The Eternal Post-Grad Question

Here it is, 5 months after graduation. I have had the opportunity to see friends a lot during this span of time, both from college and high school/elementary school. It seems to me, that we all have the exact same question that has come up in EVERY SINGLE MEETING I have had with friends from all areas of my life. And that is this:

If you are no longer in school, where do you meet people?

Now this question is posed both romantically and even just for friends, though primarily it is posed in the romantic context. We wonder, if we aren't in a school environment anymore, and we don't want to date someone at work (or, depending on where they work, might not even be an option) or pick up people in bars (because we all know that most people in bars are not usually looking for a long term soul mate, but instead searching for a one night stand), then where are you supposed to meet people to date?

The answer that everyone always says?

"Coffee shops/cafes"

That really is the first, and usually the only, thing that people can come up with. Okay, this isn't like Central Perk on "Friends" where people randomly come up and start talking to you. I have never seen anyone go up to a random person in a coffee house and start chatting them up and engage them in long conversations. The closest I've come to that is a guy that had been sitting at the table by my friend and I and as he was leaving, told us that our conversation was interesting, and he picked up his coffee and belongs and walked out. You might be thinking, "Amy, you've just contradicted yourself by saying it never happens that people go up to strangers and talk to them and it's happened to you!" But I'm talking about like someone going up to you and start hitting on you and asking for your number at such. Most people I see in coffee shops are with other people, or are studying, or are on their laptops/iPods/mp3 players/phones, etc. and don't look like they want to be interrupted because they are plugged into their electronics.

So I'm asking you world, other than coffee shops, where do you meet people? I know a lot of people that are curious, so share your knowledge people! Drop a comment with suggestions, who knows, maybe your suggestion will lead someone to their soul mate.