build more genuine friendships in nyc

friend zone connects you to people in your area looking for more meaningful platonic connections.

you’re not the only one in the neighborhood looking for new friends. we promise.

but even so, real platonic connections can be really hard to find. that’s why friend zone gives you a place to start.

we set you up on in-person friend dates with kind, authentic, open-minded people who live nearby and want to connect.

“i can’t tell you how refreshing it was to meet someone and be such fast friends, it’s been a really long time since that’s happened”

jessie (she/her)

here’s how it works:

💙 you pay for your first match, and complete a quick form telling us more about you and what you’re looking for.

💜 you book a 10-15 minute video call with lindsey, friend zone founder, so we can chat, get a vibe, and make sure you’re not a robot.

❤️ we match you with a potential new friend who shares similar interests.

🧡 you get an email with your match’s name and number and a location to meet up. then the two of you coordinate a date and time from there.

💛 you go meet your new connection, and see if a friendship sparks!

"i had never actually gotten to the point of meeting up with someone, so it was really nice to just have a thing to go to and just kind of see what happens.”

mellissa (she/her)

our mission is to help people embrace more platonic love in their lives.

that’s why we’re called friend zone. we want to help you make more friends, because we believe that building healthy, authentic, non-romantic relationships can help us all feel less alone and more connected, both to each other and to ourselves.

“this process removes some of the initial anxiety because you already know going into it that the other person is also very down to get to know someone new in a platonic way."

diana (she/her)

make your nyc business a go-to spot for new friends

partner with us! we’ll send our friend dates to you. if they choose your business as their date activity, they probably live or work nearby and could ultimately become repeat customers.

advertise and learn about events to enjoy in nyc

we share info about upcoming events with our audience of people who want to get out and enjoy the city with new friends. if you want to get the word out about your event, let us know!

answers to your questions

  • your first match costs $20. after you go on your first friend date, we set you up with more connections for $10 per match.

    the first match costs more because it includes a video call with a real person (lindsey, friend zone founder), so you can ask any questions you might have and share more about who you are and what you’re looking for.

  • for now, friend zone is only available in new york city. but stay tuned, because we’re planning to expand! if you’d like to see friend zone in your city in the future, send us a message.

  • we intentionally offer activities that are less structured and low-cost, like a chat in a coffee shop, a stroll in a park, or a trip to a farmer’s market, so you can feel free to leave at any time. all activities happen in public spaces or businesses and while it’s still light out.

  • we do our best to offer a wide range of activities and options so that everyone is included — but if none of the activities we offer work for you, please just reach out to lindsey (lindsey@hellofriendzone.com) and she’ll work with you to come up with an activity that does.

  • we have a video call with every single one of our customers before setting them up on a friend date and all friend zone users agree to this set of community values and policies.

    friend date activities are held in public spaces while it’s still light out (between 10:00 am and 8:00 pm ET).

    if you go on a friend date and you feel that your match has broken any of our community policies, please reach out to lindsey (lindsey@hellofriendzone.com) and she’ll work with you to address the situation.

  • honestly, we don’t. we choose matches based on shared availability, location, and interests. we can’t promise you’ll find your BFF on the first date — but we can promise the opportunity to connect in an authentic way.

    unlike other friendship apps, there’s no swiping through profiles and choosing people based on appearance, and social media is completely excluded from the matching process.

    this way, you and your match can just show up as yourselves with no preconceived judgments, and see if there’s a spark.