Michael / November 7, 2007 3:45 AM

Depends on the bar.

Veronica / November 7, 2007 6:28 AM

Always older. I tend to be the baby of the group because of some "adjustments" that happened when I was in school. I have exactly one friend that's younger than me and it's only by five months.

jennifer / November 7, 2007 7:04 AM

both. my boyfriend is 10 years older. most friends are within that range. there are a couple of younguns that I have deemed worthy enough to be my friend. ;)

either way, I don't discriminate. anyone that can have a good conversation, can entertain me, and tolerate my craziness can be my friend.

Bill V / November 7, 2007 7:49 AM

Some of both. My closest friends are the same age as me or a little older. The ones I go out with the most to bars, concerts etc. are definitely younger.

Hal / November 7, 2007 8:29 AM

Either the same age or a little younger. The latter because most other couples our age are having kids and have moved to the burbs or, at least, dropped off the social radar.

Leelah / November 7, 2007 8:35 AM

My closest friends, longtime friends from high school and college, the people I hang out with the most, are exactly the same age (37). At work, I am the oldest of my friends by a few years.

Lizzy / November 7, 2007 8:38 AM

Until about five years ago, my friends were consistently older than I am. Now, in a disturbing trend I find myself unable to reverse, they are getting younger and younger. I think it is--as Hal says--I'm still single and most people my age are marrying, procreating and less available for socializing.

Caffeine Free / November 7, 2007 8:58 AM

Mostly older (except for my boyfriend who's a mere 6 months my junior).

I'd say on average, the people I hang out with are anywhere from 5-18 years older than me.

I would mostly attribute this to the fact that I have only one friend from high school and a lot of my friends from college were older when they went to school.

dan / November 7, 2007 9:25 AM

Usually a year to a few years older. They're great people, but due to my age (30), I'm now in an unfortunate situation. They're marrying and breeding, and I no longer have as many concert / activity buddies.

Spook / November 7, 2007 10:10 AM

With the exception of college, always older friends. Its funny, even the women I tend to fall for are older, which is why when ever I date some one my own age, I feel like I'm robbing the cradle. Yea I feel you Dan about the friends marrying and breeding, but be patient, the reality is educated folks are hhaving less kids and with the divorce rate over 50 percent, soon the only people who will be married and having/adopting kids will be gay folks, and I call this progress

Val / November 7, 2007 10:16 AM

I feel that everyone is pretty much the same age once they have a job and have to be an adult.

kate / November 7, 2007 10:22 AM

Most of my friends are within a +/- 5 year age range. A couple younger, a couple more older but by and large, we're all close in age. Well, I don't have any friends 5 years younger than me - maybe a year - but I do have plenty of friends 5 years older.

sky / November 7, 2007 10:24 AM

For the most part my friends are the same age or older...up to about 15 years older.
I vowed I would never date anyone younger than me, and sure enough I went on a date with a younger dude and he's the love of my life. Who knew?

Mikey / November 7, 2007 10:44 AM

At 38, many of my friends are younger, with the rest roughly the same age. At least now they're all 30+...

Like the other commenters, a good number of my friends have fallen off the social radar due to marriage, kids, etc. And to be honest, I find it hard to maintain a friendship with another guy if he's never available to hit the bars at least occasionally--that's how we bond...

JasonB / November 7, 2007 10:46 AM

older. haven't had friends in or around my age group since high school.

tortor / November 7, 2007 11:11 AM

older... since high school have been in jobs/situations/phases that usually involve people 4-10 years older than me

the people i hang out with the most are my cousins who are 8 years older. hmm. perhaps its that the other 23 year olds that i know are still in denial about college being over?

Emily / November 7, 2007 11:26 AM

Both; over/under of 5 years, but recently it's trended to more of them a year or two younger than me. The older ones are paired up now, and I grew tired of being the third wheel.

james / November 7, 2007 11:37 AM

Older.

I was one of the youngest in my class all through school and am by far the youngest at my work. All of my friends since college have initially thought I was 3-4 years older than I really am. The one exception is I have dated more younger girls than older.

p / November 7, 2007 12:15 PM

he's younger.

Sam / November 7, 2007 1:47 PM

When I was in HS, all of my friends were my brother's friends and he was two years younger than me, but he was still younger than them. Why 16-18 year olds tolerated a 12-yo is a mystery...but ever since then my friends have been 3-4 years older than me, and I couldn't even tolerate people my own age. Now that they're starting their early 30's, I find often myself with people my own age, since they'd rather stay in more and more...

Mac / November 7, 2007 2:13 PM

While at University, my friends' ages were all over the place.
After moving to Chicago, my friends have gotten younger and younger (or just disappeared) over the years. Probably for the same reason mentioned above: I'm single, all my original friends are married w/ kids and I still go out.
That and my two retail oriented jobs are loaded with younger coworkers.

snuh / November 7, 2007 2:16 PM

98% of the time, they're older. One of my dear friends is 25 years older than me. Younger people kind of creep me out. I know that'll really come in handy when I'm a parent.

Emerson Dameron / November 7, 2007 2:21 PM

It's a mix. I tend to prefer being around younger people, or at least people who are still... I tried "experimenting," "exploring" and "figuring themselves out," but there's no way I can do it without sounding sexy.

Constantly bitching about work and displaying baby pictures can make anyone an off-my-Christmas-list motherfucker.

eric / November 7, 2007 2:31 PM

My fiancée is my age (33), but we both have many younger friends from playing ultimate, a sport that's dominated by twenty-somethings. I dated a nineteen year old who was on my team; I was lying to myself when I said the age gap wasn't an issue.

B / November 7, 2007 3:29 PM

I have no friends.

holden / November 7, 2007 4:36 PM

I don't have any friends. Friends are lame....

oh, oops, i still thought we were talking about cellphones.

Dunl / November 7, 2007 7:27 PM

Yes.

D Plus / November 7, 2007 8:56 PM

Used to be both, but as I approach the upper end of the age spectrum the older ones are... disappearing.

Also, I work in a high school. There is a steady stream of new aquaintances there.

Whatwhat / November 7, 2007 9:21 PM

@Emerson Dameron

You tire of older people and their annoying older people habits yet you have a Christmas list? Whose the old motherfucker now? I'm confused. Too bad for the oldies, they're probably missing out on a killer "What Emerson did this past year" form letter with the card they're not getting. Sigh.

paul / November 8, 2007 9:53 AM

Young people suck, with their loud music and their ridiculous clothes, and they're always on their cell phones, and I bet they're not talking to people like me.

Seriously, it's a mix, most being around my age, and although I have a few friends 20 years younger than me, I'm certainly not hanging with them all the time. Mainly cause I can't take the loud music and incessant babbling.

Eamon / November 8, 2007 9:53 AM

+/- 10 years. Derby is weird.

fluffy / November 8, 2007 10:28 AM

1/3 older, 2/3 younger. I don't have a lot of friends. The ones I do have, mean a lot to me and age has nothing to do with it.

Val / November 8, 2007 11:05 AM

Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese.

Paul: I've met some very interesting non-incessant babbling 20-somethings. And I've met some very ridiculous 40-somethings... age is not the issue...

matt / November 8, 2007 11:20 AM

or a wine Val, age matters if you are a wine.

the ages of my friends vary 6 or 7 years in both directions, some friends in their early 30s, some 19.

annie / November 8, 2007 1:04 PM

Most of my friends are my age. Work friends are few years younger. I'm 32 and almost all of my friends are married, have children and have moved to the suburbs. I'm getting married soon and plan to start a family, but we've made a deal that we will not let our social lifes be comprimised too much. For starters, we're never leaving the City. But, I do prefer to hang out with people that are a few years older...I still need all the advice I can get.

sam b. / November 8, 2007 1:57 PM

the same age. but my heroes have ALWAYS been cowboys. (and they still are, it seems.)

Val / November 8, 2007 2:59 PM

Oh, you are too right Matt. I tip my glass to you.

Emerson Dameron / November 8, 2007 4:04 PM

@Whatwhat,

"Sigh" back atcha, creep. You're SO out of my bridge club.

J D / November 8, 2007 6:40 PM

My friends are always younger, and way older. i havent had a friend my age since high school.
Come to think of it, my friend closest in age is 5 years younger. The extermes are 8 years younger and 27 years older. Makes ya think!