Local meetups and hobbyist clubs of various sorts are full of interesting people who are already interested in some of the same things that you are. This brings down a huge barrier of getting to know someone: you've broken the ice merely by having an interest in a certain subject.

This is why people advocate to have hobbies (i.e., not-monetized ways to spend your time) outside of work, or at the very least a "third place" where you can meet new people in low-friction ways.