Hey pineapple,
I was thinking the same thing. Before I was introduced to this board, my friends in Astoria were almost all people that I met while just "hanging out. There are a whole group of folks that I associated with at a video store and bodega on 36th Avenue, who I still see today, although not as much as I used to, since I no longer live on the block and both of the businesses have since closed. If you ever walk down 36th Avenue between Steinway and Crescent with me, you'll know what I'm talking about.
That's not for everyone, I realize. Pineapple's suggestion is great, especially during the warm days of summer, when there are a lot of other single people just hanging out. Maybe they are also looking for the same connection, but are too afraid to say anything. I was just outside, grabbing my second iced coffee of the morning, when I struck up a conversation with someone at Natural Market who was standing in line. I guess I'm pretty outgoing, but it's not like it took a lot of effort.
Also, there are a lot of events in the area that are posted in the board that you might want to check out. I've started to do more in the community and I've been able to meet some great people. Sometimes you might want to send a PM or post a reply to a member who is seeing a particular concert and going to an event or just want to hang out. There are a couple of members that I can think of who have asked if anyone wanted to join them in varying activities. And of course there's always the random Astorians mixer that pops up.