>but I'm still surprised by the hype. It's just a grocery store.

You must be new here. Just chalk it up to one of our parochial quirks.

Here's a documentary film that should help explain things.

Please share :)

Crompton Collective in the Canal District. Open Saturdays and Sundays.

Be patient and don't give up. We take a little while to defrost. You may have to make the first move, ie, invite a friend to do something first. People tend to keep a cool distance until you have proved you're not a flake.

Lot of suggestions here already about joining groups related to your interests, which is excellent advice. Try out a couple and see if anything sticks. Don't get discouraged if you don't find your gang immediately.

I'm assuming your gf is here too? That way you can kind of divide and conquer. Try to make friends both as a couple and as individuals. That's probably just emotionally healthy anyway, but might help in the friend dept as well.

Also--and not sure if others would agree--but the Seaport feels kind of transient to me. Like folks will live there for 2 or 3 years and then move on. If you're truly looking to find a community, it might also help to find "your spot" in a neighborhood that's more rooted. Like zero in on a relaxed pub or cafe and go a couple of times. Get to know the people there.