking about today!
In this post, I’ll give you my top 5 cities for new friends that you should consider. These cities are places I’ve been to and got to experience, so I can vouch for how great these places are. Of course, your mileage may vary and what I experienced may not be the same for you. But these are definitely cities worth visiting on their own.
Some things to consider
- Attitude is everything. No matter where you are in the world, your attitude will determine if you can make friends or not. If you have negative or unattractive behaviors, you’re going to find it difficult to meet new friends, regardless of where you are. So keep that in mind.
- The biggest cities are (usually) the hardest, second cities are better. In my experience, the biggest cities of a country (e.g. Toronto in Canada, New York in the USA) tend to be a lot more difficult to meet new friends. You might think that a big city means more people to meet. But in the largest cities, I feel you’re just a small fish in a very big pond. And in that situation, you have a lot of competition in a less-friendly environment (no pun intended). Meanwhile, I find that “second” cities are a lot better in meeting and talking to new friends. Second cities are, as the name implies, the second biggest cities in a country. These cities are usually smaller and slower paced, making it friendlier.
- Have a reason other than meeting new friends. Unless you’re planning on moving to these places permanently to begin with, don’t travel to the cities I list here, just for the sake of meeting new friends. That will come off as needy and desperate! Make that a secondary thing for you, meanwhile visiting and traveling to the city for fun as one of your main priorities.
Alright, let’s get into it.
1. Chicago, USA
Ah yes, the Windy City of Chicago! It’s one of my favorite cities in the United States and one of the reasons why are the people. In general, I find people in the Midwestern part of the US to be very friendly and down-to-earth.
Chicago is by far the biggest city in the Midwest. So not only do you get a huge amount of people in the city (both locals and visitors), you also get the friendly vibes of the Midwest. I have met people in Chicago from other places like from Michigan, Iowa and Indiana. Meanwhile, the world class tourism industry of Chicago draws travelers from abroad. Overall, I’ve had great experiences meeting new friends in Chicago. And the city center has tons of things to see and do.
2. Montreal, Canada
J’adore Montreal! One of the second cities on this list of cities for new friends, Montreal is a great place to visit for its mix of French and English culture. I find the people in Montreal can be so friendly. A lot of people do speak English in this big city in Quebec, so you shouldn’t have any issues getting by. But if you know French, even better! The locals will definitely appreciate speaking their language.
Either way, I myself don’t speak French and I have many friends from Montreal. It’s truly a great city to visit. Highly recommend!
3. Zagreb, Croatia
Chances are, you haven’t heard of this place. But Zagreb is the capital city in Croatia, a beautiful country in Central Europe. Contrary to most capital cities, a lot of people skip Zagreb when they visit Croatia and instead go for the coastal cities such as Split and Dubrovnik. This makes Zagreb an underrated and underappreciated place in Croatia.
When I visited Zagreb, I found the people there to be so friendly! Even the local coffee shop owner gave me free espresso shots! Maybe it’s the low-key atmosphere of the city, or the friendly nature of Croats, but they were just so nice to me and I appreciated that as a visitor. So that’s why I recommend not only visiting Zagreb (especially if you’re going to Croatia or you’re near Budapest), but to also meet new friends.
4. Manchester, England
You may have heard of Manchester but if you haven’t, then now you will. Manchester is one of the larger cities in England. Another second city on this list, Man City has lots of great people living there. The Airbnb hosts I got to stay with were wonderful and friendly. I myself had the wonderful opportunity to meet some cool people in the city. So if you happen to be visiting the UK, then you should stop by Manchester!
5. Porto, Portugal
Last but not least, we have Porto in Portugal. Another second city on this list, the city of Port Wine is a wonderful place to see with the beautiful Duoro River, proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and scenic Old Town neighborhoods. The Portuguese are known to be very friendly to foreigners, and you’ll probably meet other visitors who are attracted to visiting this country.
I got to spend some time in Porto and the people there are really nice! I’ve made several connections from the people I’ve met in Porto. Truly a great place to be, I can recommend it as a city where it’s easier to meet new friends.
Summary
To summarize here are my 5 cities for new friends I’d recommended:
- Chicago, USA
- Montreal, Canada
- Zagreb, Croatia
- Manchester, England
- Porto, Portugal
And there you have it; 5 cities you can go visit and meet new friends. I hope you found this post informative and I hope you meet some great new friends.
If you have any questions or any other places you’d recommend, leave a comment below!
