Bob

You're also a bloke.

Nutmegger

Beware!

Sally Redux

He could prove us wrong:

WriterChick

If you go into a locals type of bar, like the Ear Inn, or Walkers, both in lower Manhattan, and you go when it is slow and introduce yourself to the bartenders, all are friendly, they will introduce you to the regulars. Both those bars (very pub-like) are full of Brits.

WriterChick

And... any of the bars that show football will be full of Brits even when the games are not on. So, even if you dislike the games, it is a good place to go if you want to meet other Brits!

http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/20...ype=blogs&_r=0

andrewlohnes

Ello darling, get ya coat you've pulled.

FinnDiego

Good luck with that! Maybe it's because I'm in my thirties, but just about everybody I've met and become friends with is a recent transplant too. The true "locals" have their families, children, and established social circles it seems. Or maybe there just aren't any locals in San Diego? Everybody seems to be from Pennsylvania...

And I second/third/fiftyseventh meetup.com. Some of the groups are dead, others are dating sites in disguise (or not in disguise), but plenty are centered around interesting activities and can be a good way to get you out of the house, a new part of the city, and to meet interesting people. Chances are you'll have at least one thing in common!

retzie

Dunno, I'm early thirties. I guess I don't necessarily mean local-local, so much as a bit further along in the getting settled process. I made good friends with guys I worked with, but we were all new to the city and, while a good source for company, not so much for meeting further new people or getting new ideas. There were definitely times we all just whined and cursed the city!

It took me 2.5 years in Chicago to start to feel like I'd put together something resembling a sturdy group of friends. The (latter) addition of actual Chicagoans had a very rapid and remarkably settling effect. Of course, then I left ...

WriterChick

NYC has extremely social people in every age range, from every country, and in every earning bracket, and with every family situation you can think of, and they are not hard to find.

Go to Walkers and the Ear Inn. It is full of Brits. Friendly Brits. The locals are good people.

Just keep going back - you will make friends there. And the food is good too!

nickkellie

maybe its just me but the thought of moving to NYC and going to places to meet Brits seems a little strange and maybe self-defeating (you can start to close yourself off). I live in NY too and have friends from here that have similar interests to me... we are all musicians. I think the key is to go to social gatherings focused around an interest.... if you like tennis, go to a tennis meetup. That way you have a common interest you can base the friendship around. Its tough - I'm in my early 30's and not exactly a beacon of sociability. If I can make it work, you can too. Just be willing to put in some work and make some effort.

Chrisdc

NYC is one of the most accepting cities in the world. Anyone in a bar will talk to you if you strike up a conversation - you just have to shed your British reserve and get out there. People in groups here are much more willing to talk to strangers than in a UK pub. It's a very different social paradigm..
- Chatting up bartenders is a fantastic idea. Sit at the bar, tip them well and they will go out of their way to connect you with other folks.
- Take a pizza-making class, or do cooking classes. Sur le Table in midtown does them. You can't help but meet other folks.
- Go to The Moth and tell your story in front of a crowd - instant friends.
- Sign up for improv classes at the UCB
- Take art classes at the New School or SVA
- Go sit on a park bench in Union Square and strike up conversations with the people you see there.
- Take a walking tour of Downtown - so much history in old New Amsterdam. It's not all tourists on the tours - lots of locals interested in NY history.
- Check out meetup.com - they have a million groups meeting on every subject under the sun. I tried a couple of acting ones they were great. Full of actors though...

Personally, I avoided all the expat hangouts. When most New Yorkers hear your accent, they are immediately interested in talking to you. Take advantage of that and bask in the attention. It's addicting! You will have a bunch of local friends in no time.

After a quick google, there are some great ideas here:
50 Free Things to Do in NYC This Fall | Complex

The renegade craft fair sounds awesome.

Also - get dressed up at Halloween and hang out in various West Village bars, ice was never more easily broken…

HTH!

scrubbedexpat091

Having been born and raised in San Diego, it's always been a transplant city in my life (35 years now) and the military brings in a lot of people who end up staying as well after they are done with their service time.

Easier to find transplants from elsewhere generally then to find native born and raised as more and more leave for surrounding states as the cost of living has gotten too high, and it's difficult to make a decent living there now.

H Bomb

Did you feel you made true friends through this approach though, or just acquaintances? We have been here 10 weeks - I can tell you the name of loads of great friendly bartenders and some friendly people who inhabit those bars - but that is all! Maybe I need to give it more time and spend more time in those bars

WriterChick

Chrisdc, great advice!

I'm 44 and a native Manhattanite (now in London, and have been for over 3 years) and I agree that NYC is friendly and socialising is very different there than it is in the UK!

Many Brits often tend to travel in packs, based on my personal experience. My dad was from Northern Ireland - he had friends from all over but MANY were other Brits or other Irish. I know a lot of Brits in NYC. Personally I feel that one of the best things about NYC is the diversity... But it is not totally odd to seek out the familiar in a new location.

Making friends takes time. It will not happen in 10 weeks. I knew some people in London before I moved here, but as far as 'new' friends, in over three years, I've not made even one - just some casual Facebook connections.

But, again, in NYC, in local bars, the bartenders WILL introduce you around... it is a good start.

The Moth is awesome, even if you do not want to tell a story!

sherbert

Hey, I'm in my thirties and in SD (and I love beer!) ... I'll drop you a private message!