- The Local Element West Michigan
Making Friends Along The Lakeshore 2026
Moving to a new city means new experiences, new challenges, and making new friends!
Wondering where to even start when it comes to meeting people in the area?
We know it can be both exciting and intimidating to get to know new people and form friendships in a new city. But, don’t give up! Remember, making friends can take time and also putting yourself out there can be tough, but so rewarding!
So even if you’ve lived along the Lakeshore your whole life and are just looking to get more involved, or you just moved here, I hope that this post will give you some ideas on how to get plugged in and meet some new people in the community!
PRO TIP: Ask yourself where your interests lie and start there.
Join a club
1. Sports clubs
Here are some great sports clubs we recommend in West Michigan (click to visit their website):
Holland Township Parks and Rec
Grand Haven Beach “WorkUp” Volleyball
And more!
5. Social Clubs
The District Coffee – Moms Morning from 9:30am – 11:30 a and Entrepreneur Monday Nights (open til 9pm)
Weekly happenings and activities
A place to play chess at your level with many different players and levels, as well as weekly events both for members and the community.
2. Music on the Grand In Grand Haven
Dance and enjoy live music by the water in the summer with the Grand Haven community. From swing dancing to line dancing, there’s something fun for everyone and it’s a great way to meet others.
Location: Lynne Sherwood Waterfront Stadium
3. Cooking Classes with Lulu Cadieux
This Saugatuck-based creative space offers hands-on cooking classes each month that offer a fun experience and an opportunity to meet others!
5. Cookie Decorating Classes with MaddieKakes Bake Shop
MaddieKakes is located out of St. Joseph and occasionally hosts public cookie decorating classes! Follow her on social media or sign up for her newsletter to get the inside scoop!
6. Home Repair Services Free Hands-On Workshops
Did you know you can get FREE classes to learn all things remodeling? Is a home remodel something you’re hoping is in your future, but you feel like you don’t know ANYTHING? Check out their calendar of free classes that will turn you into a pro, and you get to meet new people and make new friends while doing it!
Places Around Town
1. A dog park or beach
Bring your furry friend with you to meet other furry friends and while you’re at it, talk to other pup parents and it’s a win-win, you both walk away meeting new faces. 🙂 Here are some dog parks and beaches along the lakeshore we suggest:
Kirk Park Dog Beach – Grand Haven
2. Your local gym
Seriously. This one is more for the daredevils, but sometimes your local gym is the best place to meet people from all walks of life. Plus, if you’re both at the gym, then you’re both pretty motivated and if you find a good friend there, hopefully that motivation could transfer over in friendship as well!
Here are some local gyms that are great if you aren’t already plugged in:
Holland Aquatic Center – for families looking to find some community!
3. Volunteering
Volunteering also offers opportunities to meet new people!
Looking for places to volunteer? Here are our West Michigan recs:
Hand2Hand – Food packing
New Development Corp – Landscaping, cleaning, etc.
Dwelling Place -Neighborhood revitalization
West Michigan is known as the place with a church on every corner, which means there are a ton of options when it comes to your choice in church/denomination/etc. Getting plugged into a church community is a great way to meet people and make friends and most churches have programs such as small groups and bible studies throughout the week! Just look up churches in your area and visit it or check out their website for weekly events.
5. A local coffee shop
You can even step out of your comfort zone a bit and start a conversation with a stranger at a coffee shop or local lunch spot, and even though this sounds a little bit far fetched, people truly love spontaneous conversations amidst their mundane schedules and you could really connect and get along with someone after a conversation as simple as complementing their shoes! Even saying hi to the person sitting next to you and simply asking how their day is going can make a big difference!
It’s hard for us to pinpoint a favorite coffee shop, but here are some great ones to walk into and start a conversation: