Thanks so much for providing me with a name to describe the phenomenon of the third place. This is my favorite blog entry from anyone in ages. It brings back a rush of memories of third places from various times in my life (the room where my high school drama club was free to hang out, assorted bars and coffee houses, even the sidewalks of San Francisco's Castro district in bygone decades when it felt like a village. It got me thinking about the loss of such spaces in my daily routine, how much I miss them, and the need to re-establish them. Even without having ever been a regular at a nudist resort I can see how your club ticks all the boxes, and it makes me envious.
very beautifully expressed article. You are the luckiest guy to have such a wonderful third place, your local nudist club. I am just imagining that I too have such a cute third place as my local nudist club. Of course it will be a fairy tale for me, as where I live, it is impossible to happen because of stringent laws of the land which are against naturism.
Terrific! Thanks for bringing this concept into profile through nudism. I’m sure many of us would completely agree. On my wish list: Free nude third spaces as common and accessible as public libraries...!
Great piece! I’ve seen some other discussions online lately about the loss of other third places, or their diminishing popularity (like the mall, for example), so this feels timely.
Brilliant post Evan. I kinda knew which club you were referring to when you mentioned it had a library. I'm also a member of that club and I feel the same way about it. I commuted to work 60 miles each way for 15 years before my wife and I found our third place (nudist) community and it transformed both of our lives. Let me add a few additional observations about our (common) third place. First, for the most part, the friendly dialog is able to rise above the political divide. Our shared love for nudism is a bond that makes us want to avoid discussing "those" topics. Second, the bond goes deeper than simply liking to be naked and shoot the breeze together, to true caring for one another. When our camp was assaulted by fire and flood a few years ago, just about everyone pitched in to help. During the pandemic we maintained our social connections via Zoom. Whatever it takes. Third, there is a sense of empowerment that can be felt even by new members. If you have ideas for how to improve our community and are willing to put in a little sweat equity to make it happen, you will be recognized and appreciated.
Love this piece! I hope that this digital space can serve as a quasi-third place too! And hopefully we can work together to make these spaces more widespread, affordable, and accessible to all!
Here's an excellent story of our "third place". Going back to the late afternoon/early evening of September 11, 2001. We had friends that lived at our club. We felt so alone, so scared, so unsure. We got in the car and drove to our club. A drive that takes us by an airport that was eerily dark and quiet. The drive normally takes 45 minutes to an hour. On that day, it was 30 minutes. Once we got through the gate, we headed to the restaurant, which had a large crowd for a weeknight. Hugs, handshakes and tears were shared. We had a dessert and coffee, and went to see our friends. The four of us went through the hugs and tears and were glued to the continuing coverage on TV. The sense of community, friendship and strength, of a "third place" was so very evident that evening.
Evan — As always, wonderful, thought provoking, well written piece. Loved it.
Obviously this got me thinking — what is my “third place”. I approached it in a general sense, not following the descriptions literally. I think I’ve had a few over the years — a favorite pub, a golf club, etc.. They tick many of the boxes, but not all.
I spent the last two days at a Nude Beach on the Canaveral Seashore in FL. It was pure bliss. One of my favorite spots on earth. I found myself wondering, is this my “third place”? Once again, it hits some, it misses some. Maybe a developing “third place”?? Time will tell.
Love this!! I was unfamiliar with the concept of the third place, but it is spot on! Well done as always and thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for providing me with a name to describe the phenomenon of the third place. This is my favorite blog entry from anyone in ages. It brings back a rush of memories of third places from various times in my life (the room where my high school drama club was free to hang out, assorted bars and coffee houses, even the sidewalks of San Francisco's Castro district in bygone decades when it felt like a village. It got me thinking about the loss of such spaces in my daily routine, how much I miss them, and the need to re-establish them. Even without having ever been a regular at a nudist resort I can see how your club ticks all the boxes, and it makes me envious.
very beautifully expressed article. You are the luckiest guy to have such a wonderful third place, your local nudist club. I am just imagining that I too have such a cute third place as my local nudist club. Of course it will be a fairy tale for me, as where I live, it is impossible to happen because of stringent laws of the land which are against naturism.
Terrific! Thanks for bringing this concept into profile through nudism. I’m sure many of us would completely agree. On my wish list: Free nude third spaces as common and accessible as public libraries...!
Great piece! I’ve seen some other discussions online lately about the loss of other third places, or their diminishing popularity (like the mall, for example), so this feels timely.
Brilliant post Evan. I kinda knew which club you were referring to when you mentioned it had a library. I'm also a member of that club and I feel the same way about it. I commuted to work 60 miles each way for 15 years before my wife and I found our third place (nudist) community and it transformed both of our lives. Let me add a few additional observations about our (common) third place. First, for the most part, the friendly dialog is able to rise above the political divide. Our shared love for nudism is a bond that makes us want to avoid discussing "those" topics. Second, the bond goes deeper than simply liking to be naked and shoot the breeze together, to true caring for one another. When our camp was assaulted by fire and flood a few years ago, just about everyone pitched in to help. During the pandemic we maintained our social connections via Zoom. Whatever it takes. Third, there is a sense of empowerment that can be felt even by new members. If you have ideas for how to improve our community and are willing to put in a little sweat equity to make it happen, you will be recognized and appreciated.
Love this piece! I hope that this digital space can serve as a quasi-third place too! And hopefully we can work together to make these spaces more widespread, affordable, and accessible to all!
Here's an excellent story of our "third place". Going back to the late afternoon/early evening of September 11, 2001. We had friends that lived at our club. We felt so alone, so scared, so unsure. We got in the car and drove to our club. A drive that takes us by an airport that was eerily dark and quiet. The drive normally takes 45 minutes to an hour. On that day, it was 30 minutes. Once we got through the gate, we headed to the restaurant, which had a large crowd for a weeknight. Hugs, handshakes and tears were shared. We had a dessert and coffee, and went to see our friends. The four of us went through the hugs and tears and were glued to the continuing coverage on TV. The sense of community, friendship and strength, of a "third place" was so very evident that evening.
This one touches a nerve. I am thinking about my friends, groups, and places. I am noticing that so many people reacted to this piece.
A really great article !!!
Evan — As always, wonderful, thought provoking, well written piece. Loved it.
Obviously this got me thinking — what is my “third place”. I approached it in a general sense, not following the descriptions literally. I think I’ve had a few over the years — a favorite pub, a golf club, etc.. They tick many of the boxes, but not all.
I spent the last two days at a Nude Beach on the Canaveral Seashore in FL. It was pure bliss. One of my favorite spots on earth. I found myself wondering, is this my “third place”? Once again, it hits some, it misses some. Maybe a developing “third place”?? Time will tell.
Great article; thank you. The concept of a "Third Place" is a great analogy.