How do I find other single, child-free women to hang out with?
However, most of my friends have significant others now. Our get-togethers have changed to accommodate kids and partners.
I'd like to meet other single, child-free women to do fun stuff with. Suggestions are welcome!
– Looking
A.
The cool thing is that in my experience, single women do lots of stuff. They go to clubs, readings, and events. They volunteer. Really, if you sign up for anything that involves audience participation and hands-on work, you'll probably find a bunch of women having a good time.
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Bookstores host events that are designed for this (in Boston, consider the
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Strangers who go to these events probably don't mind being approached. Try to look for other people who are alone—or anyone who seems friendly. (Worth noting, whenever I go to a brewery, I do see many men in their 20s and 30s.)
Another thought: You said you're not happy with app dating, but online
community
might feel different. To prepare for this column, I googled 'Where are men in their 30s in Boston?'—just to see what came up.
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What rose to the top was an old Reddit thread that evolved into something more focused on friendship. One person asked where the men are and people responded with guesses. Then a person wrote, 'This thread has made me laugh. As a 31-yr-old single woman, new in Boston and newly recovering from a breakup and surgery — this is all the laugh and honest responses I needed. Can I be your friend?'
The response to
her
comment: 'Oh girl now we're more than friends, you have to be my new wing-woman now! Send me a dm.'
Hopefully that connection happened in real life.
There are ways to use the internet for good.
– Meredith
READERS RESPOND
What about that Meetup app that always gets mentioned on here, but not to meet dates, but to meet people? Don't limit yourself to just making friends with women; that might be part of your original issue! LUPELOVE
Activities you like — hiking, sailing, rock climbing. MMOLIBERTY
It sounds as if you'd prefer to have the single and child-free women friends and THEN go do fun stuff with them, and that is all well and good, but maybe go do the fun stuff to MAKE the friends and then do more fun stuff with them. Maybe that is where all the single females without kids are, already out there doing fun things and to meet them you might need to be brave and join them alone first. KWINTERS1
Your letter is a laundry list of things you don't do. Don't drink. Don't date. Don't wanna be around kids. Nothing about what you like or enjoy. I humbly suggest that attitude is what's keeping you from making friends. STRIPEYCAT
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You are in the 'Dead Zone' for dating and friends. They are coupled, breeding, and chasing promotions. You'll hit your stride when all the divorces happen around mid-40s! BIGAIRBOY
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