How to Make Friends as an Adult in a New City

Sep 30

Moving to a new city with no friends is hard enough. Figuring out how to make friends as an adult in a new city, without networking events or forced small talk, can feel impossible.

Nate Hiser wasn't sure where his idea would lead. After years of ski resorts, backpacking through Latin America, and a stint in Australia, he landed in Chicago and posted on Instagram inviting strangers to dinner. He expected seven replies. Over 600 people applied to join.

On this episode of Adulting101 Masterclass, host Heather Redisch sits down with Nate Hiser, founder of 1000 Chicagoans, to unpack how one small idea turned into a citywide waiting list. Nate walks through the moment his phone blew up and his nervous system could not keep up, plus why he keeps the dinners small instead of chasing bigger crowds.

The two talk about making friends after college, why loneliness in your twenties is more common than most people admit, and how to build community in a new city without it feeling forced or transactional. Nate shares the mindset shift behind it all: getting comfortable being uncomfortable, and doing the thing before you feel ready.

If you have wondered how to make friends as an adult in a new city, or simply how to meet new people as an adult without a script, this episode hands you a real starting point. Press play to hear how one dinner invite turned into a movement, and what Nate wishes someone had told him before he started.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Dinner Invite That Sparked 1000 Chicagoans

02:26 From Ski Resorts to Corporate Sales

04:43 Working Remotely for Seventeen Months in Latin America

09:13 Choosing Chicago After Years Abroad

14:13 How to Make Friends as an Adult in a New City: The First Post

17:48 The Night His Phone Would Not Stop

20:13 Capping the Guest List to Protect Real Connection

26:52 What People Actually Talk About at Dinner

30:34 Time Blocking, Brick, and Running a Side Project

36:11 Advice for His Twenty-Two-Year-Old Self

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