Evescafe

Up until a certain age, our lives are designed for maximum friend-making potential. While you're in school, you're surrounded by potential boon companions at every turn, and there are a slew of clubs, activities, societies and gangs to cha-cha your way into. As an adult, potential friend-making situations begin to decline and, unless we keep close watch, risk complete extinction before we turn 30. This is not a problem for some, as many of us are over-friend and could use some severe winnowing. But what's a girl to do when she moves to a new town where she knows no one? What of the girl who'd like to find a new pal, never mind the one who'd like to fall in with an entirely new crowd? Here are some options:

Work

You might get a friend or two out of your job, if you can stand to hang with people you've been slaving beside for eight hours a day already. But some last- ing friendships have been known to come out of the workplace, so don't write it off.

Clubs

Biking clubs, knitting cir- cles, book groups, political organiza- tions—what do you like to do? Chances are there's a group of people in your area that's into the same thing. If there's not a group already in existence, why not start one?

Neighbors

They're not all just angry old cranks who want you to lower your music. I met one of my closest girlfriends when we lived on the same floor and our friendship has lasted years since she moved out of the apartment building.

Classes

Learn something new. I've known women who made new friends taking Swedish classes at a local church, in writing workshops at the Y and train­ing to teach yoga.

The Friend-to-Friend Network

Be open to hanging out with people you don't know that well—all your current chums are making new friends as well, and these new additions add millions of potential new acquaintances to the pool.

Volunteer

Clean kitten cages at the ASPCA or tutor kids at a community center. You have the bonus of knowing that the people you meet here are probably pretty giving and unselfish.