Idk cause I'm on my 20's. But one thing that really helped me was online games. Some are way too toxic or just intense like CSGO or LoL. But lots of others like GTA/Minecraft are a space where otherwise shy ppl have a common lowkey activity as an excuse to make friends. Might seem orthogonal to the goal of meeting people in your area but it helps build the confidence for more meaningful connections to grow.

I think an important step to feeling less lonely and more connected is to foster/appreciate the passing, surface level connections. Whatever your backstory is, you can always hold hope that you'll build towards a healthy connection with your community.