I'm not sure why you don't think board game groups are a good idea. The attendees seem like a pretty good mix of people to me.

When I first moved to my current city, I joined one, and met a couple who became some of my best friends here. I never would have met them were it not for the group. I realize that not everyone will have the same experience, I just don't see why "recommend board game groups" is rejected as bad advice.

While there are plenty of perfectly fine boardgame groups, if you regularly read posts on the subject you'll find that a LOT of people have discovered that their local boardgame group is full of people who lack the social skills to make friends on their own to play boardgames with.

I agree with you that it isn't bad advice per se. But it should probably come with a warning that the local group might just be full of weirdos and to cut your losses if that seems to be the case.

When I moved to Toronto I found a local roleplaying group and if possible that crowd has an even bigger set of people lacking certain social skills. Despite that, I met most of my friendship group in Toronto through the people I met at that group.

You don't go to the boardgame group because everyone there will be your ideal friendship candidate. You go to find a few people who you get on well with, then invite them over to your place or to some common ground for boardgames (or other mutually enjoyable activity) outside of the group and without the socially inept.

As a middle aged dev type who prefers pretty girls to middle aged dev types, film / acting events are kinda fun. You can even do an acting class and be an unemployed actor on the side like the rest of them.

This is called LARP’ing. A friend of mine does this. He also got a job as a bartender during weekends.

But normies' hobbies at that age are, as OP said, changing diapers and family picnics.