Why third places matter (especially now)

We spend most of our lives at home and at work. They are the places where we rest, show up, and get things done. They also often require something from us. But where do we go when we’re not in either of those spaces? When we need a break from the demands of home and work, that’s where third places come in.

Third places, a term first introduced in 1989, refers to public and semi-public spaces where people can unwind, connect with others, and foster a sense of community. Your home is considered first place, your workplace (or school), the second, and third places are the cafes where you can sit on your own, the pickleball court where you meet with friends, the public park where you can take your kids to play, or the neighborhood store you just want to visit. Third places matter, especially in our busy, productivity-obsessed lives and here are just some of the reasons why we need them. 

Mental health boost!

Third places give us something increasingly valuable these days: the space to take a break without needing to accomplish anything. While we can do that within our homes, being able to step away from our usual surroundings and routines that often demand so much from us is good for our well-being. We only need to look back during the pandemic, when most of us were in lockdown and lacked access to third places. Many felt isolated and lonely, which certainly didn’t help with anxiety and depression. At the time, the world saw an increase in mental health issues. Because third places provide no-pressure social interaction, studies have shown that being in places that allow people to engage in community activities or even have brief positive encounters with others can provide “greater life satisfaction.”

Where to go: A pickleball, badminton, or tennis court to play with friends is good for both your mental and physical well-being. If you prefer something less strenuous and won’t require you to spend, visit a nearby church or temple. The old churches in Intramuros and the surrounding grounds are also free to access and always make for a soothing (and culturally-relevant) escape.

Create communities

One of the biggest values of third places is that it gives us a sense of connection, which can help create a community. These days, that can get particularly difficult when it’s easier to do things through our mobile screens—from maintaining connections with our friends to relying on our GCs for that sense of community. But physically being present in third places, aside from countering feelings of isolation, can also allow us to interact with different types of people and just be around others. Experts explain this can help us “develop a sense of belonging.” Third places are like “societal glue,” binding people together to create communities.

Where to go: Yes, even us introverts who prefer being alone as a way to recharge benefit from third places (as long as there’s minimal or absolutely no mandatory conversations required, okay?). Bookstores, libraries, and parks are third places conducive to building quiet communities, while for the less reserved, community centers, gyms and health clubs, can introduce you to like-minded folks.

Support your identity

Third places are considered neutral grounds. Ideally, it’s accessible, accommodating, and a place that feels like home, which means there’s no pressure to perform or reinvent yourself just to fit in. That sense of belonging can be affirming when we find people who share our interests, experiences, or identities. There’s comfort in finding your people. But third places can also introduce us to people whose lives, interests, and experiences are different from our own. By sharing the same spaces though, we get a chance to see beyond our own perspectives. In that way, third places help us understand who we are within a larger and more diverse community. They remind us that we can be ourselves while still making room for others.

Where to go: It can be anywhere where you feel most yourself—from cafés like Hatch Coffee to even a public market (see our travel vlog episode on Baguio), from art spots to thrift shops (where you want to thrift like a pro).

Foster creativity

When you step away from the chores at home or the pressures of work, true third places don’t demand productivity from us. A change of environment (and a break from our usual responsibilities) can help us recharge and return with a fresh perspective. You might not sit down in a cafe with the goal of solving a problem, but somewhere between reading a book, people watching, or doing nothing, an idea might find you. As we’ve seen many times, when we stop trying to produce, that’s when we find space for new ideas.

Third places also give us space to express ourselves. When there’s no boss, teacher, or client asking something from us, we show up for ourselves. That usually comes with the freedom to experiment, make mistakes, or just try something new—all essential in fostering creativity.

Where to go: Mess Studio, our favorite place to play at The Atrium branch of Common Room, because it offers a space where people can create or pick up a book and learn something new. If you're already in Makati, you can also explore some of the CBD’s hidden gems of creative spaces and cafés. Simply showing up, trying something, and being around other creative people can help get the creative juices flowing or allow us to discover our next favorite third space.

Third places may not always seem essential in the way our homes or workplaces do, but maybe that’s exactly why we need them. Our lives are already filled with places that constantly ask something from us that it’s worth finding and supporting places that simply give us somewhere to be.