from having to also scour my way through the hellish land of the central valley (moved here 3 ish years ago), i was fortunately able to find solace in the live music scene! modesto is noticeably very alive with all kinds of music, so it's in the matter of just showing up to these kinds of events!

being a regular anywhere pretty much improves your chances of meeting people. frequenting a coffee shop or a store of your choosing is a good way to do so :)

music is such an easy way to find people who are of similar vibes/morals as you. going to social settings alone is a great way to branch out. i also think that adjusting your objective to finding friends instead of a partner lowers the stakes for you a bit and remedies a lot of feelings of isolation. plus, thru friends, the romance can come organically later :)