Sanctuary - Embracing Third Places
Golden strings of fairy lights cast a soft glow upon my laptop screen, the gentle bustle of wooden chairs and ceramic cups filling the air. Jazz rhythms flow sweetly overhead, improvised saxophone melodies intertwining with the chatter of couples all around me. I glance up from my Java program and catch the smile of a woman who is turning to leave, her hooped earrings shining brightly in the sun. Notes of chocolate espresso and buttery pastries float around the room, leaving an invigorating warmth inside me.
It was a past lover who taught me what cafes could be. Oatmilk lattes cupped in our hands, hours passed as we conversed throughout the morning about our hopes and dreams. Leaving that cafe felt like leaving a home, the voices of baristas and regulars lingering in my ears and imbuing me with happiness. Since then, cafes have been what sociologist Ray Oldenburg would term my "third place"--an inclusive and comforting space that facilitates social interaction and public relaxation.
Oldenburg's theory on Third Places centers upon the concept that modern life is divided into three realms, defined as your first, second, and third places. Your first place is your area of residence, where you build your personal life through a sense of ownership and privacy. Your second place is your workspace, which is associated with productivity, economic stability, and structured routines. Your third place could be almost anything, whether it be a cafe, religious space, library, or gym. As long as these third spaces encourage community and belonging, they anchor us to the fabrics of our communities, providing us with a refuge from the demands of everyday living.
Amidst the pandemic, as well as the challenges of an increasingly digitized society, many claim that third places are becoming more and more rare. However, this may also simply signify the shift of third places towards alternative formats. While the fast rise of chain-owned coffee shops in the 1990s was largely driven by the aim of providing customers with more third place experiences (The UNESCO Courier), many of these chains now offer mobile and drive-thru order options, allowing customers to enjoy their food and beverage in other places. The gaming and online content creation communities are two examples of many virtual spaces which embody third places, with all of these online platforms holding the power to connect people from around the world. With this being said, the presence of a third place in modern life seems not to be diminishing, but rapidly transforming into something far bigger and broader than ever before.
It would also be remiss to limit the forms a third place can take without questioning its definition in itself. Although the notion of a space which fosters creativity, belonging, and rest can be a strong motivator for people to build communities and promote inclusivity in their lives, Oldenbeurg's theory initially made me feel constrained instead of encouraged. After all, is life strictly defined by the spheres of your house, work, or neither? Recalling my life thus far, my most cherished memories have consisted of fleeting and ambiguous moments and experiences–sharing an umbrella with my mother in the rain, fresh boats of Takoyaki from Taipei night markets, the sensation of clarinet keys beneath my fingers as I perform onstage. I struggle, truly, to define my life with just these three places alone. To me, life seems something far richer than three compartments, a journey to be explored as much as it is to be understood.
Nevertheless, as April sweeps itself away into May's warm breeze, my feet continue to carry me into the familiar embraces of coffee shops and bakeries around the city. Listening to the whirr of the espresso machine and eavesdropping on conversations around me, I admire the intricate flower patterns poured over my drink, momentarily forgetting my worries. I am reminded, in these moments, how important these places can be in bringing people together. The response to the concept of third places may vary from person to person, but the search for a better way to live, connect, and belong is universal. Perhaps the essence of third places is not what they offer or how they will change, but the many people who make them special.
