"In his 1989 book "The Great Good Place," the late sociologist Ray Oldenburg introduced the phrase "third places" for spaces that are neither home nor work (first and second places) but public gathering spots that welcome regulars and newcomers alike. They are, as Oldenburg wrote in his book, "homes away from home where unrelated people relate." Restaurants, diners, delis, cafes, bars and coffee spots have long been considered third places - along with libraries and even laundromats."
""We need to see our friends and neighbors and to be around people we don't know," Oldenburg and Karen Christensen wrote a few years back in an essay that described coffeehouses as "a perfect example of the third place" and even, in their infancy, "precursors of democracy." That's because third places, Oldenburg says, are levelers: "The charm and flavor of one's personality, irrespective of his or her station in life, is what counts.""
Ray Oldenburg introduced 'third places' as public gathering spots distinct from home and work that welcome regulars and newcomers and nurture civic connection. Restaurants, diners, delis, cafes, bars, libraries and laundromats function as third places that level social differences by valuing personality over station. Affordable offerings such as $30 Monday dinners at Greekman's help bridge the affordability gap and create accessible community gathering points. Mercado La Paloma earned recognition as a celebrated third space in Los Angeles. Other cultural notes include Villa's Tacos appearing at Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show, a Valentine's Day pizza toast trend, a dim sum slump, and a tiny cat robot that cools scalding-hot tea.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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