The term third place was invented by Ray Oldenburg and the term first appeared in his 1990 book "The Great Good Place", a celebration of the places where people can regularly go to take it easy and identify, kibitz or carry on a light chat with friends, neighbors, and just whomever shows up.
The Third Place Coffeehouse in Raleigh, North Carolina is where I first encountered the concept. The shop is located on Glenwood Avenue. This street has evolved a great deal over the past 5-10 years as Raleigh develops its Downtown Entertainment and Historic Areas. City Planners have constructed a new Civic Center with an enormous amount of Downtown Parking. The secondary City Streets now contain new affordable yet upscale condo projects in keeping with the old and new South. Raleigh is a City worth visiting.
