When Charlotte native Katey Shehan moved back to her hometown after a year of teaching English abroad, it didn’t feel like home anymore. Her old friends from high school no longer lived in the area, and Shehan isn’t afraid to admit that she hated living in Charlotte — until she made a solid group of friends. 

Shehan, 25, went viral on TikTok for videos she made while exploring different places to eat, drink and hang out in Charlotte with new friends that she found through her job. Other young Charlotteans, most of whom were transplants and didn’t have friends in the area yet, began commenting on her videos to ask if she wanted to meet and grab coffee or drinks. 

TWO YEARS LATER, Shehan now operates CLT Social Club, a free-to-join group for young people who are interested in making friends and finding a community in Charlotte. Shehan plans informal meet-ups at bars and breweries and invites her social media followers to grab a drink and mingle. 

Since hosting her first CLT Social Club meet-up in February 2022, Shehan has grown the group from about 50 people to over 1,000 who attend her events.

“So many people here are transplants and they’re living so far away from their family,” Shehan told The Ledger. “It’s very easy to quickly feel isolated. I think when you have at least one or two people on your phone that you could call in case of an emergency or when you’re feeling sad or when you want to celebrate something, it will make the city feel so much more like home.” 

WRITTEN BY LINDSAY BANKS FOR THE CHARLOTTE LEDGER. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.