When you don’t want to be at home but aren’t feeling like working either? Where do you go?
If you’re like most people, you may find yourself at a café, library, bookstore, park or your neighbourhood community space. These ‘third places’ are thriving for a reason: they fill a gap that comes when work takes place at home, shopping is online and much of our conversations happen onscreen.
Called ‘third places’ by sociologists, these informal public spaces allow us to connect with others outside of our home and workplace. We can socialise, work, unwind or simply feel like we’re a part of something larger than ourselves.
Want to learn more? Read on for our complete guide to third places:
What Is a Third Place?
The term “third place” was made popular by sociologist Ray Oldenburg. Coined in his 1989 book The Great Good Place, Third Places are defined as welcoming, informal public spaces that foster face-to-face interaction away from home and the office.
Third places can be coffee shops, libraries, bookstores, parks, recreation centres or even your local gym or club. What matters are the activities you do there and the opportunities they provide, rather than the physical space itself.
Third places should allow you to :
- Meet up with friends.
- Work independently.
- Relax and unwind.
Coffee Shops Are the New Social Clubs
Coffee shops are becoming increasingly popular as third places. You won’t catch anyone reading a book at today’s coffee shops; many have expanded to include workspaces for freelancers along with traditional seating areas.
One visit to a café in Mumbai, Bengaluru or Delhi will reveal individuals working on laptops, groups of students studying for exams, friends chatting over drinks and even whole book clubs meeting together.
Coffee shops often host several activities like book clubs, open-mic nights and even collaborative workshops. Students and remote workers frequent cafés to socialise and get out of the house (or home office).
Libraries are Third Places, Too
Public libraries are undergoing a similar transformation. Instead of just shelve after shelf of books, many modern libraries offer technology areas, workshops, club rooms and café spaces.
Events, courses and community gatherings also give you chances to meet other people with similar interests. Even when the library is empty, they’re still a great place to study, learn new skills or even work.
Students and freelancers especially benefit from libraries because they offer a quiet affordable space to go where you don’t have to buy anything to use the space for hours.
Third Places Are Important…Even If We Spend More Time Online
Yes, you can get a coffee delivered to your door. You can chat to your friends on social media and buy everything without leaving your couch. But human connection isn’t always the same when you’re behind a screen.
That’s where third places come in. When was the last time you struck up a conversation with someone because you recognised their face at the gym? Third places allow for unplanned social interaction.
Maybe you’ll chat with someone at a book club or community event. Maybe you’ll start saying hello to your barista at your local coffee shop. Maybe you’ll make friends with someone who sits next to you at the library. Before you know it, familiar faces will make your neighbourhood feel like home.
Remote workers, students, new migrants, older adults and freelancers can particularly benefit from third places. Anyone who spends long hours alone on a regular basis deserves the opportunity to unwind and connect with others.
What Makes a Third Place Successful?
All coffee shops and libraries won’t become third places. What matters most is how comfortable and welcoming they make you feel.
For many people, this can depend on how affordable they are along with accessibility and seating options. A variety of areas to socialise and quietly work are nice, too.
The best third places encourage you to return and gradually connect with others. Cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Pune and Kolkata are already filled with cafés, indie bookstores and other cultural third places people enjoy spending time at.
