“There’s plenty of fish in the sea” is a phrase that’s heard time and time again but where is this proverbial sea? Finding that special someone can be an uphill battle if you don’t know where to look. Let’s take a look at some places you may not have looked before to find your next boyfriend or girlfriend. While we’re at it, we’ll talk about three of the places you do not want to look and for good reason.

Places You Need To Look

Contact Your Local Parks and Recreation

Almost every town has an active set of co-ed sports teams offered through the local Parks and Recreation Department. What makes this a great option is that you can join a softball team for example and possibly meet your next significant other but even if you don’t, you will have a great time playing an organized sport again! While on the field, show that you’re someone that likes to have fun. Don’t take the game too seriously. Joke and laugh with your teammates and always offer positive support. You’ll look like a great person and your new friends will definitely take notice. Don’t worry if you’re not very good at the sport at hand. Most of these teams focus more on the fun of the game than the competition. What makes this idea work is that many adult teams will practice and play a game once a week but often get together off the playing field for dinner, a happy hour or at one of the player’s homes for social events. Don’t flirt with that cute player while you’re on the field–save it for one of these social events.

Look For Apartment Social Events

If you live in a large neighborhood or an apartment complex, check the bulletin board for upcoming social events. Barbecues, card games, pool parties in the summer or wine tastings are great opportunities for you to meet your neighbors. One of them might be that great person you’re looking for! “My apartment complex doesn’t offer any social events,” you may be thinking. What a great opportunity for you to start one! Talk to the property management company and they will likely provide you with the venue and some financial support to get an event going! My personal favorite event was movie night at a place I used to live in Orlando, Florida. The management company would rent an inflatable movie screen and projector and we would sit around the pool and take in the movie. These movie nights were held once a month and there were usually 50 people or so!

Friends Can Be A Great Resource

I’m not advocating dating a friend here but instead, you need to let your friends know you are looking. Your friends know that you are single but do they know that you’re looking to jump back into the world of dating? If they know the type of person you’re trying to find, a friend might already know someone for you! Be open to a “blind date” of sorts. The easiest way for you to take some of the risk out of the blind date is to keep the first encounter casual. Ask the person to meet you for coffee or dessert on a weeknight. You both have to work the next day so this first meeting will have to be kept short.

Open Mic Night or Karaoke Brings Fun People Together

So you don’t sing or play an instrument? Plenty of other people do and they’re all together in one place. Check coffee shops for open mic nights and check them out. The beauty of an open mic night is that the audience is lounging around, enjoying coffee or dessert, and most are there to meet others. Another advantage is that many coffee shops have group seating areas with sofas and chairs so you’ll likely be forced into a conversation with someone new just by the seating arrangement. While you’re at the counter getting your refreshment, take a look around and see if there’s someone you’d like to meet. If so, sit in their area and introduce yourself. Conversation will be easy because you know that you both like music–there’s the perfect ice breaker!

Common Interest Groups

Is there a hobby that you really enjoy? Are you into kayaking, pottery, painting or reading? Chances are your town has a common interest group for each of these and many more. The advantage here is that you’re going to meet someone that shares your same interests and you have yet another conversation starter. You can find these groups through Google and there’s usually no fee (or a very small one) to join. Here’s your opportunity to show what a great guy or girl you are by being supportive of your group members and having a great attitude. Your positive attitude will draw people in! If it is a group that focuses on a skill (such as pottery), offer help to new members that are just learning. The scene from the movie Ghost might pop in your head here but let’s crawl before we walk!

Help A Good Cause And Meet Someone New

Local charities bring fantastic people together every day and all you need to do is sign up to help! Check out websites such as Habitat For Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters or the American Heart Association for events in your area. Social sites like VolunteerMatch or Volunteer.gov can be great resources to see a wide range of possibilities. What I love about this option is that even if you do not meet someone at the event you choose, you’re still going to help people that need you.

Are You Religious?

If you are religious or if you’ve been wanting to join a local church, now is a great time! Again, you will share a common interest with those you meet but the benefits don’t stop there. Churches, temples, mosques, [insert venue of choice here] all have social events where you can meet other members. Some people hesitate to go alone but this shouldn’t be the case. By going alone, you’ll soon meet a number of great new friends. Even if you don’t see that special someone in the church you choose, you may end up getting a great referral (see the friends paragraph above).

Fire Up Your Web Browser

Online dating has a very negative outlook for so many people but I couldn’t disagree more. Where do people new to a town meet new people? You’ll find many new residents online and the meetings can be very brief. Use the coffee and dessert method above to limit your first meeting to an hour and you can’t go wrong. PlentyofFish.com offers free online matchmaking or you can venture over to Match.com to view profiles as well. Picture yourself in a bar–you don’t want a stranger to walk up and say, “Hi, do you want to go out to dinner on Friday?” This forward approach probably wouldn’t work in face-to-face meetings so don’t use it online either! Send someone a message introducing yourself and telling them something about you that isn’t listed on your profile. Start a conversation and let it evolve naturally into an invitation to a meeting. If it doesn’t happen, there are plenty of other profiles for you to look at.

Places You Need To Avoid Like The Plague

I’ve given you eight viable places above where you can meet some new friends and possibly find that special someone. The following three places need to scratched off your list right away. Of course, if you’re in one of the following places and you’re approached, don’t instantly disregard this new face but don’t visit these places looking for love. Each one has a big downfall!

Your Office Isn’t For Love

The cliche “Don’t mix business and pleasure” has never been so true. Looking for your next significant other in your office is a surefire way to transfer your need from love to a new career. The other problem is that even if you find someone and begin dating, things can become incredibly awkward if that relationship ends. You will be forced to see that person every day and will soon resent going to work in the mornings. “But I know a great couple that met at their job and now they’re married!” You may, but consider yourself one of the few that do. With everything in life, there are anomalies and that special couple just happen to be one. There are so many other places to look so please just scratch this one off of your list.

Get In Shape But Leave It At That

The gym is no place to find your next girlfriend or boyfriend. You’re thinking, “what about all that talk of common interests and starting conversations with people?” That’s all well and good but the gym is a fearful place for so many people. Even the cute girl with what you may see as the perfect body likely has insecurities that arise when she’s on the treadmill. Not only that, but people are sweaty and not feeling their best. For everyone’s sake, just leave this one alone. Of course, if someone approaches you and you don’t have these same insecurities then you’re in the clear. Go ahead and talk with them but don’t be the aggressor here.

Alcohol And Sex (not love) Go Together

This article is about finding love–not sex. It’s funny because love and sex go hand-in-hand once you’re involved in a relationship but the two couldn’t be more mutually exclusive at the bar. The reasons why you shouldn’t look for a relationship in a bar could be an entire article by itself. To put it simply–you’re drunk, you’re not thinking clearly, the opposite sex is looking more attractive than they do when you’re sober and you’re about to get punched in the lips for talking to someone else’s girlfriend or boyfriend. Add to all of those reasons the fact that the really cute person you’re about to be approached has already had five other people approach him or her that same night. What makes you different? Let’s not harp on this one but trust me when I say that there are better places to meet your next boyfriend or girlfriend than $0.25 beer night at the local pub.

Where Do We Go From Here?

I’ve given you eight places to consider if you’re looking for that special someone. Not every one will work for every person but hopefully there’s one you can take a look at. Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list by any means so I’d love to hear from you a success story. Did you meet someone in an unusual place or through ways not listed above? Leave a comment for your fellow readers and share some ideas!Like This Article? Then please consider Digging It or Subscribing to my RSS Feed!