Ask HN: Free indoor adult-friendly solo activities away from home
I am looking for ideas of solo adult-friendly indoor activities, done away from home, that do not cost anything, besides the cost of transportation to get there. An example would be quietly reading books at Barnes and Noble without buying any.
Finding any results for such ideas has proven incredibly elusive on multiple search engines, with several dozen search variations now (including many with numerous advanced operators). Many seem to think I'm either trying to start a business for free, or trying to entertain kids indoors on a rainy day.
Any ideas on other such activities, or search terms that help uncover them? I'm employed at FAANG as an SWE, it's not like I'm incompetent using search engines, but I'm getting nowhere with this on my own.
19 comments
[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 53.7 ms ] threadEdit: did not see "solo" word. How about sport activities? Running costs literally zero, some other sports like longboarding requires a little bit of gear. Hiking/bikepacking is another popular choice which costs absolutely nothing.
1. Sports - all I have mentioned in edit but not limited to it. Somebody likes speed, somebody likes heighth, somebody likes heavylifting. Sometimes health issues limits what you can do. Sometimes skill matters. Or good company. Or geography, seazon, weather. Looking at weather forecast may be a big deal for newbie outdoor discoverer.
2. Travelling - chose your desired transport, point B, time, money, DRP and go!
3. Doing something with your hands - works best either at your own yard or when you are in group with experienced master. Examples: welding (but not soldering), gardening, building, crafting, digging.
4. Just relaxing - cafes, open-airs, festivals, artwatching, birdwatching, trainwatching, laying on the beach, taking part in a barbeque party. Definitely more that I can count, just only a music festival of different genre may be so different from other genres.
5. Degrading - doing criminal activities, making stupid videos for yt/tt, watching that videos. Also boozing.
6. Hunting for sex - no comments.
7. Real hunting (not only shooting) or at least fishing.
8. Meditating (for advanced outdoor masters) - try spending as much time as possible (8-12 hours is a good start) without moving or bio feeling, or even thinking (especially without thinking). Works best if a long and exhausting way back home is needed afterwards. Does not work if any computer device is anywhere less than 1km near you. Needs a little square carpet of foldable chair for sitting (laying is not an option).
9 (bonus for programmers) Coding somewhere on open air, try this now because on the Northern semisphere these are the warmest days ever. Needs lots of spare batteries especially if Internet is needed.
- guest lectures at local colleges
- live music at restaurants or bars (not always free, but sometimes it is)
- any sports/exercise at YMCA (not totally free, but incredibly inexpensive and saves money in the long run if it helps you exercise)
$5 for a few hours of hanging out in a safe and curated space really isn't a bad deal at all (it might be for the business, but not for you).
Back when I was in a similar boat, spending time at these community spaces and just being among people, whether I was working or reading or goofing off or people watching, really helped keep me sane.
If you can spend a little more, $10 or $20, it also opens up bowling, golf ranges, climbing, various lessons, concerts, lectures, etc.
The hard part here isn't the solo adult activity, it's being too cheap to support businesses that provide those activities.
-city council meetings or other public meetings if you're interested
-free museums or free days in museums (or botanical gardens, aquariums, arboretums, etc.) Many will have a mix of indoor/outdoor space.
-malls and food courts, or the new hipster shopping plazas that are like fancy malls with more iron and wood (common in some areas, not so much others)
-look on TripAdvisor and find cheap/free things
-airports and train/union stations before security
-libraries and universities
-art galleries are often free to browse
-coworking spaces sometimes offer work trade arrangements, if you'd rather pay them in time rather than dollars
-you can hang out at Starbucks and not buy anything and nobody will usually hassle you (I think it's corporate policy after a lawsuit a while ago). It's kinda a dick thing to do though if you're relatively well off and can afford even a basic drip coffee + tip
See for example the outrage when LastPass announced they’d start charging a few dollars a month.
In the case of small local businesses, each one is like a tiny startup, often someone's life's dream, with (by tech standards) very little investment, hard to hire for labor, a ton of regulations to work around, ever increasing rent, etc. They just cannot offer their services for free; it's not like they can just buy more VMs and scale up their coffee production or staff or whatever.
The OP wants community, but the people who work hard to create local communities have bills to pay too. SWEs talk about FIRE while some of the waitstaff may never even be able to retire, or have health insurance or vacations, etc. C'mon, it's not going to make or break you to actually contribute to local economic activity instead of hoarding wealth.
Not exactly free but very cheap - you can buy props for a few bucks and they last for years. Not exactly solo but pretty close - many Jugglers are introverts that go to juggling clubs mostly to practice by themselves in a corner.
As a bonus a large proportion of Jugglers are also SWEs so it's a great networking opportunity. I have personally received multiple job offers from fellow Jugglers.
A JCC/YMCA/gym membership is worth it even as an investment for your future health. Or go volunteer at your local food bank, or pick up a weekend retail shift.
Now with 'the office' being the same as home, I really need to find a 2nd place. The only thing I'd found was driving less and walking to stores and coffee shops within distance.
I tried some co-working spaces, but they were too worky. Seems like an opportunity: co-hanging spaces. Some places were good, but after I had a coffee, a tea, biscuits, I didn't know what else do to but leave.
There are also many activity-based community hangouts, like bouldering gyms, crossfit or spinning studios, board game cafes, disc golf places, hipster arcades, yoga studios, martial arts places, wine bars, neighborhood dives, bookstores, gardens, dance communities, etc.
A common thread between those is that they're usually the same group of mostly regulars, which means they can actually develop communities and cause people to organically hang out outside the activity itself. A lot of bouldering gyms, for example, recently became coworking spaces too where people can sit and do work even if they're not climbing. Bookstores often offer cafes for their clients and regulars to hang out at. Many pubs and dives have wifi now.
Maybe instead of spaces where you sit and do nothing (unless that's the goal), occupying your time with activities might give you more hangout options (and hopefully fun?)
As for a simple search term: free museums in <geographic area of interest> if you are willing to drive there, 5-10usd shouldn't make a difference and you will have lots more options.