Actual Social Activities not based around Drinking... ( 30-50 crowd)

Submitted by Augiehack t3_xtngwy in pittsburgh

I don't really drink anymore but not opposed to bars... Just would love some suggestions or insight on somethings to do that isn't based around drinking..

I moved away from a good while & now find have almost no friend left in the area & work from home..

It seems everything form concerts, sportings events, etc all are based around drinking until drunk - once again I get it & loved every second when that was my deal .. It just got old ( as did I ) & lead to some other difficulties years back.. Now drinking to actual enjoy a single ( maybe 2) cocktails or a glass of wine - all good.

I'm rather adaptable with my interests and easy to get along with , so I'm willing to look into almost anything.

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Thanks

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Elouiseotter t1_iqqtwy5 wrote

Carnegie Library has a bunch of programs and events.

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Shlebuloid t1_iqqq1xc wrote

Check out comic/game shops near you. New Dimension Comics holds D&D and MtG nights that are open, no alcohol necessary.

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POWfromAkron t1_iqquqpp wrote

For Magic, checkout commander. Its a 4 player variant with tons of social interaction. Phantom Greentree has a lot of Commander players. Also, cant recommend enough finding a role playing group.

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RunningOnPunkTime t1_iqs5b9s wrote

When I was into MTG I couldn't stand commander. Idk why but it just never caught my attention and I hated that that's what everyone wanted to play.

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Grouchy-Estimate-756 t1_iqs5d8w wrote

Black Lotus is good for that, I hear.

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Aran180 t1_iqtxyp7 wrote

Just found that place. Food’s great, and so is the vibe

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tactics14 t1_iqx0qpj wrote

Actually Black Lotus isn't really all that good in a format where you only run one in your 100 card deck. Sure, it's awesome if you get it in your starting/first few draws but if you get it mid-late game you're probably not hurting for mana.

Now a standard game of magic where you're playing a 60 card deck and can run 4 copies... Your odds of drawing and taking advantage of it early are pretty damn good so it's quite powerful.

But unless you can use it as a combo piece or something it's cool rather than good in commander (not that it's bad, it just isn't crazy).

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Grouchy-Estimate-756 t1_iqyo2g8 wrote

Black Lotus, as in the pizza shop that hosts Magic games. I don't play Magic in any meaningful sense, but friends who do seem to love this place.

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hineybush t1_iqrwfxr wrote

there's a new place on Babcock too, can't remember the name

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First_name_Lastname5 t1_iqteo2b wrote

As a more recent member of the warhammer community can confirm there are tons of great places/groups around south western PA.

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SibleyJoseph t1_iqupq2s wrote

Flesh and Blood is a newer card game that is thriving big time in Pittsburgh. Greentree Sports Cards, Heroes Ink and 4 Horseman all have weekly events.

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WetWilly4 t1_iqqqs4k wrote

I’m in my late twenties and I also do not drink anymore. It is very difficult to find activities that don’t revolve around drinking or where drinking is the reward at the end. Something that I’ve been doing is going to climbing gyms and meeting people that way.

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dingurth1 t1_iqqvcza wrote

As a recent transplant myself these were some of the things I was looking into to make friends.

Book clubs, gyms, gardening clubs, outdoor groups/recreational sports leagues, joining a church/community group.

Those are just my interests though. I've heard the Meetup app is fairly successful for people, you could browse that and see what strikes your fancy.

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steeerrrfff t1_iqr05ej wrote

Have you found a gardening club or rec sports league? I moved here just before covid and have been having a hard time.

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dingurth1 t1_iquee3d wrote

I've only been here a week so not super into it yet and frankly haven't looked into rec sports yet. But I was planning on trying to get in touch with Grow Pittsburgh, which seems to be an active community gardening club.

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itsacoup t1_iqr7dwy wrote

PSL is the main rec sports league. There's also Stonewall if you're of the limp wrist persuasion.

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Evening_Attention_45 t1_iqrlq7k wrote

Were you able to make friends as a result of your efforts?

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dingurth1 t1_ique6ln wrote

I mean I'm super recent, only been here a week haha. But so far so good. I've met a few people though my drinking activities (love breweries and I brew beer, so homebrew clubs) but not applicable to OP.

I just met someone today after a church service who is super into gardening and he invited me over to his garden/flower shop. So I'd say fairly successful in the short time so far.

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CrazyOkie t1_iqtufkr wrote

>Book clubs, gyms, gardening clubs, outdoor groups/recreational sports leagues, joining a church/community group

I'd second all of these. OP, you mentioned you're pretty flexible - but what do you like to do, if it is just you choosing?

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ipmcc t1_iqqrc3q wrote

It might be helpful for you to clarify what you mean by "based around drinking."

To my mind, things "based around" drinking would include beer/wine/cocktail festivals, and going out to bars, but a Steelers game? Sure, most people drink, but it's based around football. Concerts, again, most people drink, but it's based around the music performance.

Put differently: Are you trying to avoid alcohol? or drunk people? or both?

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chefmarksamson t1_iqqsk06 wrote

To be fair, I absolutely feel OP’s pain regarding concerts. It varies a bit show to show, but I’ve been to a lot of concerts here where most of the audience is clearly treating the show as an opportunity to get drunk and rowdy and hear some music, in that order. It’s fine when the band is playing a fast, loud song that everyone knows and wants to sing along to, but I’ve spent way, way too much time struggling to even hear bands play quieter songs over the din of drunk people having shouted conversations over top of music they’re clearly not paying attention to. Yes, this happens everywhere, but as someone who frequently travels to see shows, it’s notably worse here. This is the only city where I’ve actually seen artists stop mid-song and ask the audience to quiet down so they can hear themselves play.

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Elouiseotter t1_iqqttb2 wrote

This happened when The National played a few weeks ago at Hienz Hall. Two different groups behind me kept talking loudly throughout the songs. It was incredibly frustrating.

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Jmyles23 t1_iqr7rmh wrote

I’m that guy who politely asks them if they can be quiet. We were in the second balcony level for The National and I’ve never seen so many people get up so many times for drinks during a show.

Some guys were talking loudly in another row, and a girl behind them pulled out her phone and put the bright light on them from behind until they stopped, turned around and said “what the fuck?” She was like “I’m sorry is that distracting you?” I swear this was such a great solution, but I don’t have quite the balls for that!

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Elouiseotter t1_iqruxe3 wrote

I think I was sitting by you! There was a ton of drinking and people being obnoxious at the show. I turned around and full on stared at a woman who was basically drunk shouting during a song. I also didn’t have the balls to tell her to STFU. She left shortly after.

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Jmyles23 t1_iqsfiq5 wrote

Next show we can get a block of three tickets and I can be the designated shamer.

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ipmcc t1_iqqxfic wrote

Who among us Pittsburghers hasn't endured the "Woo Guy" (or worse, the "Freebird Guy"... or even worse, and more local, the "Ah Leah Guy") at concerts and sporting events? The Pittsburgh Kenny Chesney concert is practically world-famous for the bad behavior that occurs.

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fleetiebelle t1_iqrhsl2 wrote

There's always the guy who randomly screams the name of the most popular song, as if it's not going to be the encore. I doubt many acts change their set lists because of some drunk in the balcony.

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TiesThrei t1_iqrejsy wrote

For me it seems to depend on the size of the event. At smaller shows, most people aren't getting wasted, even when it's a show at a bar. But if it's at the arena or Burgettstown or something like that, there's more people partying beforehand and drunk by the time they get to the show. The bigger the show, the more it seems like everyone's drunk.

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TransporterOffline t1_iqr6b7k wrote

It usually means someone testing the waters of sobriety and feeling conflicted on how to express it. This isn't a term i would ask someone to clarify, just offer some suggestions where alcohol is completely absent or at least very cloistered.

Edit: Don't forget Sober October and other cessation experiment months are out there. Probably expect more of this question in January.

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pghreddit t1_iqqqvim wrote

Lunch and membership at the aviary.

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FuzzPunkMutt t1_iqqq60q wrote

What are your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing?

There's practically a music/food/culture/media festival/convention every weekend, most of them are not drinking focused. Even Picklesburgh, which is famous for pickle beer, is still mostly just about food and local crafts.

There are world class parks, amazing bike trails, tons of fantastic restaurants, and a lot of local clubs. The car scene is huge, there's a strong antiquing culture, and a lot of small music venues. It really depends on what you like to do.

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zip222 t1_iqrq0qd wrote

I’m sorry but Picklesburgh has been a truly awful experience for several years. And not because of the alcohol, it’s the crowd size and lack of crowd control that has made it a miserable event.

Your statement is totally accurate sans this reference.

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stuckeyf t1_iqrjm9j wrote

Second this! Let us know what you like to do (or what you're interested in trying). There is probably a group in the area that would let you join in!

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snaggle_tooth_uke t1_iqr6j8m wrote

Climbing at iron city boulders. For an individual activity, I sure have meet a lot of really nice people there.

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Caveman_tuble t1_iqsm3o9 wrote

That’s exactly what I was gonna say. Dean and the gang over there have created such a great environment. Great way to get active. Challenge yourself and meet cool people. Definitely recommend ICB

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Itsjustataco t1_iqto74f wrote

Do they have any newbie events?

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snaggle_tooth_uke t1_iqvzbdb wrote

They have workshops for beginners, but also most other climbers are down to help if you decide to give it a try. The only thing is it’s bad form to give someone unsolicited advice so you’d have to ask. Weekday evenings and weekends are the busiest.

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PT_Clownshow t1_iqr903e wrote

Pittsburgh sports league as a free agent

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Itsjustataco t1_iqto3wc wrote

Good luck getting in, I've tried this a few times now. If you are a girl, odds are better.

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Thezedword4 t1_iqrrga1 wrote

I ran into the same issue. I moved away for 8 years and despite my best efforts, by the time I moved back, the Pittsburgh friends weren't friends anymore. And it's almost impossible to get into friend groups around here because most are from when they were kids. I've been back two years and haven't made any new friends unfortunately. My boyfriend and I even happened to have moved next door to someone who I actually in the same friend group with in high school. I thought that was an in to make some friends but it unfortunately has not been because they aren't interested.

It was actually easier to make friends when I had moved away from Pittsburgh but I'm not sure if it was because I was younger or what.

My partner and I don't really drink either (maybe a beer or glass of wine every month or two). So it's extra challenging to find soical events and meet people.

Edit I should add it's doubly hard because I'm physically disabled which makes some clubs/activities not really doable and people tend to be uncomfortable with disability.

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MorningCrickets t1_iqr5bxq wrote

If you like tabletop games, Take a look at the multiple board and war game groups in pgh. Most are active in FB rather than Reddit, but they are welcoming and a good place to meet people with similar interests. Im a member of GASP which is south hills based, but there are several around the city.

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woodcuttersDaughter t1_iqr9wka wrote

Check out Venture Outdoors. They have outdoor group activities where you can meet people. Kayaking, hiking, and more!

https://www.ventureoutdoors.org

I don’t drink either but you to a lot of concerts. It’s basically a second job and I travel the country for shows. I don’t get the drinking at shows. I don’t see how music and drinking mix. I’m not saying I’m sober at shows, but I don’t drink. Good luck finding something!

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QuirkyCity6661 t1_iqradq3 wrote

I’m kind of in the same boat. Moved here in Oct and I’m still getting a feel for what’s out there. I don’t mind some drinking, but it seems like it’s a really large part of the culture here. I had never tailgated until recently or lived in an area where that’s huge. I admit I had a ton of fun, but the hangover the next day was anything but.

If you don’t have hobbies, pick one. I like to grab one of my cameras and walk different neighborhoods to get some shots. Pbgh is great for street photography. Pick one new park to visit on your days off. Check out the library for free museum passes. Visit independent bookstores (are there any here?🤔). If you drive, explore some of the small towns nearby. Learn a new craft. I saw a FB ad for glassmaking the other day. Like I said, I’m still pretty new here, but there are a lot of things to do here.

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jirenlagen t1_iqrqusn wrote

If you don’t drink or aren’t into sports, it’s rough out here lol.

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Snoo28181 t1_iqs7xdk wrote

Check out Ventures Outdoors for activities

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Courageous_Chameleon t1_iqrgwru wrote

Find a nonprofit you care about and start volunteering. It's a fantastic way to make friends because there's built in social interaction. It's also free and you get to do something good for the community.

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widdleavi1 t1_iqqz75a wrote

If you like running then join a local run group (city of bridges run club). There are runs most days of the week and get to make lots of new friends.

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PGHNeil t1_iqr2pth wrote

I’d suggest looking into cycling events through BikePGH or Pro Bike + Run but even their events involve beer. The people are much more mellow from the endorphins though.

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alwaysboopthesnoot t1_iqr3b90 wrote

Look for a Meetup or a Because I said I Would group. Those are usually centered on shared passions, hobbies, interests, or charity events.

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maudes-muse t1_iqtqk5j wrote

I never heard of Because I said I would. What's that about? I looked up their homepage, but don't know how you find groups around here, if what I had looked up is even the same thing.

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alwaysboopthesnoot t1_iqvh79w wrote

They have high school, college, adult, corporate/club chapters, prison programs.

https://www.instagram.com/becauseisaidiwould/?hl=en

Many groups are open to the general public to join. Some are closed/available only to those in a school district or on a campus, and their invitees.

It’s like a Meetup group, but with area organizers, centered around performing charity or volunteering in the community vs. meeting up to go hiking together, or to attend a cultural event.

Friends in PA elsewhere have participated, and in OH not too far from here. I’m not certain where chapters here are located.

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sqqueen2 t1_iqr47le wrote

Google Tuesday evening folk dancing

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JasperSnowe t1_iqt1zra wrote

Or just come to the Harp & Fiddle for some Ceili dancing Tuesday evenings

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streachh t1_iqraqeq wrote

Perhaps look into groups that do activities? Like trail maintenance, hiking, gardening, glass blowing, knitting, e.t.c. You could volunteer with a local group maybe?

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i8bagels t1_iqrfmpz wrote

There are so many trails in PA, and a lot of activities in North Park and South Park. The cultural district has great small shows that are not soaked in alcohol. Running clubs are all around. Museums. Ice rinks. Indoor pools. And many good coffee shops. Maybe volunteer with an organization too?

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BigDumbIdiot43 t1_iqrlkzk wrote

Con Alma is a cool place. Yeah it’s a cocktail lounge, but they play live jazz and plenty of people in that age group there.

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griffithmike t1_iqrugbs wrote

Kind of a niche hobby, but disc golf is a blast and there are a lot of good courses in the pittsburgh area as well as tournaments and leagues. Mountain biking is also great, and good access to trails at places like Frick park and north park with groups that meet up to do rides.

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onlineRVS t1_iqrvc8q wrote

Climbing gym is a social place. It’s close enough to a bar where people don’t drink. 3 rivers outdoor company has some events that look interesting to me

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Leapdemon t1_iqs57uk wrote

I don't live in Pittsburgh but grew up nearby. As a transplant in my 30s I've found the gaming community to be the most enjoyable social experience for non alcohol based activities. Specifically I play a game called blood on the clocktower that I play with a nearby group I met on Reddit. I also have a dungeons and dragons group I play with weekly. These semi structured events force socializing in a unique way that's engaging and light hearted. I would try to find groups that do things like this if I were in your shoes.

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Augiehack OP t1_iqtjsqu wrote

I've always wanted to get into a D&D style game . Love these idea ..thank you

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n_psycho t1_iqrci7d wrote

I struggle with this as well and have lived in Pittsburgh for the past 20 years. There are plenty of day things to do in this city, but where I struggle is with night time entertainment that doesn't include going to a bar.

Some of the things I do enjoy in the evening is bowling at Arsenal Lanes, Kickback Cafe for pinball, catching movies, but after those are exhausted I'm not really sure what other options are out there.

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sirpranksamillion t1_iqrgll0 wrote

If you’re fairly fit or want to get fit, check out the Ascent rock climbing gyms. They are usually pretty full during the evenings and it’s east to socialize with strangers when your climbing different routes

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MoralMinimum t1_iqro8yy wrote

I play sports (soccer, pickleball, disc golf) all at Schenley and Frick near where I live. Going on hikes/camping. Skiing in the winter. I also have a few friends who get together for chess at new coffee clubs. For solo activities, museums and libraries are nice way to spend a day.

Check out green tree Sportsplex for all year sports leagues. You can sign up as a free agent for any league. M-F 9-12 they have pickleball. Other leagues around the city, but this is a reliable one.

I believe CLP main has a chess club. I see people playing there often, if you want to join my small casual group DM

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Swampy2016 t1_iqs576d wrote

Give pinball a try! There are usually people drinking at tournaments but it's never the main focus, and everyone I have met is super ok with people not drinking. There are tournaments and places all around the city to play. If you are interested there are weekly tournaments on Wednesdays. More info can be found at flippgh.com for the weeklys.

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ebt12 t1_iqtvc91 wrote

I don't drink either. Tried it, didn't like it, so I never did it again.

My family and I are members of the local astronomy club, and we have free public star parties.

If you like Irish/Celtic music, Mullaney's Harp & Fiddle is a great place. Corner of Penn Ave & 24th Street in the Strip. Also has trivia nights some times. A friend of ours is from England, and she says the Harp is the only place to get genuine fish & chips.

Steel City Con happens a times a year.

Unfortunately the Pittsburgh Renaissance festival ended its run for the year last Sunday. But there is next year.

The Holiday Season is coming up so there will be many model railroad displays opening up.

Christmas in the Woods.

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ipmcc t1_ir0trd7 wrote

The Harp & Fiddle is hardly an alcohol-free or even low-booze respite. Just sayin'. I've legit seen people barf right on their table, not to mention all-out fights there on multiple occasions. It's fun. And you can have fun there without drinking, but let's not kid ourselves: It's a bar.

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tyr-- t1_iqrimh5 wrote

Are there any sports you like to play? There's a bunch of local sports leagues and pickup games, so maybe that's something worth checking out. PUMP PSL is one of such programs and they have leagues ranging from flag football, softball and basketball to bowling and cornhole. And there's different levels of play as well.

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GarbageSad5442 t1_iqsm6tz wrote

It may have been mentioned, but ax throwing is fun! You can go with a group and some places have leagues you can join. Definitely not a good place to be drinking!

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cyarz t1_iqsr25l wrote

Check the Meetup app for groups

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ambanana_29 t1_iqtj8rc wrote

Hiking, museums, public events sponsored by museums, public markets, antiquing, the Pittsburgh parks were doing yoga in the park this summer.

And if you're sans alcohol, a local coffee shop is my go to for getting a drink somewhere.

Definitely need to check out meetup myself but depending on your interests, I'm sure there's something there.

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Ks_Mom22 t1_iqtkltz wrote

In the same boat as you.

I've been going to museums, different restaurants of ethnic variety, aviary, zoo, cultural events, etc. I haven't had any issues not drinking here. Lots of bougie coffee shops. I hope you find what works for you!

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1Frazier t1_iqw60ml wrote

A random person asked to join my trivia team on a trivia night. We now count this person as a member of the team and invite them when we go back. It helps that the person is actually good at trivia.

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xtheine t1_iqw9qnv wrote

Maybe not the most common suggestion, but try swing dancing! There's a local group here that just moved venues and has lessons and a dance on Wednesdays at the Hill District Academy Theater, it's a good crowd!

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ZenLunatic33 t1_iqwdi72 wrote

Disc golf is a great social activity. Lots of beautiful courses in the area and the scene is very welcoming to all new players. Very active social media scene to connect with others.

https://www.pfds.org/

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Augiehack OP t1_iqwpzb5 wrote

I've been quiet , but have been looking at all the responses. I'm blown away about the amount of interaction -- thank you !! ( For real thank all of you , new to reddit & this sub reddit loving it)

Just to clarify, I'm fine with drinking & being around it... I'm more talking about people who want to drink miller lights until they can't see straight & that's the sole purpose of going to said event. It seems to happen with almost every large event in this area. Maybe slightly elitist, but going out to have a nice cocktail, quality beer, or wine & you happen to have too many -- all good.

As I got older just can't understand how so many adults get off, with taking a picture of a truck load of natty light going golfing.. (Not judging or hating, personally done much more damage with substances far more harmful that alcohol - so I get it )

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SRUprof t1_itano7r wrote

In case you’re not familiar with it, check out the Eventbrite app. You input your city and any search terms and it tells you anything that’s going on in the city for any certain date.

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Skull8Ranger t1_iqrdbjg wrote

Try meetup app, plenty of things that people get together & have fun. Games, outdoors...

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HayesPGH t1_iqrfp36 wrote

There is an F1 watch group that typically meets at bars but the meetup is really around watching the races. Check them out @pghf1fanclub on instagram for updates on future races. Usually brings a good crowd of 30-50 people from all ages and backgrounds.

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LostBurgher412 t1_iqri6et wrote

Softball, bowling, fitness, darts, basketball, man there's so many. Also accept that you're in the Burgh now and the age group you are looking does find a way to include alcohol in everything they do.

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