There’s a very cool bookstore in Seattle called Third Place Books. They’re a general interest bookstore with over 200,000 new, used, and bargain books. Third Place Books has a commons area with several restaurants and live music Friday & Saturday nights. Plus, they hold tons of awesome author events (last summer I attended a signing with, among others, Lisa Schroeder, Mandy Hubbard, and Kimberly Derting, and this January I saw John and Hank Green’s Nerdfighters show there!). All in all, Third Place Books is fantastic, but that’s precisely why the store’s name used to perplex me. Why would any bookstore — any company — want to be third place?
I did a little research…
From Third Place Books’ website:
Sociologist Ray Oldenberg suggests that each of us needs three places: first is the home; second is the workplace or school; and beyond lies the place where people from all walks of life interact, experiencing and celebrating their commonality as well as their diversity. It is a third place. In his celebrated book, The Great Good Place, Oldenberg discusses how the cafes, pubs, town squares and other gathering places make a community stronger and bring people together. Third Place Books has something for everyone. Whether you need to study, host a community meeting, or get out of the house for the evening, we hope you will make this your third place.
Awesome, right?
So, tell me: What’s your THIRD PLACE?
katyupperman.com 
Sadly, I don’t have one. At the moment, I don’t have a second one, either. LOL!
Sure, your second place is where ever you write, right? And I’m in a Third Place transition now… My former Third Place, Borders, is closed now, and since we’re getting ready to move, I’m going to have to find a new spot to hang and write and socialize!
True, but that would be my kitchen table, not exactly a socialization venue (unless you talk to my cats and dogs that are constantly surrounding me). What state or city are you moving?
Ha! My Second Place is my couch. 🙂 We’re going to Monterey, CA… looking forward to sun and the beach!
Hiking or out on the trails with my horses. I love the history of this name.
My running route is my Third Place often, Jaye. It’s where I unwind!
First of all, I can’t believe we didn’t meet at the summer signing last year. I think I even knew you were there. My third place? The living room of y friend’s apartment when I’m at school. When I’m home . . . we’ll see!
Weird that we didn’t meet! Two ships passing in the night. 😉 I’m going to have to hunt down a new Third Place too, once we get moved and settled.
Hi katy,
I really enjoyed reading your post and had to add it to my A.D.’s FAV 5 of the A to Z Challenge today!
http://adduling.wordpress.com/
If you do not see it up right away, I am working my way through, you are #4, so please do check back!
Have a wonderful Monday!
A.D.
Oh, awesome, Anna. Thanks so much for including me!
That place sounds great! I guess my third place right now would be my online writing community. It really does bring we writers together and gives us a chance to share our experiences.
The online writing community is very often my Third Place too, Alison. Amid all my life’s changes and craziness, my writing friends are always consistent and awesome!
The ‘third place’ is Starbucks number one M.O. From the moment I was hired (back in the day) they pounded that ‘creating the third place’ goal into my brain. I suppose they probably succeed in doing this for a great many people. Personally, I think a bookstore would be my first choice of third place over a coffee shop, even though I really love coffee. If I had to choose between the two, books would win every time. This Third Place bookstore sounds fascinating 🙂
Borders used to be my Third Place, Jaime. I used to hang out there all the time, shopping and reading and writing in the cafe. I miss it so much! Hopefully once we get moved and settled, I’ll find a new bookstore that’s equally awesome!
My third place is this silent retreat centre I go to every year for a few days. But it’s getting pulled down soon for some highways 😦
Oh, boo! It sounds awesome, though. You’ll have to take advantage while it’s still standing!
I think my third place, might be the woods we go to periodically. 80 acres of timber, creeks, ponds and silence. I love this post Katy:)
That sounds lovely, Lindsay! I love to spend time outside too, running or biking or playing with my girl. 🙂
Oh I really like this. My Third Place is Dose Coffee and Tea in Nashville. It’s a great place to read and write PLUS my husband works there, so I get to see him. 🙂
I didn’t know you live in Nashville, Liz! We were stationed at Ft. Campbell for three years and I absolutely loved Clarksville and Nashville. I haven’t been to Dose Coffee and Tea, though, which means I need to find my way back to Music City to visit. 🙂
I just love this! My third place right now is my neighborhood and my kids’ school– but it has been a coffeeshop, a restaurant, or a bar in the past!
Funny how our Third Places shift and change as our lives do. My neighborhood is very much a Third Place for me. It’s great to be involved in a fantastic community!
Such a cool meaning behind the name! My Third Place(s) are my neighborhood bookstore and the new Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf that I might as well move into, I spend so much time there. 🙂
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is such a cute name… Makes me want to visit! I wish we had a local bookstore for browsing/shopping/writing/hanging out. Ever since Borders closed, we’ve been lacking.
Great post, Katy 😀 I love the meaning of the name…My third place right now is like Alison: the online community…The train I take everyday could also qualify I guess 😀
I’m with you and Alison… The writing community is an awesome Third Place! I just wish I could actually meet up with you all and hang out! 🙂
3rd Place, they must try harder! 🙂
Kate
http://solidhappiness.blogspot.com/
Ha! That’s what I thought at first too… Why not FIRST place? Now it all makes sense. 🙂
Great post. My third place is a fantastic thrift store that I visit once or twice a week. Besides writing, I need something else to go to, when that other something else (writing) requires too much editing and rewriting … you know. So, I sell vintage clothes on the side. It’s so much fun. I also end up being green, because I’m reusing and recycling, meet great new friends in the community and also help my local neighborhood. It’s a True Trifecta that’s pretty Terrific! Greetings from a fellow A to Z’er!
Ooh, vintage clothes… That sounds like fun! And you’re right: Very green. Also, very trendy and fashionable, I bet!
I don’t know that I have a “third place”–but I think this bookstore has caught a concept that will keep brick-and-mortar bookstores alive in the digital era: providing the community something the internet can’t. The live experience of gathering with others, book signings, and so forth in an intimate, cozy setting. Or even just being a place to get away and read, write, or study. May Third Place, and its kin, live long and prosper! 🙂
Yay! I totally agree, Colin. The internet is amazing for connecting and marketing and inexpensive book shopping, but nothing can replace the experience of gathering with like-minded people to appreciate books and authors.
I just had to teach my Sociology students about Third Place! I don’t necessarily have a third place of my own–unless you count my head 🙂 I think this is an excellent concept, though and I’d love to have eventually get a third place for myself!
It is a great concept, and it makes me think more critically about my community and where I spend my time and energy (and money!). 🙂
Only because I’ve been in conference land all weekend–totally NESCBWI is my third place. Community of writers (and illustrators) from all walks of life coming together to share a common experience. ❤
I bet you’re on such a conference high, Kris! How did your panel with Vickie go? I’d love to hear all about it when you have a few spare minutes!
Sounds like a great place! I love a good bookstore 🙂 It’s probably my third place. What a great concept behind the name!
Anna@ Herding Cats & Burning Soup
Any great bookstore can be my Third Place! I love the concept too. 🙂
I was wondering about that “third place” name. It makes sense now that you explained it. I’m not sure I have a third place where I currently live. I had a third and fourth place in Cleveland: The Lakewood Library, and Rocky River Metropark.
Those both sound like lovely Third Places, Sherry. I’m going to have to find a new one when we move and get settled!
I love this so much! What a great name for a bookstore!
My local Panera might be my Third Place. Or the online community, like Alison said. Is it ridiculous to say Twitter is my Third Place? That’s embarrassing.
Nah… It’s a community of like-minded people, so I say Twitter is where it’s at! If only we could all get together and actually hang out!
I looove Third Place books. I lived a block from the Ravenna location when I last lived in Seattle. It’s such a great place for getting work done, and I loved scoping out the new books. They have a pub in the basement at that location, too – it’s the perfect place to meet people and chat over a glass of wine or beer. 🙂 I miss that book shop!
Great post, Katy!
Ooh, you’re lucky to have lived so close! I’ll definitely have to check out the pub someday; shopping for books then grabbing a beer sounds awesome!