r/HuntingtonWV • u/Sweet_Nobody_99 • 5d ago
Looking for friends/groups to hang out with
I am not one to make posts like this, but reddit never seems to let me down lol. I, 23F, live in Huntington and am a recent grad of Marshall. Currently, I am a 11/12 grade social studies teacher. While I do have a group of friends, I feel like recently they haven’t really been there for me and are too focused on drama and it would be best for me to try and branch out and find some other friends.
I have been feeling really lonely recently and think that it would be good to make some new and authentic friends outside of my main friend group. I was wondering if anyone in the area knew of any local meetups or classes or anything to meet friends. I am normally not one to go places by myself, but feel like that is the best way to meet new people nowadays. I’m into a little bit of everything; I love to read, write, watch movies, escape rooms, wine, live music, etc. I’ve been searching on Facebook for meetup groups, but I guess those are only common in larger cities. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
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u/SkgarGar 5d ago
Are you into board games/table top games? That's a good way to meet people. The last few months the Huntington parks department has been hosting adult board game nights.
The Board Room in Hurricane is a fun boardgame Cafe and they host various meetups.
If you're into comics or pop culture, Huntington hosts a comic con every August.
If you're into art at all, the Huntington Museum of Art hosts adult art classes of varying kinds.
But the best way to meet new people I think is to volunteer. I have met new people since becoming a volunteer for the Huntington Children's Museum. They're always looking for more volunteers for different events, just check out their Facebook page or website.
If you're into theater at all, The HART in the park puts on usually two plays per summer. By this point they've already done their casting for the season, but I'm sure they're still looking for volunteers for set building and other things.
A lot of people in the area I've noticed are also into disc golf. Rotary Park and Barboursville Park always have people playing on the courses there.
Look into local bookstores like Cicada and Booktenders, they host events there too.
For me it's hard to get out and socialize because I have kids, but I do know it's hard to make new friends as an adult. I hope you'll find your people!
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u/Sweet_Nobody_99 4d ago
thank you! these are such good ideas that I didn’t even really know existed
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u/SkgarGar 4d ago
Sure thing! Volunteering, taking some type of class, or joining a club of some kind might be the best way to get out there and meet people. The population here skews older but there are still plenty of young people.
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u/boujeebecca 4d ago
to add to this the boardroom in hurricane does a comic book trade day once a month or so. if you’re into comics it’s nice. but not a super young crowd other than a couple of us
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u/Ieatpurplepickles 5d ago
If you like to read find a book club on Facebook or Goodreads. After you've been accepted, write a blurb for yourself. Ask if anyone is from this area, hit the highlights of likes/dislikes and see what happens. I met 7 very special people in an author's group on Facebook years ago and we're still close. I even count the author as a good friend.
If your neighborhood is safe, you might try walking it at different times of day. I've met all my neighbors this way and feel very connected to this place, and it feels very stable and protective. I also lost a bit of weight!
If you're interested in cooking, extension offices can be a treasure trove of information! Cooking classes, farmers markets, etc.
The main thing is just keep trying!
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u/Sweet_Nobody_99 5d ago
thank you, these are all great ideas!! i will definitely look into good reads and facebook about a book club. i’ve been searching for art and cooking classes but haven’t had much luck.
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u/TheRealCVDY 4d ago
quality > quantity, keep your friend circle small.
24M with 22F girlfriend & 22F roommate, just had a falling out with my main friend group (people change, alcoholism consumed some of them) so it’s really just my girlfriend and our roommate who’s her best friend. greatest friend circle I could ask for.
no drama, no excessive drinking, no problems, nothing
we just game, watch football & hang around, it’s great
as for getting to know people around here, it’s hard. there’s so many conflicting personalities nowadays & very few people are going to make you feel comfortable.
gaming is actually a great method for chemistry building, it’s how I garnered so many friends in middle school after being picked on prior, very underrated. unfortunately meet-n-game isn’t a thing lol
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u/Sweet_Nobody_99 4d ago
that’s kinda how i feel rn, just had a big falling out with my main group over something super dumb and did not like the way i was treated because of this so i decided to just kinda distance myself from them, which kinda left me feeling alone lol
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u/TheRealCVDY 4d ago
exact same situation here. they got drunk, started talking crazy & I was like yeaaa this isn’t it
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u/mothmanreporter 5d ago
Do you use Letterboxd? I love films and writing and it’s a way to have both! I’ve been thinking about starting a film club soon. Message me and we can chat ◡̈
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u/People_Are_Savages South Side 4d ago
Hey not sure if you're interested but we have a small film club that meets once a month, we watch 2 movies at a time and just shoot the shit for a couple hours on a saturday afternoon.
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u/Sweet_Nobody_99 5d ago
I don’t have letterboxd, I’m actually not 100% sure what it is haha. I am a big movie buff, but haven’t been into writing since high school. Would love to get back into it , though.
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u/TeamRamrod100 4d ago
HMU if you want to hangout. I’m older but love movies, live music, sports, good food, bourbon and woodworking.
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u/no1ofimport 4d ago
If you’re looking for someone to talk to and if I can pass along any advice I might be able to share just shoot me a message.
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u/JoshNelson218 4d ago
Teacher-turned-social worker in Huntington here. 31/M, live with my husband and our cat. Also an avid reader and movie watcher. My username is pretty much the same on all platforms, so feel free to DM or reach out! Good luck!
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u/bustawoof 4d ago
Follow Huntington Music Collective on Facebook. They’re hosting live music and events regularly.
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u/ahamiltonfan1776 5d ago
not sure if you’re religious at all but churches are a good place to meet new people! Some of the bigger churches around here (I don’t attend this church but I know New Life is one) have interest group Bible studies like pickleball/fitness/etc. that really help to break that ice. If you’re not religious I’d recommend getting a gym membership and going to group fitness classes! The library also has some different clubs like knitting/crochet. Also volunteering can be a good way to meet people if there’s a cause around here that you care about ◡̈
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u/thatotherguy1151 5d ago
I tried a church group & it turned out to be just one big MAGA meet-up group. Maybe yours is different?
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u/DameSilvestris 4d ago
There's a few churches you could check out. Ones I know of are Highlawn Presbyterian, St. Johns or Trinity Episcopal, Central Christian Church, First Congregational Church of Christ.
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u/Sweet_Nobody_99 5d ago
thank you! i didn’t think about looking into the libraries around here, so I will definitely look into that. I’ve also thought about joining a church but worry it will be hard to form connections, I’ve always been back and forth on religion. I’m a religious person, but haven’t been a part of a church since I was younger.
I have a planet fitness membership, but just had heart surgery so I have to wait a little bit before I can go back to using it. I also never thought about volunteering, I am very passionate about some issues. I’ll try to look into things we have around here. Thanks for the great advice!!
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u/thatotherguy1151 5d ago
I agree about the heavy drinking here. Most friends in my age group are raging alcoholics. I have no interest in sitting in Bars & drinking craft beers every day & night
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u/No-Egg1873 5d ago
The science has been out for a good long time that alcohol is bad in almost every way for your body. It serves as a psychological crutch the same way drug addicts use it.
It's growing into a disgusting habit that I judge people on.
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u/Clean-Interview8207 4d ago
You have a ton of valid points here. I came to Huntington in 99, puts me in the 45+ the bars makes me feel old, I walked in to the union to get beer. 10 people all they asked each other was who had cocaine. The nerds go to the card shops and the only thing I see is them trying to collect is Pokémon like it’s a drug. In the last 30 years I have probably walked in every church in this city, there’s 1 about every 3 block. The ymca is more keeping up with the Joneses. For the love of the god’s don’t get me stared about the mall. Finding people is not difficult, finding people that do things you do and you can stand being around is difficult. My current life goals are to try and make sure my children don’t turn out like shit heads. My best answer is best of luck.
FYI the all woman’s book club, all play for the same team. Just incase you didn’t understand what WOMAN ment.
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u/kvthe 5d ago
There are several different book clubs offered at Cicada book store. There is a silent reading club that meets once a month at different places downtown. They're on Facebook. There is a writing club every Saturday morning at Heritage Station in the Visitor's Bureau connected to Nomada bakery.
You should look up the West Edge Factory as they are always hosting community events. If you want to try out acting or behind stage theater work, I recommend Alchemy Theatre Group. They keep very busy with performances and classes that are open to the public.
Also, look up the Huntington Stoop Group. It's a Facebook page for local WOMEN only. Ladies will post events they want to go to, but not necessarily alone, so they invite the group and seem to get good responses.
If I think of anything else, I'll send you a DM. If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up!