Third Spaces and Book Places in Seattle
Taken from a theory by Ray Oldenberg, the notion of a third place comes from recent developments in looking at neighborhoods and community. People have first and second spaces, the home and the workplace, respectively, but need third spaces in order to have a healthy and whole life. The third spaces are open meeting places, where community members can discuss ideas and news with each other. It’s a way of keeping in contact with people, as well as gathering information, and just being able to be friendly for at least a little while.
Anyone visiting the luxury hotels Seattle holds will no doubt notice that the city has a more pronounced sense of neighborhood and community than almost anywhere. It’s thanks to the efforts of spaces like Third Place Books that it remains as vibrant and alive as it ever was.
With two locations, one in Lake Forest Park, and one in Ravenna , they do indeed connect to the community in vital ways. It’s not just through the books, although of course these are the main attractions. New titles as well as used books line the walls, and very informed staff members can make recommendations and lead readers into more nooks and crannies of literature. There are also plenty of author events, and more to recommend these bookshops as places to connect to the local community in a necessary way.
