New city, no friends? A 7-day plan to feel at home

Moving to a new city is exciting for about 48 hours — then the loneliness hits. The good news: building a social life is a skill, and it’s faster than you think.

Day 1–2: explore on foot. Book a local city guide for two hours and ask them for their personal list of cafés, markets and weekend spots. You’ll get a year of recommendations in an afternoon.

Day 3–4: pick one recurring activity — a gym, a run club, a board-game café. Consistency beats intensity. A gym partner makes you actually show up.

Day 5–7: say yes. Events, open mics, community meetups. Bringing a plus-one makes walking into a room of strangers way less scary.