Everything costs money in today’s NYC — even making friends.
Every day, from crowded subways to crowded sidewalks, Go-go Gothamites are surrounded by millions of other people wondering how to find meaningful friendships — a constant challenge in this busy city, and now even more so in today’s smartphone-driven age.
To bridge (and tunnel) the growing communication gap, Big Apple hunters are increasingly banking on a growing number of paid dating services – hoping to foster new platonic relationships.
These apps and websites bring New Yorkers together IRL, solving the chronic loneliness problem — and in some cases, even sparking great connections.
After a bad breakup in early 2025, Manhattan-based gynecologist Lauren, 33, decided to give the dating service a shot, hoping to alleviate the isolation she felt from being the only guy in her friend group.
“I realized that most of my girlfriends were romantic,” he told The Post, asking that his last name not be used. “I really wanted to meet other girls in the city who had similar experiences of being single in NYC that I could enjoy and go out with.”
After seeing too many Instagram ads, Lauren took a chance on 222 – a company that prides itself on connecting like-minded users by using an in-depth questionnaire to connect potential friends through a smorgasbord of shared group experiences.
The cost to participate is $17 per event (or a $22 monthly membership, which excludes event fees) – plus food and beverage costs.
Before attending a 222 event, a small group of like-minded users are matched for dinner or drinks after completing an in-depth personality test, which includes questions such as “Would you like to go clubbing or have a picnic lunch?”
The matched group then went on a follow-up mission – where the pendulum could swing from riding a bull in a country bar to laughing it up at a comedy show – to meet the entire crowd of 222.
Fortunately for Lauren, she quickly found what she was looking for – a friend who was single at the time, Izzy U., 28, who would be one of her passengers or dead.
“222 was the only dating service I ended up trying, because it was very successful,” Izzy, who asked that her last name be withheld because of the sensitivity of her work, told The Post. “I felt like I had been in the city for a long time and I was struggling to meet people outside of work…I wanted to meet new people, and this felt like the best way to do that.”
Izzy also helped connect Lauren with her future husband and will officiate a friend’s wedding.
“I was crying about dating Izzy online and I showed him (my now-boyfriend’s) profile to ask if we should date,” Lauren recalled. “She missed him at work and told me they had worked together years ago – and she reassured him when I planned to cancel the date.”
While dating apps and services like 222 have been viewed as a specific way to meet new people, the category is growing rapidly – and now there are tons to choose from, with various price points.
Kindred and Timeleft focus on bringing small groups of strangers, less than 10, together for selected group activities. Parlor Social Club and Clockout are both designed for professional networking. RealRoots is focused on women and encourages members to invest time and attention in a small group of women for six weeks in hopes of creating long-lasting bonds.
Meetup.com brings small groups of users together based on specific interests, like meditation or gossip, while Bumble BFF lets users swipe on each other to find potential friend matches, the same way they would potential love interests.
Lauren Tetenbaum, LCSW, a NYC-based psychologist and author who focuses on supporting women through life changes, considers dating apps and services to be an effective way to meet people with shared interests, as meeting a new person in person feels impossible today.
“Strong friendships or even just moments of bonding can reduce stress, increase self-esteem and protect against anxiety or depression,” he continued. “When we feel lonely or compare our social lives to limited (online) food, we often feel lost, sad and disconnected — like something is wrong with us,” Tetenbaum told The Post.
“Some people may be reluctant to try these apps because they seem a bit unconventional – but as dating apps become commonplace, friendship apps can be life-changing and lead to truly satisfying relationships,” says the expert. “It’s important to be open-minded about who you can connect with and why. You never know how deep a connection can go, but it’s worth trying to alleviate loneliness or build your network with a little fun.”
While this group of apps and services are designed for members to cultivate lasting bonds and friendships, going BFF is, of course, not always guaranteed.
Just after moving to NYC last July, Mathew M., a 23-year-old engineer based in Midtown West, found “most of (his) bandmates” with 222 people. However, he wasn’t very successful when he joined a soccer league with Volo, an adult sports club located in NYC.
“Volo doesn’t have much of a frame,” the Manhattanite told The Post. “A lot of our games have been canceled because of the weather, nothing has been postponed. They (use) the 222 format, where you go to the game and go to the bar. But nobody really goes to the bar afterwards. There’s nothing to push you into the social side of it, that’s why people do these things…I think it’s very hit or miss.”
Fortunately for Julie Ferguson, CEO and founder of the Positive Momentum Project, her efforts to make friends paid off.
The 39-year-old tried out both Timeleft and NYC Brunch Squad after finding himself bombarded with Instagram ads for both shortly after moving to NYC in 2022, where he was looking to expand his network and group of casual friends.
Timeleft, an app where users sign up for Wednesday night dinners with six “like-minded” people who connect with demographics and neighborhoods, turned out to be a great but short-term hit for Ferguson because he found it too “limited” for his system and he wasn’t a fan of the integrated service, noting that both “women and men tend to be heterosexual when they’re a little different.”
But with the NYC Brunch Squad, an all-female operation that hosts events ranging from book clubs to apple picking, she enjoyed a more laid-back, female-empowerment vibe. She also reunited with one of her closest friends, Veronica Hernandez, through the group, whose wedding in Austin, Texas, she will attend in a few weeks.
“I’m so grateful for Veronica’s friendship — she’s so kind-hearted and so much fun to be around,” Ferguson told the Post. “We’re like kindred spirits. I wouldn’t have met him if I hadn’t gone to the New York City Brunch Squad, for sure.”
For 29-year-old sales manager Caroline S., who signs up for Hot and Social – a Big Apple events company founded by content creator Liv Schreiber which runs social gatherings designed to help seniors connect and make friends – it turned out to be a hit.
“New York is a very social city, but it can actually feel isolated because everyone is busy, always on the go and already has their habits,” Caroline, who tried the service to meet “other girls in NYC who share the same interests and are open to making new friends,” told The Post.
“It’s not always easy to meet people in a genuine way. What Hot and Social does so well is remove that negative barrier – everyone seems to have the same goal of meeting people, which makes it feel more natural and less intimidating,” he explained.
After attending her first H&S event – an after-work yoga class at the Hall des Lumières – with her colleagues, Caroline meets a group of girls she’s been close to “over the years.”
“We’ve gone on holiday together and we often get together for dinner and nights out,” said the sales manager.
“That friendship has grown into something much deeper than the people I’ve met at the event, which I think really speaks to how real that connection can be. I’d like to think the universe would have brought it together in some way – but I’m so grateful that Liv and the Hot and Social team helped establish that relationship and make it happen.”
