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These Women Figured It Out. The New York Times “There were meet-ups that were generalized for those in their 20s, 30s and 40s, but there was nothing for older women,†said the founder of a group in Los Angeles. “And I didn’t want men.†Finding Female Friends Over 50 Can Be Hard.
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These Women Figured It Out . Dale Pollekoff, 71, moved to Los Angeles after a long career in graphic design in Washington D.C. As a single woman with no children, she felt drawn to the city’s weather and the less conservative ideas of varied lifestyles. “I feel more like I can be me here,†she said. But soon after her move in 2000, she ran into the challenge of meeting people to explore her new home with. “When you’re middle-aged, you make friends in your job,†Ms. Pollekoff said. “After that, it’s very, very hard.†Los Angeles also doesn’t make relationships easy. The city is vast, and the traffic is unforgiving and constant. People often talk about the perils of dating and meeting people in major cities as young adults, but it can be just as hard for an older demographic, who according to many of the women in the group, feel largely ignored. In 2015, after failed attempts to find a group focused on female friendships, Ms. Pollekoff decided to start her own group, called Finding Female Friends Past Fifty on Meetup, a site where people can make online groups to meet up in real life. After just a couple of weeks, the group amassed around 200 members. And it just kept growing. Today, the group has more than 800 members. “There were a lot of groups that were focused on a particular activity, and there were meet-ups that were generalized for those in their 20s, 30s and 40s, but there was nothing for older women,†Ms. Pollekoff said. “And I didn’t want men.†Many studies have concluded that friendships are vital to a person’s well-being, and this is especially true for older women. A study by the Industrial Psychiatry Journal published in Psychology Today showed a significant relationship between depression and loneliness in older people. It suggested that “female friendships can be the key to happiness in older women, but they’re not often treated as such.†It’s not emphasized as much as exercising or eating well, but it’s just as important , according to the study. (For more articles about wellness, visit our self-care section .) The first meet-up Ms. Pollekoff organized was a happy hour event at a bar in Century City. Around 20 women showed up and, in her eyes, it was a huge success. “Everybody had a fabulous time and everybody got along,†she said. “There were two women who were sitting next to each other and it turned out that they lived within two blocks of one another. They are best, inseparable friends now.†The members have varied and rich interests, and that is reflected in the group’s activities, including a screening of documentary film “Free Solo,†a recurring Proust Questionnaire parlor game, a tour of Pasadena’s mansions, and a “carb crawl†inspired by a New York Times article about Los Angeles as an emerging “bread paradise.†One of the first members was Lindsie Carlsen, 73, an Angeleno who has retired and now manages her apartment building part time. She identifies as a trans sexual woman and transitioned when she was 59. Ms. Carlsen was a member of a lesbian group when she lived in the San Fernando Valley, but decided to find a different community after her move to Mid-Wilshire, a centrally located district close to museums like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Her decision was prompted by a desire for more diverse activities. “My interests are all over the place,†she said. Finding Female Friends Past Fifty was a match for Ms. Carlsen, who appreciated Ms. Pollekoff’s out-of-the-box events. “None of the other groups I’m part of do these really inventive things.†The group’s most frequent activity? Art gallery visits. On a recent gloomy Sunday afternoon in December, the women gathered to go to an Ai Weiwei exhibit at the Marciano Art Foundation. Ms. Pollekoff said she was deeply touched by Mr. Ai’s show at Alcatraz many years back and thought members would appreciate this show. They had to cap the attendees to nine because of ticket limitations and had more than a dozen people on the wait-list. The group, including a couple of first-time attendees, walked into the museum together. While Ms. Pollekoff initially led the charge, once inside, everyone moved at their own pace. They occasionally discussed the pieces of art together or asked the docent questions. But mostly there was quiet. Standing in front of Mr. Ai’s massive installation “Sunflower Seeds,†a piece composed of 49 tons of individual porcelain sunflower seeds, and “Spouts,†an installation of thousands of antique teapot spouts, the group ruminated on the pieces. Ms. Pollekoff shared information about the artist to curious members. Linda Ralph, 66, a first-time attendee, said: “I don’t have that many friends, but I don’t need a lot of friends. I’m quite happy with me.†Ms. Ralph said she did not participate much in other groups but was drawn to the group because of this particular exhibit. “I don’t need to do something to do something,†she said. “But I was moved to do this.†Another attendee, Julie Khalil, 62, said that “I feel like women have a lot of commonality that we don’t realize.†She looked for a group of friends after her son suggested she find people to hike with. “I’ve learned that at this stage in life, after years of putting our careers and families first, we are looking for a deeper type of friendship thanwe’ve had in the past,†she said. Downstairs, the group found another massive installation by Mr.
Lonely women looking for men
Lonely women seeking men
These Women Figured It Out. The New York Times “There were meet-ups that were generalized for those in their 20s, 30s and 40s, but there was nothing for older women,†said the founder of a group in Los Angeles. “And I didn’t want men.†Finding Female Friends Over 50 Can Be Hard.
ENTER TO THE SITE
These Women Figured It Out . Dale Pollekoff, 71, moved to Los Angeles after a long career in graphic design in Washington D.C. As a single woman with no children, she felt drawn to the city’s weather and the less conservative ideas of varied lifestyles. “I feel more like I can be me here,†she said. But soon after her move in 2000, she ran into the challenge of meeting people to explore her new home with. “When you’re middle-aged, you make friends in your job,†Ms. Pollekoff said. “After that, it’s very, very hard.†Los Angeles also doesn’t make relationships easy. The city is vast, and the traffic is unforgiving and constant. People often talk about the perils of dating and meeting people in major cities as young adults, but it can be just as hard for an older demographic, who according to many of the women in the group, feel largely ignored. In 2015, after failed attempts to find a group focused on female friendships, Ms. Pollekoff decided to start her own group, called Finding Female Friends Past Fifty on Meetup, a site where people can make online groups to meet up in real life. After just a couple of weeks, the group amassed around 200 members. And it just kept growing. Today, the group has more than 800 members. “There were a lot of groups that were focused on a particular activity, and there were meet-ups that were generalized for those in their 20s, 30s and 40s, but there was nothing for older women,†Ms. Pollekoff said. “And I didn’t want men.†Many studies have concluded that friendships are vital to a person’s well-being, and this is especially true for older women. A study by the Industrial Psychiatry Journal published in Psychology Today showed a significant relationship between depression and loneliness in older people. It suggested that “female friendships can be the key to happiness in older women, but they’re not often treated as such.†It’s not emphasized as much as exercising or eating well, but it’s just as important , according to the study. (For more articles about wellness, visit our self-care section .) The first meet-up Ms. Pollekoff organized was a happy hour event at a bar in Century City. Around 20 women showed up and, in her eyes, it was a huge success. “Everybody had a fabulous time and everybody got along,†she said. “There were two women who were sitting next to each other and it turned out that they lived within two blocks of one another. They are best, inseparable friends now.†The members have varied and rich interests, and that is reflected in the group’s activities, including a screening of documentary film “Free Solo,†a recurring Proust Questionnaire parlor game, a tour of Pasadena’s mansions, and a “carb crawl†inspired by a New York Times article about Los Angeles as an emerging “bread paradise.†One of the first members was Lindsie Carlsen, 73, an Angeleno who has retired and now manages her apartment building part time. She identifies as a trans sexual woman and transitioned when she was 59. Ms. Carlsen was a member of a lesbian group when she lived in the San Fernando Valley, but decided to find a different community after her move to Mid-Wilshire, a centrally located district close to museums like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Her decision was prompted by a desire for more diverse activities. “My interests are all over the place,†she said. Finding Female Friends Past Fifty was a match for Ms. Carlsen, who appreciated Ms. Pollekoff’s out-of-the-box events. “None of the other groups I’m part of do these really inventive things.†The group’s most frequent activity? Art gallery visits. On a recent gloomy Sunday afternoon in December, the women gathered to go to an Ai Weiwei exhibit at the Marciano Art Foundation. Ms. Pollekoff said she was deeply touched by Mr. Ai’s show at Alcatraz many years back and thought members would appreciate this show. They had to cap the attendees to nine because of ticket limitations and had more than a dozen people on the wait-list. The group, including a couple of first-time attendees, walked into the museum together. While Ms. Pollekoff initially led the charge, once inside, everyone moved at their own pace. They occasionally discussed the pieces of art together or asked the docent questions. But mostly there was quiet. Standing in front of Mr. Ai’s massive installation “Sunflower Seeds,†a piece composed of 49 tons of individual porcelain sunflower seeds, and “Spouts,†an installation of thousands of antique teapot spouts, the group ruminated on the pieces. Ms. Pollekoff shared information about the artist to curious members. Linda Ralph, 66, a first-time attendee, said: “I don’t have that many friends, but I don’t need a lot of friends. I’m quite happy with me.†Ms. Ralph said she did not participate much in other groups but was drawn to the group because of this particular exhibit. “I don’t need to do something to do something,†she said. “But I was moved to do this.†Another attendee, Julie Khalil, 62, said that “I feel like women have a lot of commonality that we don’t realize.†She looked for a group of friends after her son suggested she find people to hike with. “I’ve learned that at this stage in life, after years of putting our careers and families first, we are looking for a deeper type of friendship thanwe’ve had in the past,†she said. Downstairs, the group found another massive installation by Mr.
Lonely women looking for men
Lonely women seeking men