Last Updated on October 2, 2025

It’s no secret my greatest love is theatre. From the time I was three years old, I knew I wanted to be an actor.  

In an effort to make new friends after moving to Maine, I auditioned for a local production of Shrek. (One of my least favorite shows, but full of some of my soon-to-be favorite people). And you know what it taught me? Third places (theatre being one of them) matter. 

Thanks to theatre, I fell into a gorgeous community, and these days, I volunteer in (almost) every corner (painting sets, assisting with costumes, and of course performing!). Here’s everything you need to know about what a third place is and why we need more of them. 

what is a third place? 

A third place is a public spot you can meet and connect with others through a shared interest or skill (like theatres!).  

Third places are fantastic for socializing, exchanging ideas, and building community. Basically, a safe space to be yourself and find like-minded people.  

Many third places are also entirely free, or low-cost. This is incredibly important because almost everywhere you go nowadays requires payment just to get in or participate. This creates an air of exclusivity and can keep lower income communities away. 

But several third place areas are entirely free (like libraries and parks), or accessible due to their affordable pricing. 

And beyond being good for our wallets, third places are equally good for our health. That’s because humans are social creatures that enjoy being around other people.

At third places like cafes, you can interact with strangers from various backgrounds and incomes in a positive, safe environment. Because everyone, from all walks of life, are welcome there. 

why are third places disappearing? 

Third places aren’t necessarily disappearing, but they were impacted by the pandemic when being around groups of people became hazardous.  

Specifically, third places like coffee shops, bars, and gyms were hit hardest. However, the opposite was true for parks – everyone became aware just how important our outdoor spaces are.  

That said, many third places never fully recovered from the pandemic when certain businesses realized they could function 100% remote. For example, if no one is arriving in person to a business office, a nearby cafe might suffer from less foot traffic. And rising rents don’t help matters. 

Last but not least, certain people may find it difficult to locate a third place near them if they live in a rural setting. Third places tend to be easier to locate in cities.  

However, third places can also be found through online communities (more on that later). The irony is the internet has also led to the decline of physical third places.

I think it’s important to have both so there’s a balance. Online communities are amazing, but there’s something about meeting people in person that hits different.

how is a third place different from a hangout? 

A third place is different from a hangout in the sense you go there to socialize without any specific goal in mind. Or sometimes, you don’t socialize at all – but simply want to be around other like-minded people.  

Whereas a hangout is more planned, a third places doesn’t demand any kind of itinerary or interaction if you don’t want to. Sometimes just hearing neighboring gossip or interacting with a barista is enough. 

For example, if you go to a gym, you could chat up the person using the machine next to you. Or, you could simply enjoy the presence of others. There’s no right or wrong.  

But with a hangout, you go with the intention of socializing and getting to know someone (or multiple someones).  

how is a third place different from a club? 

A third place is different from a club in the sense that clubs tend to be more exclusive, whereas third places are for everyone.  

Typically, third places don’t have memberships (unless they’re gyms). There’s no barrier between you and that place. Everyone is welcome.  

For example, if you’re trying to get into a ‘Homeowners Club’ the one requirement would be to be a homeowner. Which many Americans cannot afford, especially considering the cost of living is going up. 

There’s no obligation to be at a third place. Nor are there any specific dress codes or strict requirements. Anyone from any class, culture and gender can participate without pulling rank.  

why do third places matter?

Third places matter because they offer people another place to relax, unwind, and connect outside of their homes. Without spending aberrant amounts of money.

Third places encourage social connection without any pressure to perform. We choose how much we engage, if at all. And sometimes just being around other people is enough.

During the pandemic when only essential personnel were leaving the house, it was a stark reminder of how important these spaces are. Without human connection, mental health suffers.

On top of this, third places can be wonderful, neutral areas to do work and start projects. Think of your local cafe, bursting with people doodling in sketchbooks, writing in notepads and typing on laptops.

People flock to these locations not just for free WiFi – but to experience a change of scenery. Make light hearted conversation. Savor a cup of coffee made by someone else. Whatever the reason, there’s a clear need for them.

what are examples of third places? 

There are several examples of third places, including: 

• Libraries 
• Parks, playgrounds and dog parks 
• Cafes 
• Theatres
• Bars and lounges
• State parks and nature reserves 
• Gyms and yoga studios 
• Recreation or community centers  
• Community beautification group 
• Community gardens 
• Privately owned public spaces (like a plaza) 

These are just a few I could think of off the top of my head, but I’m sure there are plenty more third places.  

Also, be mindful of online third places as well! For those who don’t have access to any of the above, you may be able to find solace with online communities like Reddit groups, digital book clubs, Instagram group chats, and WhatsApp community groups.  

That being said, there’s a charm to visiting a third place in person. So if you’re able, and have access to one, definitely take full advantage!

So, will you be visiting a third place? Let me know in the comments! 

It’s 9:30 on a humid Thursday morning and I’m already perspiring through my moisture-wicking shirt. Next to me line cooks, sous-chefs, and other assorted restaurant workers clad in athleisure are limbering up in the middle of a narrow street in downtown Manhattan, the skyscrapers casting us into shadow in the sunny weather.

Before I’ve been able to fully come to terms with the fact that I’m about to run four sweaty miles across two boroughs with these people, we’re off, winding our way through Chinatown, running north toward the never-ending Williamsburg Bridge, and eventually over to our destination in the neighborhood.

Coach Jerry Francois leads the group through Chinatown and the Financial District.

Andre Kaulesar, a run club regular, lacing up at Crown Shy.

SAGA executive sous chef Pratik Parida, sporting Crown High Run Club gear.

This is Crown High Run Club, a group of runners from within the constellation of restaurants in the Kent Hospitality Group. Crown High is just one of many such clubs created by hospitality workers around the country in recent years. In Portland, Oregon, the French-inflected tasting menu restaurant Le Pigeon jogs together as Bird Dog Movement Club. The 86 Run Club in Los Angeles and Miami bills itself as a “Hospitality Run Club & Wellness Meetup,” and The Food Runners in Toronto have been clocking in miles for more than a decade.

The unique spirit of each run club reflects their respective restaurant kitchens. The chefs at Eleven Madison Park, who cook with rigorous Michelin-starred exactitude, often run Central Park’s hilly six-mile loop. “We get addicted to the feeling of pushing ourselves,” chef de cuisine Dominique Roy says. “But it’s competitive too.”

At Austin’s Comedor Run Club, chef Philip Speer emphasizes the physical and mental wellness aspects of fitness. “People come to the run club looking to make some changes and continue to use the community to stay sober,” he says. Many runs end with conchas baked by Speer himself and a meeting at Ben’s Friends, a sobriety support group for those interested.“

For Crown High the team dynamic crystallized after Jamal James Kent’s sudden passing in June 2024. He and his wife, Kelly, created the run club to give their staff a chance to get out of the kitchen and build camaraderie. Instead of post-shift drinks, they could spend an hour outdoors, shaking off the stress of the kitchen, getting in some miles together. After Kent passed away, the group transformed into a weekly run to grieve, to offer each other quiet support, and to keep Kent’s spirit joyfully alive, one mile at a time.

On December 4, 1971, Drag Magazine photographed what it called New York City’s first drag wedding. The bride, Liz Eden, wore her “expensive ‘especially made’ wedding gown” and married John Basso at What’s Inn A Name Cafe. Surrounded by friends and family, Eden and Basso were married by an ordained minister.

In its very next edition, the magazine provided a sequel. Readers learned Basso’s real surname was Wojtowciz; he used his mother’s maiden name as an alias while involved in the Gay Activists Alliance. They also learned Wojtowciz and two others were found trying to rob a bank to get money for Eden’s gender-affirming surgery.

“Since early childhood Liz [Eden] always had an uncontrolable [sic] desire to dress in women’s clothing,” Drag reported. Despite Wojtowciz’s arrest, Eden used the money she and Wojtowciz received from Warner Brothers for selling the rights to their story to fund her gender affirming surgeries, completing the final operation on November 14, 1972.

The foiled heist made national headlines and sparked Hollywood’s attention, inspiring the 1975 hit Warner Brothers film Dog Day Afternoon starring Al Pacino. While the movie connected with mainstream audiences, the marriage ceremony likely resonated more with Drag readers, despite the short and rocky relationship between Wojtowciz and Eden.

The magazine was a vital lifeline to people who might today describe themselves as transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive. People across the country — many of whom might today describe themselves as transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive — saw Drag Magazine as a vital lifeline. Drag‘s readers faced systemic violence and discrimination, and they found visibility, hope, and connection in the magazine’s pages. And Drag was not alone in fostering community among these people. Magazines such as New Trenns, The Tranvestite, The Cross-Dresser, and others offered visibility, hope, and connection for trans and gender-expansive individuals who faced systemic violence and discrimination.

These magazines are vital parts of the National Museum of American History’s Archives Center’s collection. Most of the magazines examined in this post were published in the 1960s and 1970s. Like other ephemera of American culture, they offer insight into the lives of everyday Americans: how they discussed their identities, how they connected with their communities, and how they transmitted information across the entire United States.

Note: These magazines are time capsules that demonstrate how language changes over time. When these magazines were written, they frequently used terms like “transvestite,” “he-she,” and “lady boy” — terms that are today considered transphobic slurs. Like the term “queer,” some of these terms were reclaimed by community members as a form of resistance. These magazines appealed to and were read by wide audiences, but this article will specifically focus on responses from trans women.

Seeing Themselves

These magazines provided critical representation for trans and gender expansive individuals across the United States who saw themselves represented in their pages. A large part of their output included sharing photos and real-life stories of trans women. A 1966 issue of He-She magazine shared photos of readers who wrote to the editor from Chicago, Milwaukee, and even West Berlin.

“There are far more of us than is generally realized,” R.K. from Chicago wrote, “but many of us don’t realize that there are others with the same taste for changing roles as we possess. To know we are not alone is to improve our mental outlook.”

Seeking Connections

Trans women and other readers could share personal advertisements in the magazines as a way to connect with one another. The ads contained photos and written descriptions of readers seeking romantic and platonic connections. People interested in connecting with others could send a letter to the magazine with money and instructions to pass their communication onward. This helped keep their names and addresses safe and secure.

The publications also supported other communication networks. One advertisement in a 1966 issue of He-She promised readers that “Club Wow is not only an excellent correspondence club,” but “a club for people with unusual interests and for broadminded people everywhere.” One 1970 issue of New Trenns Magazine included a more direct advertisement asking readers if they wanted friendship, love, or marriage.

Magazines promoted large community events as well, such as the First Annual Costume Ball in 1972 at the Church of the Beloved Disciple in New York City. Just a year before, the congregation had 600 members and founded its own LGBTQ+ religious order: the Oblate Companions of St. John.

These magazines served as news bulletins, sharing major life events (including Eden’s wedding) and legislative changes. The articles discussed topics that affected readers beyond gender and sexuality, including religion and spirituality, sex work, protesting, healthcare, and other resources.

Sharing Resources

While flipping through pages of articles and advertisements, readers also learned about safe spaces called “transformation boutiques.” These boutiques and cafes were places where people could find both emotional support and healthcare. The Dressing Room in Clinton Township, Missouri provided the “complete shopping experience for a discriminating cross dresser.” The store even held a Lady’s Night in their private party loft the third Saturday of each month.

Magazines became central spots for advertising gender-affirming services available across the United States, including laser or wax hair removal, liposuction, silicon breast prosthetics (called “falsies”), and custom underwear. Letters to the editor also became helpful guides about what products and techniques work best for different body types and custom underwear.

For many people, their exploration of gender identity and expression was — by necessity — deeply private. The magazines shared at-home resources, which provided readers with safe ways to express themselves in private.

Some magazines provided step-by-step guides on wearing contouring makeup, creating “falsies,” tucking, and wearing girdles and custom underwear. Kitt’s Roger’s “Do It Yourself Kitt” provided photos of the end products.

Affirming, yet exclusionary

While the magazines served as critical spaces to build community and share resources, they were themselves exclusionary, often centering white, skinny trans women as the ideal. Trans women of color, critical activists in the community during this period, rarely appear in these pages. When they did, it was typically in photos of local protests.

The magazines often conflated the concepts of sexual orientation and gender identity in ways modern readers would find surprising and contradictory. For example, Transvestia magazine specifically advertised itself for heterosexual cross dressers.

Performers cross-dressing as men have been a key part of American entertainment as long as performers cross-dressing as women have. But these magazines focused on the latter, prioritizing sharing resources for people who openly identified as men and often only for white men.

In many ways, these magazines offer a view of people living authentically at a time when sharing this information via the mail was punishable by jail and people dressing to affirm gender identity were targeted by violent transphobia. Still, with the help of these magazines, trans people across the United States fought to build communities that would protect and celebrate their identities.

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