Larry Preston

Champion of Endless Optimization (CEO) at Digital Opera & Raceday.
Happy stoic, aspirational minimalist, recovered big hair 80’s rock star.
Author of Star Fire Kids – Midnight Blue Express.
Certified Guitar Junkie

Moving to a new place can be an exciting but challenging experience. One of the biggest challenges is developing a new network of people, places, and services that you need for your day-to-day life. Whether you are moving for work, school, or personal reasons, finding a new dentist, a mechanic, a roofing company, new friends, and places to hang out is essential to feeling at home in your new location.

Here’s what works for me:

  1. Do the research 
    Make a list an prioritize it. For me, it was making sure I knew where to go in case of a medical emergency, where to get the car fixed, where’s the best and closest grocery store, where’s the nearest hardware store, who can I find to be the regular doctor, and who to call if I need some help with something on the house. Don’t rely exclusively on the search results or the reviews… those can be manipulated – but they can make a good starting point. 

  2. Ask your real estate agent
    If you have one, ask them. They live there and love to make recommendations. It’s in their best interest to send you to someone good. 

  3. Check with the neighbors
    It’s a great way to get to know them. Invite them over for a coffee or, just go talk to them over the fence. 

  4. Find & attend local events
    For me, going to outdoor art fairs, animal rescue events, home & garden shows, “bike week” all helped me find my tribe. 

  5. Do some Meetups
    Meetup.com is good for finding people who also do what you do, or are new to the area, or have similar interests. Attend a few and ask questions. 

  6. Use social media – facebook groups and NextDoor
    Just posting questions on your social media feed will likely get some decent responses, but joining a neighborhood facebook group or NextDoor will more than likely get you better responses. Look out for the jokers on these places – they like to send bogus information so others in the group can have a chuckle at your expense. 

  7. Join something locally – A golf club, car club, volunteer at an animal rescue, the local gym – whatever sounds fun and so you can meet some people and ask who they recommend. 

Here's some great resources I have found:

Creating a New Network When You Move | People and companies I dig. | Company Reviews.