I'm just rehashing things people have said, but...
Volunteer! Find something you enjoy doing and volunteer for it.
Join a club, or take classes somewhere.
I did the first two things Mo' describes as not working, but found them to be awesome and totally worked for me. *laughs* meetup.com was a Godsend when I was in Murrieta and knew no one. And when I came here, I started at a Unitarian church where they immediately asked me to join in their youth group (which was anyone under, uh, forty. *amused*). I also specifically looked for a church with a lot of extra curricular activities. ;-D The less church-y option there is to find groups and clubs doing things you enjoy -- which is where I found meetup.com helpful. You can check the group history to see who actually shows up for meetings, and therefore which groups are worth getting together for! Or you can email whoever started the group and just ask how active the group is... and if that person wants to get together. ;)
Either way, remember the key friend-making phrase, which I learned from my friend Jane: "Do you want to go out for coffee?" If you only ever see people in that group setting, they are forever just acquaintances and you will always be the outsider.
Another thing I discovered is that if I go hang out at the local coffee shop at the same time everyday, there's often a crowd who all goes to hang out, too. Much like the pub culture. ;) You have to be a little more forward there; some people are groups who are there to chat. Look for those people, and sit nearby and be interested in what's going on.
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Volunteer! Find something you enjoy doing and volunteer for it.
Join a club, or take classes somewhere.
I did the first two things Mo' describes as not working, but found them to be awesome and totally worked for me. *laughs* meetup.com was a Godsend when I was in Murrieta and knew no one. And when I came here, I started at a Unitarian church where they immediately asked me to join in their youth group (which was anyone under, uh, forty. *amused*). I also specifically looked for a church with a lot of extra curricular activities. ;-D The less church-y option there is to find groups and clubs doing things you enjoy -- which is where I found meetup.com helpful. You can check the group history to see who actually shows up for meetings, and therefore which groups are worth getting together for! Or you can email whoever started the group and just ask how active the group is... and if that person wants to get together. ;)
Either way, remember the key friend-making phrase, which I learned from my friend Jane: "Do you want to go out for coffee?" If you only ever see people in that group setting, they are forever just acquaintances and you will always be the outsider.
Another thing I discovered is that if I go hang out at the local coffee shop at the same time everyday, there's often a crowd who all goes to hang out, too. Much like the pub culture. ;) You have to be a little more forward there; some people are groups who are there to chat. Look for those people, and sit nearby and be interested in what's going on.