[quote name='Emily76']I have trouble making friends as an adult also. I had tons of close friends in college but we dispersed to different cities. The people I work with are mostly much older. I am married without kids, so I tend to hang out with girlfriends/wives of my husband's friends from work.
I don't think you should have to go to a bar if you don't like the atmosphere. They are usually loud and smoky and dull unless you have really had a lot to drink.
If you have married friends in the same area, don't assume that just because a friend is married they never want to hang out with you again. Also, they may have unmarried friends from work so make sure you express an interest in parties and get togethers. Also, don't assume that no women anywhere like to play video games. In social gatherings, observe which women are NOT wearing a ton of makeup and accessories. Women who are not obviously painted for the hunt and who dress in casual clothes are more likely to be easy to talk to and receptive to the idea of having guy friends.
You need to cultivate interests that overlap with the demographic of people you would like to hang out with. If you are a gaming geek, even if you aren't super into comic books or science fiction or plays or Renaissance fairs, consider trying out geek-centered activities. Church is another huge social/networking activity, especially those mega churches. They have singles groups and activities. If you don't like church, consider going to some kind of agnostic/atheist group. Another hint would be to figure out where the people who work at a computer company hang out after work. My husband works in programming and all his friends love gaming.[/QUOTE]
I haven't thought about a 'mega' church. It might be a good idea. I've only been to traditional churches. These are the places where you look around and see half of everyone is 60+ and the other half are traditional families (husband, wife, kids). I'm not saying family people don't want to hang out, but rather I'm saying they don't have the time to hang out. If I had a wife and kids, I would probably prefer to spend time with them more than anyone else.
Maybe at a mega church I can find some people who fall into my demographic who share my interests. The more people, the greater the odds. Dark, smokey bars really don't appeal to me.