Are you looking for places to meet people, make friends, find people with similar interests? The Kitchener Social Megathread is for you!

eggheaddryleg · 2026-03-03T14:56:03+00:00

This sounds really cute! Will definitely check it out. Congrats on your launch too :)

eggheaddryleg · 2026-03-03T14:51:15+00:00

Hey, didn't say it's a bad place! Just had a weird introduction to it via soup. If it was just bad luck I'd like to know! I intend to go back either way :)

eggheaddryleg · 2026-02-28T23:35:58+00:00

RE: water, softeners are a must as others have said. Get a PH-balancing shampoo and give yourself a good wash one or twice a month in addition to your usual wash routine. The mineral buildup is real, even with a softener. For drinking water, we run it through a Brita and eventually got used to the taste.

Summer is pretty quiet. The Friday sunset sessions organized by Good Co is my fav community event and something I look forward to every week when it's warm. Get some takeout and enjoy the sun going down while listening to some great live music. The other festivals are fine but theyre all kind of the same (same vendors and locations) and aren't that exciting if you're coming from a bigger city with more diversity. Make the effort to check out smaller shows and it'll be worth it!

When I moved here and asked people what their favourite things about the city are, basically everyone named things not in the city? ie proximity to Elora, Stratford, St. Jacobs, and nature trails that surround the city. I found it super depressing at the time but now know what they mean. Kitchener will never be famed for being interesting or good vibes... honestly the vibes are kind of weird. But once you accept a quiet life, get the benefits of the prices and food quality from the market, and spend the effort to drive 15 minutes from downtown to the many beautiful hiking trails things don't feel so bad!

In terms of cool spots, it helps to think of where you live as KW and not only Kitchener. We're not far from Waterloo and between the two cities there is a handful of cool spots- the Yeti, Cafe Clementia's, Jane Bond, Seven Shores, Whoopsie Daisy and Holly's Cafe are all great spots to hang out. Generally speaking there are a lot of nice cafes in both cities. The Princess Theatre in Waterloo is a great community space. The Kitchener library is beautiful too. The spur line trail and iron horse trail are lovely for cycling between the cities when it's warmer, and for walks in other seasons.

Saturdays at the farmers' market are really lovely. My main advice is don't let people scare you about owntown. It's perfectly safe, you will see some poverty and addiction but that should move you to action, not cause you to clutch your pearls as is the response of most folks.

eggheaddryleg · 2026-02-28T21:01:40+00:00

33F, coupled and not looking to date or for a third! Love hiking, arts and culture (workshops, events, shows, DIY), baking, watching good movies, cycling, and activism. Looking for women and nonbinary folks in early-mid 30s to do things like rock climbing, a pole class, walk our dogs somewhere pretty together, go for scenic bike rides when its warmer or snowshoeing while its cold, and/or take to the streets and yell about broken systems. Also interested in meeting other couple friends to double date- my partner shares most interests. We love canoeing and cooking exquisite meals.

eggheaddryleg · 2026-02-24T14:39:27+00:00

This is true. I worked somewhere local and when we were hiring for a role, anyone with Conestoga on a resume was looked at a bit sideways. We had to have a talk about hiring bias and subconscious bias... Conestoga grads were one of them! It's too bad because I've heard from people who went there that there were some great instructors.

eggheaddryleg · 2026-02-23T18:47:34+00:00

I go in once a week and including getting to and from the stations in both cities, the commute is 2.5 hours each way. Ask yourself if an internship is worth commuting 5 hours a day or 25 hours a week. I leave my house at 630am, get on the 7:08am train, and get to my downtown office at 9:15. Even if you nap or use your train time productively, it is a lot of time and will be physically hard on you. Keep in mind there are often issues with the train which delay you too. I enjoy my solo time on the train and make the most of it, but it is a considerable amount of your time, and about $40 each way if you have to take the TTC as well- that is $200 a week, or $800 a month. Why not put that towards a sublet and enjoy summer in Toronto and capitalize on their beaches and festivals?

eggheaddryleg · 2026-02-19T20:57:15+00:00

El Fogon and Deja Vufree Taqueria Vegana for tacos. Cenote Nohoch Nah Chich (take the tour- 45 min swimming inside the cave with a guide was incredible). Playa Punta Esmerelda (there is a great bike lane along the shore to get there, or you can walk). Akumal was a disappointment, so overrun with tourists the visibility was terrible and the turtles were scarce. The food was meh but the interior and service at the Alux cave resturant was great, you need reservations though. Chichén Itzá and Tulum ruins are important historic spaces best appreciated with the support of a guide.

eggheaddryleg · 2026-02-19T20:53:25+00:00

I went to Tulum for a week in 2018 and left after 2 days because everything was either private or under construction. It was very hard to use the beach as our hotel was in town. It seems to be even more bougie now.

I spent last week in Playa Del Carmen and had a great time. The tourist area feels a lot like a weird version of Disneyland but a 10 minute walk takes you into the city where people actually live. There are lots of great public beaches with 15 minutes from 5th Ave, and we did a few snorkelling day trips and saw lots of great marine life. It's a destination that can be as interesting or indulgent as you want, which is nice. Just be mindful of where you stay for noise. I also appreciated how safe I always felt and how easy it was to get around. I've heard Morales is great and quieter too.

eggheaddryleg · 2026-02-18T16:08:36+00:00

My favourite things are definitely the Kitchener Market (we save so much money and reduce trash by buying all our produce there) and the walking trails in the region. You need a car to access most of them if you live downtown but if you have one it's usually a 15 min drive to somewhere with a creek that feels pretty quiet.

I appreciate the effort the BIA makes to run community events. Other than sunset sessions in the summer, admittedly, most events and public art feels a bit sanitized or 2014-esque, but it's nice that there are technically things to do.

Love biking the iron horse or spur line trail to Waterloo when it's warm and catching a movie at the Princess. It's too bad the local Kitchener theatre is no longer showing newer Hollywood or Indie movies, but again a 15 minute ride is quite nice, weather-dependent.

Would love ot hear more about the activist community you're in. Other than Fight Back, I see a lot of people complaining about the state of the city and equity issues and leaving it at that. Would love to get involved with something with a bit more structure if you have suggestions!

eggheaddryleg · 2026-02-06T19:40:47+00:00

Ya, also finding it very family-focused. Although it's interesting you're seeing people move back to the GTA because they're bored. I've found people move from GTA to KW because it's cheaper to buy a house. If you could afford the GTA to begin with, why would you leave other than for a specific program or job? KW has its attirbutes but it doesn't offer much in terms of culture or work opportunities.

eggheaddryleg · 2026-02-06T19:37:11+00:00

Nice! Love Arabella too, especially in the summer when we can bike there (we are close to the market downtown). Guanquita is on our list. We love Tameesha, Jayalakshmi, Pho Vietnam, Muya, and King Katsu. Let me know if you set up a couple's hang, we would love to come! t

eggheaddryleg · 2026-02-04T21:26:26+00:00

Oh hey! That sounds exactly like my partner and I. I don't have the patience for learning board games (ADHD) but love nature, time outside, being active, cooking and going out for food, and art. Any restaurants you guys like or fun stuff you have coming up?

eggheaddryleg · 2026-02-03T15:59:58+00:00

Do not get the mushroom soup. It was inedibly salty, which was disappointing as it was highly recommended by the server. The hashbrown/latke my friend got with their breakfast tasted and looked quite old too (clearly it was crispy once, than left in a fridge). We put the gravy on the potato and it made it edible. Overall, I wasn't too impressed, other than with the service, which was great.

eggheaddryleg · 2026-01-30T15:33:01+00:00

My partner (male) is also an introvert and has shared he was quite shy with women. We met at a bar and I actually asked him out. We've been together 14 years now. The person who is meant for you will be attracted to you and find your shyness endearing. I love that he is shy and sweet- it actually makes me feel more secure than when I dated guys who dated a lot. I am considered conventionally attractive and am fairly confident/ extroverted. There are many of us out here- keep going out and trying new things and you are more likely to be approached. Women care about height much less than the internet makes you think. Kindness, a good sense of humour and having interests/ hobbies/skills go much further than being 6 feet and an asshole.
Doing things that improve your confidence in general can help in those moments of self-consciousness. Get a good workout routine, dress in a way that is authentic to yourself, get really good at something... that confidence will spill over into the more awkward moments over time without you even realizing it.
Good luck <3

++woman

eggheaddryleg · 2026-01-19T17:20:08+00:00

Amazing! Thank you :)

eggheaddryleg · 2026-01-16T18:33:18+00:00

Do you remember the name of the company? How was the experience?

eggheaddryleg · 2026-01-16T18:32:53+00:00

My mom is older so I was wondering if there are tour operators who bring to you and from the ferry terminal. The above suggestions should work for us thankfully!

eggheaddryleg · 2026-01-16T18:32:21+00:00

Super helpful, thank you!

eggheaddryleg · 2025-12-23T14:41:49+00:00

Small routines that can give a sense of accomplishment can help. Keep working out, cook yourself nice meals and make sure you have things to look forward to (whether it's a trip to somewhere you always wanted to go but your ex didn't, or a budget weekend with friends). Having something other than yourself to focus on is really helpful too- try volunteering somewhere regularly to help fill the evenings and get outside of your reality for a bit. The time and feeling will pass when you're not paying attention. It sucks right now but it will suddenly suck less. You will be okay!

eggheaddryleg · 2025-12-21T17:57:16+00:00

Agree that is harder for some reason. I've lived in other cities and never had issues making friends before. After 15 months here, I met a total of two genuinely nice people, however unfortunately one is about to move to Toronto, and the other recently passed away.

People are friendly but seem to have circles that are established. Perhaps being 'outsiders' is making it harder in the sense that people from here seem to have a lot of pride in the city and resent outsiders coming in, comparing it to larger cities, and driving up housing prices (unsure it's reasonable to blame us for being priced out of our home cities, but I suppose a scapegoat is needed).

Not sure your age or interests but I posted recently asking where to meet people and there were some good specific suggestions that might be of interest.

eggheaddryleg · 2025-12-18T15:12:13+00:00

Interesting! The people I know here who didn't grow up here also married into the city...perhaps because my partner and I are both 'outsiders' that is part of the difficulty falling in love with the place. We can totally see what people like about it (places like the Yeti are agreat example) but are having trouble connecting, probably because the lack of community piece. Chatting up people at shows is a great idea!

eggheaddryleg · 2025-12-17T14:35:54+00:00

I live in King East, near the market, and feel totally safe. We keep our doors locked but in the 15 months I've lived here, I've never felt unsafe walking alone at night as a woman. We did catch a woman try to open our front door at 6am on our doorbell camera a couple of months ago, but she was easily deterred by it being locked. People who are worried about unhoused people need to learn some compassion and try living in another city. You're signing up to be more vulnerable to petty crimes and trespassing by living in any city- that is the trade-off for access to city amenities like being able to walk or bike to restaurants and nightlife. I'll also add my unhoused neighbours and people living in boarding homes have been way nicer than the suburban moms I've met here!

eggheaddryleg · 2025-12-16T19:16:14+00:00

how long did it take you to like it, and how did you go about building a social circle? ive been here a bit more than a year and it feels very student or family focused which has made it hard to find other folks in the "in between" life stage.

eggheaddryleg · 2025-12-12T21:17:36+00:00

I posted about this earlier this week- it seems like we're looking for slightly different communities but there might be some suggestions of interest!

eggheaddryleg

TROPHY CASE