What is a third place?
A third places is where people can engage in informal public life. The third place is not home or work/school (which constitute the first two places), but it is equally important to a community. This importance comes as a means of encouraging social interaction and in allowing individuals to withdraw from the duties of life and reinvigorate themselves.
In essence third places are where people go to get away, be themselves and enjoy other people.
Typical third places (as the sub-title of the book indicates) are: cafes, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons and other hangouts at the heart of a community. However, just because such a location exists does not make it a third place. In order to function as a third place the eight characteristics listed below must generally be found.
1.
On neutral ground
A third place is neutral ground where people can come and go as they please, everyone feels at home and where no individual is required to be a host. This is important because it allows for friendships and informal acquaintances not suitable for getting mixed up in one's private life. Because of this need, third places tend to be public or quasi-public in nature and cannot be substituted for with private space.
People gathered on street to watch game.
2.
Third place is a leveler
Third places eliminate or reduce the differences in class, position and rank of those present. Individuals do not have set roles in third places as they would at home, work or school. a person is free to be one's self. They are also inclusive places that have no formal criteria for joining or being excluded. As such, third places allow for more relationships and knowledge of other people than would be typical in other environments.
Conversation is main activity
The primary activity of a third place is conversation. The conversation is overwhelmingly lively, colorful, frivolous and fairly uninhibited in nature. Third place conversations tend to be better than conversations in other areas and serious conversation seldom lasts long. Also important to third places is that everyone has equal footing in the conversations. People in third places regularly engage in laughing and displays of wit as displayed in the "game" of conversation. Things such as loud music tend to hurt third places while things such as games (depending on how played) can help or lead to the creation of a third place.
People enjoying local cafe.
4.
Accessibility and accommodation
A key trait of third places is that “one may go alone at almost any time of the day or evening with assurance that acquaintances will be there.” People may visit third places regularly, but do not do so on any kind of schedule and for varying lengths of time. As such there is a constant coming and going of individuals at any given time of day. Third place activities tend to not be planned or organized. Third places must keep long hours in order to be available before, during and after work/school. Additionally they do not have policies that prohibit lingering. They tend to be convenient to one's home, such that one need not go out of their way to get there.
5.
The regulars
Regulars are important to a third place because they are the ones that make the space come to life and give a place its character. Regulars also act as the "gatekeepers" to acceptance of newcomers. This acceptance is not difficult or guaranteed. A newcomer generally need only show an ability to participate and consistently show up to become a regular. Acceptance of newcomers is vital to sustaining the third place. At first impression, regulars seem a lot more homogeneous than then really are, however they are generally of the same sex.
Coffee shops can be third places.
6.
A low profile
Third places are not fancy, elaborate or pretentious establishments. At first impression third places are plain, fall short of middle-class preferences for cleanliness or modernity and will fail to impress the uninitiated. These first impressions protect the third place from numerous intrusions from one-time visitors. Furthermore, third places are not advertised and do not function as "the place to be seen." Most third places are older structures originally built for other purposes.
The mood is playful
The overall feeling in the third place is playful. The level of play may be very pronounced or low key, but seriousness does not last long. Those who are accepted are included in this play similar to a playground atmosphere. The good feelings received at a third place lead to a sense of happiness which lead people to stay longer than intended.
Chess parks often make good third places.
8.
A home away from home
The third place is not a place of residence, but it does exude the qualities of a congenial environment that may or not be present in a residence. It may actually do this better than a house. It does so by "rooting" people, or giving them a place of their own. Like a place of residence, individuals have a sense of possession or control over the third place. In third places people are free to be themselves. And, of course, third places provide a place to reinvigorate through warmth, cheerfulness and companionship.