The+Third+Place

WHAT IS IT? Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third place” in his work //The Great Good Place//. A third place is an area in a community that is neither work nor home where people of the community can meet, get to know one another, and spend time together. In the small-town American community, these third places were cafes, pubs, neighborhood taverns, barbershops, drugstores, etc. However, third places are disappearing; for example local shops are being replaced with chain stores.

Today, third places can be many different things. After reading Oldenburg’s //The Great Good Place//, Richard Futrell and Ty Beddingfield opened up the Third Place Coffeehouse in Raleigh, North Carolina to try and create a third place for the residents there. They have been extremely successful and the coffeehouse has become an important part of the neighborhood and the sense of place. Futrell attributes this success to the attitudes of him and Beddingfield, their coworkers, and their customers. Futrell has found that simply acting in a respectful and positive manner has transmitted his ideas of a third place to his coworkers. In turn, the coworkers transmit this feeling to the customers. Futrell also stresses the need to hire diverse workers whose differences add fresh new perspectives and ideas. Thus the atmosphere of Third Place Coffeehouse fosters openness and lends itself to the formation of informal intimacy. Like a true third place, the coffeehouse brings together all members of the community to interact under no pretense or set guidelines.

In Traverse City, Michigan, Horizon Books functions much the same way. Owned and operated by Vic Herman, it is a family business that has served as a third place for over forty years. Horizon Books is a bookstore, café, and meeting place all in one building. Herman is devoted to the idea of community, and so to is Horizon Books. With the help of his family, the store has a family feeling, great selection, long hours, and attention to all of the customers. The café serves as a friendly gathering place where lectures, demonstrations, reading groups, children’s groups, etc. can all meet and freely express themselves. Horizon Books is not just a third place, it is also a source of pride for the community.
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In Atlanta, Georgia, a health club becomes a “great good gym” to its members. The key to converting a gym into a third place in is the creation of a friendly and inviting atmosphere. Relationships in a gym are crucial to the success of a gym. For new members, social conviviality of the experience keeps them returning and helps them bond with the other members. In an exercise facility, people reveal parts of their character and personality through their self-discipline and perseverance. All members, despite age, socioeconomic status, occupation, ethnicity, race, gender, etc. all work out side by side, and are equal. Thus gym regulars gain a level of respect for each other, along with mutual understanding, supportiveness, compassion, and friendliness. Members share qualities and experiences, making it easy for them to empathize with each other.

In Chicago, the branch libraries serve as active and responsive parts of the community. These libraries embody a new idea of how a library should function; they have meeting rooms for classes, discussion, and neighborhood groups and their services directly reflect the needs of their respective communities. The libraries also help bridge the “Digital Divide” by providing computer access and help to all patrons who do not have private access. The libraries help distinguish reliable information on the Internet from the not-so-credible. The branch libraries serve as community centers where people can get to know one another through book discussions, readings, classes, homework help, and mirror the communities they serve, which shows the residents who they are collectively.

WHAT ABOUT UM? In reading about these various third places, I wondered what could possibly be a third place for Upper Merion. This township includes many different neighborhoods, yet there seems to be a strong sense of community as shown by the high level of long-term residents in the area. Was this attachment fostered by a third place, or through something else? Our township library runs many programs and we do have bookstores and coffeehouses. Yet many of the commercial establishments are branches of national chains. Can a Borders or a Starbucks be a third place?

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