If you have just moved to London, you may not find making new friends as easy as you’d like in the capital. Partly that is because, in a large, busy city with a somewhat transient population, people are wary of hooking up with new people. However, it is also partly to do with how you approach making new friends in London. That is something that you can easily change so you have more success in meeting people and making them your friends.

If you have just moved to London, you can’t just rely on maintaining contact with old friends. If you are to be happy in your new location, it’s essential that you start making new friends in order to have a social life and be happy there. You have to get out there and start meeting people.

Here are some ways to do that:

Making New Friends at Work or College

If you have moved to London, it’s likely that you’ve done so because of work or starting a college course. The work place or college offers you a good starting point for making new friends. It is something that you have in common and about which you can talk.

If you are starting a new job or college course, make a special effort to get to know your peers. Chat to them and show that you’re interested in getting to know them. Ask questions but be sensitive; don’t interrogate people when trying to make new friends in London or anywhere else. Ask people about their families, hobbies, where they do their shopping or spend their time, etc. Not only will that be helping in getting to know them, it will also show you some other ways of making new friends. You will find out the people who are similar to you and with whom you’d like to embark upon a friendship.

Making New Friends at Church

If going to church was an important part of your life before moving to London, then joining a congregation in your new locality is a good way of making new friends. Visit a few religious institutions in your faith and see where you feel most comfortable.

When you discover the church, synagogue etc. that is right for you, visit regularly so your face gets known and people will talk to you and you will be able to recognize people to whom you want to talk. Also, get involved with other church activities such as lunches, fundraisers, fetes, etc. Don’t wait to be invited to join in. Volunteer.

A good way of making new friends in churches is to sit beside a different person each time. Make small talk with them before the beginning of the service and get to know them a little bit. After church, you can exchange telephone numbers or emails and/or arrange to meet up some time later in the week. Set a definite time and place for that. Soon, you will have made several friends.

Making New Friends with Your Neighbors

If you are living in London, the chances are that you have several neighbors. It is a highly populated area. These days, we tend to mind our own business and not bother our neighbors too much, but there may be a potential friend out there for you so it’s a shame not to take that opportunity of making new friends.

Let your new neighbors know that you are open to communication and possible friendship. Perhaps pop a nice card through their doors, explaining who you are (just your name, nothing too personal) and perhaps have a house-warming party.

When you see your neighbors, give them a smile and wave to them. Take everyday opportunities to exchange small talk with them. That can be as simple as asking them how they are when putting the bins out. If they ask you something, try to say something more interesting that one word answers but don’t worry if your neighbor doesn’t open up immediately. Perhaps they are busy. Just give it time and persist with the short and friendly conversations.

Take the Initiative

Having made small talk with people you meet in your daily life in London, don’t sit back and expect them to do all the work. Ask for a Facebook connection, phone number or email address so you can arrange to meet up. Invite people out for coffee, shopping or the cinema.

Having spent some time making new friends with people in London, you will be able to judge which of these friendships you want to spend time with, so a deeper friendship can be developed.