u/Disastrous-Scar-4610

I've been in Riga for 8 months now, first year at RTU. I thought I'd have more close friends by now, so I wanted to ask people who actually live here, especially Latvians.

My classmates are mostly from Uzbekistan and other countries. No Latvians in my class or friend group. I have a few Indian friends. I'm also friends with exchange students, but they leave every few months, so it feels like starting over each time. Other groups mostly stick to their own nationality, so it's hard to get close to them.

I tried ESN and met some cool people there. But after the event, I don't really see them again until the next one. Nothing turns into a real friendship.

So, locals — what should I actually do to make genuine friends here? Some questions:

Is it hard for Latvians to become close friends with foreigners, or am I just doing something wrong?

How do you turn someone you meet once at an event into an actual friend?

Is there any club or activity here that's not split by nationality — sports, gym, board games, anything like that?

Hey everyone,

I've noticed something — a lot of people, whether local or international, tend to stick within their own existing circles (nationality group, friend group, coworkers), and it can be hard to actually branch out and meet new people, even in the same city.

I'm exploring an idea to help with this — something that helps people (locals and internationals alike) connect with each other to go to local events, explore places, or even plan small trips together, instead of always sticking to the same group or going alone.

Before building anything, I genuinely want to understand:

Do you feel this is a real problem for you here in Riga? Or is it not really an issue?

If you've tried to make new friends outside your usual circle, what got in the way? (language, no shared interests, no easy way to meet, trust, etc.)

Would you actually use something like this if it existed — matching you with other people (any background) to go to an event/place together?

If not — I'd genuinely love to know why. Trust concerns? Already have enough friends? Prefer sticking to your usual group? Something else?

Not trying to sell anything here, genuinely just want honest opinions, even if it's "this is a bad idea."

Thanks in advance 🙏