Asklemmy

If the objective is “meeting people” in the dating sense, it’s usually going to be apps or singles events. Some apps are definitely better than others, so I wouldn’t just write them all off thinking they’re all like Tinder.

If dating is a nice-to-have outcome but you’re also happy to socialize, MeetUp is a great option. You can vet events based on something you’re already interested in, and meeting someone while doing it becomes secondary (and therefore less pressure). If there are no good candidates (or no chemistry), then at least you didn’t waste your night - you still got to play board games or make sourdough or whatever was going on.

Meetup.com has events for a ton of different interests, I've found them to be quite diverse in age but some events are also focused for certain age ranges, so you might have some luck there!

Are you into bars at all? Finding a bar that already had regulars who are fun group is a pleasant way to make friends imo and you’ll meet people naturally once you know some people. All you have to do is scope out which one feels comfortable and visit at the same time each week. Obviously watch out for raging alcoholics, but lots of folks are healthy(ish) and just there for companionship.

This is pretty niche, but I'm in a casual curling league and nearly everyone is over 40. Everyone there is super welcoming and friendly.

I have a strategy where i'll get'em really hot by showing off all my 99s, but it's getting to that step that's been the hard part.

Do they have to be in person?