Got to have these to make it work
What are the three things you can’t live without for your Third Space to really work for you. Coffee, people, solitude, free wi-fi, hidden corners, traffic (so you can watch people), bakery smells, convenient to home or work. Let me hear from you, then I’ll give you mine.
Hey Jim,
Great question. We’ve been discussing that lately, too. Here’s my short list from my blog…and thanks to all my readers who have contributed to our ever-growing wish list:
Wi-fi
Soft seats as well as tables and chairs
A mix of kind of hidden seats with more public window-type spots
Good music that isn’t too loud or intrusive, but fills in the voids during slow times.
A friendly staff that knows how to build community
A mixture of people coming in and out.
Good design that has some inspirational aspects to it.
Food – different types
Good lighting
It would be great if it had a great sense of community place, but in a Starbucks era it’s hard to find a shop that feels unique to its location.
Convenient parking so it can be a quick run if necessary
While in optometry school at UH, I never studied at my campus. I used to love to study at the University Center at Rice University. Now that I think back on it, it was a great third space. First off for me, it needs to be busy. Not crowded mind you, just happening, with lots of different social interactions going on. However with this said, it has to have areas that are tucked away enough to have some degree of privacy. The Rice UC was awesome in this respect. There were lots of little nooks and crannies where you could tuck away by yourself or a small group, but still open enough that you felt like you were apart of what was going on everywhere else. Its also got to have comfy places for people to plop down or they aren’t going to stick around for long.
Great list Marla.
My personal list include: free WiFi, moderate people flow (I love to watch people), multiple electric outlets for those long stays, and an acceptable temperature setting.