Making Friends in Tempe and Around ASU
Tempe is a college town inside a big metro. If you are a student, the university hands you a thousand ways to meet people, and the hard part is choosing. If you are not, you are surrounded by people your age with full calendars. Either way, the trick is the same: find the thing that repeats.
Where people actually meet
Tempe Town Lake and Tempe Beach Park
The paved path around the lake is lit at night and full of runners, cyclists and walkers, and Tempe Beach Park hosts festivals through the cool months. Run clubs that start at the lake are one of the easiest low-pressure ways in.
Mill Avenue
Downtown Tempe's main street is where people go before and after games, shows and everything else. Plans that start with "meet on Mill" are easy for everyone to find.
Clubs and intramurals (if you are at ASU)
Student organizations and intramural sports meet every week, which is exactly what turns classmates into friends. Join two, and actually go back.
Papago Park, right next door
Short trails, big rocks and sunset views a few minutes from the lake. Easy to invite someone to, because it only takes an hour.
Not a student? Tempe still works
Young professionals in Tempe have the same problem as everyone else: plenty of people around, no excuse to talk to them. Weekly things fix that. A run club, a board game night, a climbing gym, a rec league. Show up to the same one for a month and you will have people to text.
Keep it going after the first hangout
Most new friendships die between the first and second plan. Make the second plan before the first one ends: "same time next week?" is the most useful sentence in this guide.
The plan comes first, the people come with it
Everything above works better with a few people who are going too. On LetsGo you say what you want to do in Tempe and when, and your GoBuddy matches you with people who want the same thing. It is strictly platonic, not a dating app, and you go together.
Questions people ask
How do you make friends at ASU?
Join a couple of student organizations or intramural teams that meet weekly, and keep going back. Repetition is what turns a classmate into a friend.
Where do people hang out in Tempe?
Tempe Town Lake and Tempe Beach Park, Mill Avenue downtown, and Papago Park next door are the big ones.
How do you make friends in Tempe if you are not a student?
Pick one weekly activity, like a run club, game night or rec league, and go every week for a month. LetsGo can match you with people who want to do the same thing at the same time.
Is LetsGo a dating app?
No. LetsGo is strictly platonic. You match on a plan and go together.
More local guides
Claim your spot
LetsGo is launching across the Phoenix metro: Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler and Gilbert. Join now and start with 10,000 Go Gold, added when you verify.
Join LetsGoRun a bar, cafe, gym or shop? List your venue free →