Your people, in every city you land in.
Meet people, join local communities, and make real plans in the cities you call home.
For expats, nomads, travelers, students and locals — dinners, hikes, sailing and language nights.
Free to join · Applications reviewed by hand within 24–48 hours · Pay only for events you attend
Happening this week
Real plans, real people — members walk into any of them.
How are you coming to Istanbul?
A page for each way of arriving, with the practical side and the people.
Visiting
In town for a few days or weeks. See who else is visiting, what is on during your stay, and locals happy to meet.
Plan your visitWorking remotely
Here for a while with a laptop. Your first 72 hours: SIM and internet, a neighborhood, coworking sessions, and people.
Your first 72 hoursMoving here
Building a life here. Residence permits, housing, banking, healthcare, neighborhoods — and people who have already figured it out.
Start your moveStudying here
Meet people beyond your campus, discover the city, and make your semester more than lectures.
Your first weekFind your Smileys city
Every Smileys city is its own local community — its own members, clubs, events and hosts. One account gets you into all of them.
Founding now
Open to join — the first members shape what each one becomes.
Ankara
TürkiyeThe capital on the steppe — Anıtkabir, the citadel, embassy-row dinners and a student city that stays up late.
Founding stage · 3 clubs forming · be one of the first
Antalya
TürkiyeMediterranean beach life with Kaleiçi's old town at its heart.
Founding stage · 4 clubs forming · be one of the first
Bodrum
TürkiyeSailing days and marina evenings on the Aegean's favorite peninsula.
Founding stage · 3 clubs forming · be one of the first
Bursa
TürkiyeThe first Ottoman capital under its own mountain — silk bazaars, thermal hamams and Uludağ weekends.
Founding stage · 3 clubs forming · be one of the first
Eskişehir
TürkiyeA student city on the Porsuk — Odunpazarı's Ottoman houses, river boats, meerschaum and çiğ börek.
Founding stage · 3 clubs forming · be one of the first
Izmir
TürkiyeSeaside life on the Aegean — Kordon sunsets, long breakfasts and an easygoing crowd.
Founding stage · 3 clubs forming · be one of the first
Coming soon
Athens
GreeceRooftops under the Acropolis, squares that never close, and an island before lunch.
New York City
United StatesFive boroughs, a hundred neighborhoods, and a city that assumes you just arrived.
Sofia
BulgariaVitosha on the skyline, a centre you cross on foot, and the Balkans' easiest base for a year abroad.
Tbilisi
GeorgiaSulphur baths, natural wine and a city that lets you stay a year — the Caucasus capital where nomads become locals.
More cities are coming. Somewhere you'd like to see Smileys? Tell us where.
Everything a new city should come with.
Moving somewhere new shouldn't mean starting your social life from zero every time.
Meet people
Discover people who share your interests, your stage of life and your sense of humor.
Join clubs
Communities built around activities and passions — sailing, theater, hiking, food, film, language.
Discover events
From dinners and nightlife to sailing, theater, sports and workshops, set up by members who host.
Explore your neighborhood
Find people and plans near where you actually live, not across town.
Discover experiences
Go beyond group chats and see the city together — the whole point is offline.
Stay connected across cities
Your Smileys profile travels with you when you visit another Smileys city.
How membership works
No subscription, no membership fee. Here's the whole deal.
Joining is free
Apply in about three minutes. We review every application by hand within 24–48 hours — we look for vibe alignment, not credentials.
You only pay for events you choose
Many hangouts are free. Some curated events and experiences have a ticket price set by the host, shown clearly before you RSVP.
Everything opens up once you’re in
RSVP to events, join clubs and their walls, message other members and post on your city’s community board.
Visiting a Smileys city?
Members announce their trips before they land, see what's on during their stay and join the city's events and clubs while they're there — one account, every Smileys city.
Plan a visitHow it works
- 1. Join Smileys — a short application, reviewed by hand.
- 2. Post your dates and the city you're heading to.
- 3. Members there can see you're coming; join their events and club nights while you're in town.
Gets better with every city we launch — one account, every community.
Get to know your city
Neighborhoods, where to go, things to do, coworking, nightlife, day trips and the local knowledge that normally takes a year to pick up.
The Istanbul guide
Neighborhoods, food, nightlife, coworking and practical life admin.
The Ankara guide
Neighborhoods, food, nightlife, coworking and practical life admin.
The Antalya guide
Neighborhoods, food, nightlife, coworking and practical life admin.
The Bodrum guide
Neighborhoods, food, nightlife, coworking and practical life admin.
The Bursa guide
Neighborhoods, food, nightlife, coworking and practical life admin.
The Eskişehir guide
Neighborhoods, food, nightlife, coworking and practical life admin.
The Izmir guide
Neighborhoods, food, nightlife, coworking and practical life admin.
The handbook
Residence permits, banking, healthcare and the rest of moving-country admin.
Life happens offline
Stories, guides and words from the Smileys community.
Argentine Cinema Comes to Kadıköy: Secrets, Swindlers and Stories That Stay With You
From 23 October 2026, Sinematek/Sinema Evi invites Istanbul audiences into a world of family secrets, dangerous memories and very convincing liars.
The Many Lives of Türkiye
From Ladino songs in İzmir to Syriac traditions near Mardin, discover the languages, family histories and communities that shape life in Türkiye.
Love Without Borders: When Two Cultures Fall in Love
What happens when two people from different cultures fall in love? Discover the attraction, surprises, and realities of international relationships.
"Two years ago I attended my first Smileys activity on International Women’s Day. Even though it was my first time meeting most of the people there, I felt like I was among sisters rather than strangers. Smileys isn’t just a group for activities — it’s a place that brings kind people together and creates real friendships and beautiful memories."
Sara K.
Member since 2023
"I joined Smileys two weeks after moving to Istanbul with zero contacts. By the end of my first month I had dinner plans four nights a week. I genuinely don't know what my life here would look like without it."
Emma L.
Relocated from Paris
"I’m a street photographer, and Smileys has given me the chance to share my passion with people from different cultures. What I find inspiring is how foreigners view Istanbul with fresh eyes — through them, I’ve discovered details in the city I had never noticed before. What keeps me anchored here is the mutual respect and strong sense of equality that everyone embodies."
Hakan T.
Street photographer & club host
One community. Growing city by city.
Smileys started in Istanbul. We're building a global network of local communities where international people can meet, connect and build a social life together.
1,600+ members and counting.
Ready to find your people?
Join Smileys and start building your social life, wherever you are.