Moving to a new city can be both exciting and challenging when it comes to making new friends. One of the best ways to meet fun, like-minded people is to join an activity-based social club. North County San Diego has plenty of options depending on what types of hobbies you enjoy.

Exercise Clubs (free)

• Coastal Run Club meets 3-4 times per week and is organized by incredibly kind and outgoing people. Their Wednesday evening runs are quite popular, easily gathering 40+ runners weekly. Everyone runs at their own pace and the people who join are super welcoming and fun to be around. You will be running in Cardiff and Encinitas along some of the most beautiful beach trails in San Diego, either at sunrise or sunset depending on which days you choose to go. If you hit it off with some new friends you can grab a coffee at Bump Coffee or tacos at one of the restaurants near the parking lot where folks start and end their workout. Don’t love a distance run? Check out their Tuesday morning HIIT training.
• Runners for Public Lands is another great organization for folks who love to jog both coastal and inland trails in San Diego County. This group often partners with Coastal Run Club and Patagonia for Sunday morning runs for a cause, totally free with optional raffles to raise money for their nonprofit. They organize activities like trail cleanups and community outreach if you choose to get involved with the volunteer side of their organization. Of course, you can always opt to simply run with the crew if that’s more your style.
• Beach Volleyball Clubs on Meetup are a fantastic way to meet new friends. VOLO is another great option, but fair warning, it does cost money and typically attracts more serious players. What I love about Meetup for finding Beach Volleyball groups is you will find more beginners and folks who are more likely to want to get to know you during or after the games. VOLO groups will offer plenty of socialization as well if you are a committed volleyball player!

Crafts & Hobbies (paid)

• Handled offers Pottery Classes you can take with a new friend, a partner, a parent, or go solo! These are so fun and the instructors are always willing to teach beginners how to get started. The pottery wheels face each other and there is a fair amount of time after the initial instruction to get to know the people sitting near you.
• Candles On Tap is a candle and scent bar located in Encinitas where you can create custom candles or perfumes. They have a massive selection of scents to choose from. The clerks will help you test different combinations or recommend scents. You can also choose your own candle holder and wicks. This is a fun activity to invite new friends to for a small group get together or a unique date night.
• Barrio Glassworks is a glass blowing workshop in Carlsbad that offers glass blowing classes. They often host partner events like social wine tastings in their stemless glass creations, or private/small group lessons for first timers. The studio itself is located near Carlsbad Village close to dozens of fantastic restaurants, bars, and shops to peruse before or after your class with new friends.

Looking for more options? Don’t underestimate local Facebook Groups! I was hesitant about joining Facebook Groups when I first moved to the area, but many of these groups were active with locals and new-to-the-area people like me looking to make friends. A few great groups I found were Ladies of Vista, San Diego Girly Time, and Friends of Vista & Surrounding. Meetup (mentioned above) is another excellent forum to find specific hobbies or activities you can join with strangers.