Top Apps Update: Best Apps to Meet Up in Real Life

So last week, I did a post on 11 Best Apps to Meet Up In Real Life .

And I made a solemn vow (or at least made an off the cuff remark) to download the best apps and give them a whirl.

Here’s a little update as promised.

Meetup seems to be the most promising of the apps I downloaded. Phone and website users alike can search for nearby events they might like to crash.

The downside? A lot of the events didn’t fit for me. I like to run, for example, but I think it should be illegal to host a brisk five miler at 6 a.m. on a Saturday. Sorry, my loves.

(Saturday mornings are for cartoons. That’s like Life 101, people.)

Same goes for Michigan’s paranormal group, the RonPaul revolution, the Mid Michigan Ukelele strum and the clothing optional naturist group. Not exactly right up my alley.

(Nope. Not making any of these up. Michigan has it all, folks.)

The upside? I’m pretty sure I’ll eventually run into an event on Meetup that does fit my niche. Maybe they’ll launch a quirky-faith-blogger-author-mother-of-the-Emperor gathering soon. I’ll be standing in line for that one.

And, another unexpected upside, Meetup made me think–wow, it is obviously NOT SO HARD to pull together a group using technology. So I promptly logged into Facebook, tagged a few friends with kids in a picture, and waa-laah!! launched my own local park-based play group. (More later…)

I also used  the MeetMe app. I think that one cost me a buck (Ding! Ding! Please pause to celebrate the 2nd app I’ve ever purchased!). You put in your location, then you enter your friends’ location, and up pops a list of places where the two of you can meet in the middle.

I tried it with my parents over Easter weekend, purely because I was getting tired of meeting up at the same old places. Lo and behold, there are dozens of half-way points that never even occurred to me.

No more zooming into Google maps only to find that the Station is not a railroad themed steakhouse, but a full service gas station where truckers shower. Difference.

More on the other iphone apps later…

In the meantime, are you on Twitter? If so there’s an app I’m already using. Hit me up!

To see more posts on handy apps that help you meet people, click here.