Hi @Jillianhenthorn it can be a bit challenging to find others in your area without already knowing Local Guides in the area.
One thing you can do right now is to browse the upcoming meet ups in the United States.
https://www.localguidesconnect.com/c/meet-ups/5/l/latest?q=in%3Aupcoming%20tags%3AUS
As of now, there’s currently there’s only one meet up coming soon being hosted by @KarenVChin and @ErmesT . It’s a virtual meet up so technically everyone around the world can join, but it could also be a good chance to learn about how the new Connect works, and maybe shows your interest that you want to do a meet up in NYC area.
In the future, you can also try hosting your own meet up and invite others to join! Below is a good tutorial on how to host your own meet up
https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t/how-to-organize-a-successful-meet-up/463414