B19's suggestion sounds positive. I've never joined a meet-up group, but, I did go with a group of like-minded folks, on weekend adventures around historical areas of Los Angeles, and I met some very nice and interesting people. I did not stay in touch with any of them, but, I suppose if I had made an effort, I could have.
I made a (somewhat) friend just by way of keeping the same work schedule. We wound up watching films, together, on his office computer, after hours which was really nice. Sadly, he recently moved to a different firm, so that ended almost as soon as it began. But, that's my most prefered way of connecting with others. It rarely happens, but it feels most natural.
My cousin who is an architect, took some related classes, for fun, at his local city college and met his wife in one of his classes. They have been married for over 20 years.