How Remote Workers Find Meetups and Make Friends in a New City

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The fastest way to meet people when you work remotely in a new city is to go where other remote workers already gather: a coworking space, a local meetup group or a recurring community event. Pick one or two regular events rather than many one-offs, because friendships form through repeat contact.

Why does remote work make it hard to meet people?

An office hands you colleagues without any effort. Working from a laptop in a rented room or a café does not. When you also move between cities, you keep starting from zero. The CDC treats social connectedness as a matter of health and wellbeing, so building a few reliable contacts is worth planning for, not an afterthought.

What do you actually get from a meetup?

• Practical answers. Which coworking space has a quiet room, which neighborhood has dependable internet, who needs a freelancer.
• Referrals and collaborators. Remote workers often hear about contract work or partners before it is advertised.
• A routine. A weekly or monthly event gives your calendar some structure when nobody else sets it.
• Company on working days. Many groups run co-working mornings, which suit people who focus better around others.

Where can you find remote-worker meetups?

Coworking spaces

Start here. Many spaces run member lunches, talks or after-work drinks, and the front desk usually knows which local groups meet in the building. A day pass is a low-cost way to try the atmosphere. Our post on hosting workshops in coworking spaces shows what these events look like from the organizer's side.

Meetup and similar event sites

Meetup lists local groups by interest. Search for "remote work", "freelancers", "digital nomads" or "expats" plus the city name, then check how recently the group held an event.

Social groups and chat communities

City-specific Facebook groups, Slack or WhatsApp communities and hashtag searches on social platforms often announce informal gatherings. Groups come and go, so look for ones with posts from the past few weeks.

Interest-based groups

Language exchanges, running clubs and hobby classes put you among locals as well as other newcomers. Our piece on practising a new language in a coworking space is one example of mixing work and learning.

How do you get more out of an event?

1. Arrive early. Small groups are easier to join before the room fills up.
2. Prepare one opener. "What are you working on this week?" works almost anywhere.
3. Ask before you pitch. Learn what the other person needs first, then mention your work if it fits.
4. Collect contacts you will use. Add people on the platform you both actually check, and send a short message within a couple of days.
5. Come back. Second and third visits are where acquaintances turn into friends.

What if networking feels awkward?

Treat the first event as research, not performance. You are only there to see whether the group suits you. Stay for an hour, talk to two people, and leave if it is not a fit. Events built around an activity, such as a shared work session or a walk, take the pressure off conversation.

Should you start your own group?

If nothing fits, a small recurring event is easy to start. Ask a coworking space or café whether you can use a table at a quiet time, post the date in local groups, and keep the format simple: a co-working morning followed by lunch. Consistency matters more than size.

How do you fit meetups into a changing location?

Look for events before you arrive so your first week has something in it. When choosing where to base yourself, include community in your checklist alongside internet and cost; our destination checklist for remote work covers the other factors. If you plan several stops, the guide to planning a multi-city work trip around coworking spaces can help you line up contacts in each place.

If you carry your own setup between spaces, the Digital Nomad Essentials collection at Mavigadget has portable gear to look through.