As Far As I Can Tell


In search of a third place

After five months in Pittsburgh most of my time is still spent shuffling back and forth between home and campus, spending a lot of time at both but not much anywhere else. The idea of the “third place” is something that has been written about in books like The Great Good Place. With the increase in coffee shops and other similar businesses I don’t know if the lack of these locations is really a problem but finding one to call your own sure is.

I’ve always felt the need to leave the house and go somewhere, usually a coffee shop, sometime during the day. I would go with no reason, just to check up, meet people, and probably run into someone I know. Places in Kalamazoo like the 4th Coast, The Space, and The Rocket Star were second homes where I felt comfortable, met new people, and even received phone calls.

That’s one of the things I’m lacking here. I have a coffee shop only two doors down but I can’t seem to make it feel the same way. It’s always been a natural or obvious thing before; maybe it just needs more effort.


 

Comments

I find the same problem up here.

Posted by: John Wagner on January 22, 2006 9:37 AM

The Squirrel Cage during the day is a good place to hide out. If you sit in the booths near the back, you can even pick up free wireless. Other places: The Beehive on the South Side is good place to work. There’s a decent coffee shop in Regent Square whose name I am blanking on right now. Quiet Storm on Penn in East Liberty was another place to hang.

Posted by: Dan Saffer on January 22, 2006 11:59 AM

Two words: Eat N’ Park. I count Eat N’ as one word in case you wondered.

Posted by: meredith on January 22, 2006 12:42 PM

Thanks Dan, I’ll check those out.

Posted by: Simon on January 22, 2006 2:18 PM

Quiet Storm is great.

Posted by: eli on January 23, 2006 10:36 AM

Me too Simon. It feels like missing a core group of friends. Lately I’ve really taken to the laundromat. I’ve been going multiple times per week. It’s peaceful there with nice ambient noise, and I can still be productive in more ways than one. Ah. Not the same as coffee shops in Lansing. Just not the same.

Posted by: andrea on January 23, 2006 11:53 AM

Also, I just bought that book. It reads a little like a college social sciences textbook, which I also miss. Thanks!

Posted by: andrea on January 23, 2006 12:37 PM

wow. i have always felt this way, too, but never thought that there’d be a damn book about it. and people wonder why i want to do my entire life’s work in readng/writing/artmaking about place.

Posted by: jim on January 27, 2006 12:39 AM


As far as who can tell?


Chicago, IL

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