New to London: meeting people in your first month

The biggest mistake new Londoners make is treating the whole city as their patch. You'll see more of people who live near you, so focus your first month on your own area. If you're in north London, our guides to Camden, Islington, Hackney, Haringey, Barnet and Enfield list where people meet in each neighbourhood.

Spend the first week walking. Find your nearest park, high street, library, supermarket and a café you like. Walk to the next neighbourhood over, too: London areas run into each other and the one next door often has what yours doesn't.

This is the most important step. Join one activity that meets every week near home: a sports team, a class, a choir, a volunteering group, a language exchange, a book club. It doesn't matter much what it is. It matters that you go every week.

Repetition is what turns strangers into friends. One weekly commitment is worth more than ten one-off events.

Colleague drinks, a flatmate's friend's birthday, a free talk at a museum, a market on a Sunday morning: say yes. You won't click with everyone, but every yes is a chance to meet someone who lives near you or knows someone who does.

This is also a good week to try an app for meeting people nearby. On PingMee you post a status ('New to Islington, anyone up for a walk along the canal?') and see people near you who are open to meeting. Send a ping; if they ping back, a private chat opens. You choose what you're open to: new friends, a relationship or networking. See how meeting people nearby works.

By now you'll have met a few people you liked. Don't wait for them to invite you: suggest something specific. 'I'm going to the market on Saturday, want to come?' is easy to say yes to. Most people are quietly waiting for someone else to organise.

Keep it public and low-key the first few times, especially with people you met online: our safety checklist covers the basics.

A few small habits make the whole month easier. Keep one evening a week free for something new. Carry a small plan with you (a market you want to try, a walk you've read about) so that when someone says 'what are you up to this weekend?' you have an answer and an invitation. And keep in touch with friends from home: a call with someone who knows you well makes the awkward new-city days lighter.

Be kind to yourself about the quiet nights, too. Everyone who has moved to London has had a few.

London's free museums, parks, towpaths and markets make cheap, easy plans when you're still finding your feet. Our list of things to do alone in London picks out the ones where it's easiest to get talking to people.

That's normal. Real friendships build over months, not weeks. Keep your weekly thing, keep suggesting plans and keep the circle close to home. If loneliness starts to weigh on you, talk to your GP or a service such as Mind or Samaritans. You don't have to wait until things get bad.

For more ideas, read our longer guide to making friends in London.