When was the last time you visited a Third Place? If you’re living in New York, chances are big it was during your last coffee break. If you’re not familiar with the term: a Third Place is a social surrounding that separates the workplace from home. Think about your local coffee bar, diner or bookstore. Whether caused by tiny, cramped apartments or the need for surrogate familiarity in a highly individualized environment, Third Places are hugely popular in the Empire City.
In a recent article Dutch journalist Bernard Hulsman states that the emergence of Third Places is a new development within the contemporary public sphere. The demand for them proofs that this sphere’s demise is still far away.
It is striking how many similarities there are between Third Places and blogs. A blog seems to act as an intermediary between two environments: whether this is between celebrities and their audience, politicians and voters or companies and consumers. However, this is not the only resemblance. The accessibility of blogs, the informal atmosphere, the exchange and expression of opinions make this medium a pre-eminent center of the modern-day public sphere. So blog an op-ed and comment on another, while having a coffee in that place around the corner: Jürgen Habermas will be happy.
Jonas Kooyman
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