Volunteer work would be one way. I teach ESL through my parish one night a week. I can't say I've made close friends, but I am on friendly terms with quite a fe

Volunteer work would be one way. I teach ESL through my parish one night a week. I can't say I've made close friends, but I am on friendly terms with quite a few people. They include lawyers, teachers, bureaucrats (this is Washington, DC, after all), the occasional engineer. Sports might be another. Pretty much anyone can learn to bat well enough for slow-pitch softball. And there are running groups that accommodate runners of all levels. Or just walking around your neighborhood. Other people will be walking, too, and at some point you will talk to them.