The great good place

‘Third places’ or ‘great good places’ are all the wonderful places where people gather, put aside the concerns of home and work (our first and second places), and hang out simply for the pleasures of good company and lively conversation. Third places are the heart of a community’s social vitality, and have long been central to grassroots democracy. Author Ray Oldenburg is renowned for coining the term ‘third place’. In this book, he portrays, probes, and promotes these great good places: coffee houses, caés, bookstores, hair salons, bars, bistros, and more, both past and present – and offers a vision for their revitalization.