Top 9 Meetups for Out of Towners Missing Home

Rumor has it no one is born in Austin. If a woman here gets pregnant, she’s shipped out to west Texas to give birth and the baby isn’t allowed to return until it’s old enough to enroll at UT. It makes Austin an amazing and unusual melting pot. We have people from all across the United States as well as plenty of expatriates from around the globe. While it’s fun to meet “locals” (often defined here as anyone who has resided in Austin for more than 2 years), sometimes you just miss a touch of home.

Thank goodness for Meetup. Twenty years ago, you would’ve been stuck with your cousin’s friend of a friend and whoever you found at UT’s international student union. That’s just embarrassing when you’re over 30.

You’re not the only one who misses things like snow, tea, or movies in your native language, and there’s no reason for you to live without the little comforts in life. Wherever you’re from, there’s probably a club full of expats for you to hang around with.

DOMESTIC

In Austin but From the Midwest
238 Members
13 Meetups so far

“Midwest” is a pretty vague term. For this group, if you’re from one of the winter-loving parts of the country where the snowblower has more miles on it than your car and seasons are defined as Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Road Construction, then these are your people. Their meetups are pretty broad, including everything from happy hours, attending festivals together, picnics and potlucks. Most of their meetings draw around 10 people.

The Manhattan Mafia
207 Members
22 Meetups so far

This surprisingly upbeat group is made up of people who are from New York or or have lived in New York and decided to trade the 24-hour hustle and bustle of the city for a totally different lifestyle here. The vast majority of their meetings are just an excuse to grab a cocktail or two with other recovering Type A personalities who are enjoying a calmer lifestyle. On average, their meetups draw between 10-30 people.

Seattle and Portland People in Austin
145 Members
14 Meetups so far

Much like the Midwestern group, this collection of people from the Pacific Northwest miss bundling up in coats and boots when the days grow short. They’re big fans of the things the Pacific Northwest has in common with Austin - craft beers, live music and hiking. It shows in their meetups, which revolve around drinking at local breweries, enjoying live patio music, and going on hikes. Meetings average around 10 people.

San Francisco Bay Area Refugees
89 Members
4 Meetups so far

This new meetup group is aimed at Silicon Valley refugees who moved to Texas for the low cost of living but now find themselves suffering from culture shock. Honestly, they come across as being pretty unhappy about living in Texas. If you’re only here for a short-term tech job, don’t want to meet locals, and can’t wait to get back to the West Coast, these are your people. Meetings draw 10-20 people.

INTERNATIONAL

British Expats Group of Austin
277 Members
129 Meetups so far

This group describes itself as a place for UK Expats to eat English food, drink English drinks, watch English films, listen to English music and talk about English things. That translates to a whole lot of Doctor Who, a dash of James Bond, and the occasional meeting for Tea. It’s amazing they’re not overrun by American science fiction fans. They also sprinkle in the occasional cricket game and excuse to have a proper English dinner. Meetings average 10-20 people.

Austin Italians
264 Members
48 Meetups so far

This group is open to Americans born in Italy, hyphenated Italian-Americans, and anyone who has a strong love of Italian culture. They offer weekly Italian language classes and conversation hours as well as screening Italian movies, watching international soccer tournaments, and dining out at Italian restaurants. Meetings average 6-16 people.

Austin Expat Germans
185 Members
84 Meetups so far

Once a month, this group meets at the Dog and Duck. Weather permitted, they meet in the outdoor garden area where they enjoy a few beers and a chance to speak their native language. Meetings average 6-10 people.

Austin Scandinavian Group
168 Members
52 Meetups so far

This multi-country group is open to either expats or local teachers, students and speakers of Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Swedish and Icelandic. Their meetings include watching Eurovision competitions, Scandinavian-themed film festivals, and unironic trips to Ikea. Meetings average 4-10 people.

Indians in Austin
140 Members
17 Meetups so far

This new, active Meetup is open to anyone from the Indian Subcontinent. Since, by their own admission, a lot of the members work in tech, the meetings focus on getting out  of that bubble and being social. They have regular happy hours around town, Bollywood movie nights, Alamo movie nights, and outings to assorted Austin festivals. Meetings draw 5-15 members.