x Facebook shareFacebook Pinterest sharePinterest Twitter shareTwitter Social IssuesJul 10, 2024 “Capitalism Gone Bad”: 30 People Remember Third Places That Have Disappeared Interview With Expert Austeja Zokaite and Ieva Pečiulytė Open list comments 18 Vote arrow up Vote arrow down 54 Open list comments 18 Checkmark Link copied! Share icon Share Checkmark Link copied! Share icon Share Publish Not your original work? Add source ADVERTISEMENT Sociologists have noticed that people spend most of their time in one of three places. The first is their home, the second is where they work, and the third is a common area where they socialize. Some examples of the latter include libraries, parks, churches, coffee shops, and community centers, which are very important for human relationships.However, these third places are disappearing due to factors like digitalization, the cost of living, and the pandemic. To attract more attention to their importance, older adults are sharing their favorite ‘hangout spots’ that should be preserved for the sake of our mental health. Scroll down to find them, and let us know what you think about the topic in the comments below!While you're at it, don't forget to check out a conversation with internet culture writer Nathan Allebach, who went viral in 2022 after posting a TikTok video on this topic. This post may include affiliate links. #1 In my neck of the woods, a lot of third places closed because of people behaving badly. Once upon a time, people knew how to behave in groups, obeyed the unwritten social contract, shared common spaces. "Share the road." with other drivers. Be nice to pedestrians and bicyclists. Wait your turn. Keep your voice down. Don't blare your music. Share the space, let others enjoy it too.Y'all can rag on boomers all you want, but we had numerous public spaces, and knew how to behave in them. We cleaned up our own garbage and left the place nice for the next people. "Excuse me" and "Thank you" and "I'm sorry" and "How are you?" and "Nice weather we've been having" were common usage. There's been an incredible breakdown in the unwritten social contract, leading to the closing a lot of those spaces. People have gotten into my face for reasons I can't comprehend. People barge through a space, bumping into others because pausing to let someone else pass is foreign to them. It's as if being kind to others is showing weakness. There's little warmth in public places any more. Little eye contact. Kindness hardly exists.. People take and take, but give nothing. People are incredibly loud and self-centered and they are never ever wrong.The breakdown of the social contract appears to be culminating with Orange Man .... pourtide , Jill Wellington/pexels Report Add photo comments POST ByeFelicia ByeFelicia Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report This is 100% true. I noticed this happening back in the early 2000s - not so recently as you say. People just have zero respect for public spaces and others around them and haven't for a very long time. Vote comment up 27 27points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu Modal close ADVERTISEMENT #2 Librarian here. Unless you live in one of the areas where libraries are suddenly hated and are having their funding cut to shreds, you can go there. Please come in. It’s free and warm and there are free books and computers and you only have to pay if you return a book late or want to print something. dabunny21689 , Rafael Cosquiere/pexels Report Add photo comments POST Damned_Cat Damned_Cat Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report I used to love the library. Sadly, these days it is just a place that the homeless go to get warm or cool. The children's section is behind a locked door to keep out the creepy people. You have to ask the librarian to buzz you in. Vote comment up 11 11points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu #3 Drive-In Movie Theater!!! With pajamas on as a kid and being able to play on the monkey bars there while mom got snacks at the snack bar!!! Capable_Tale_1988 , Discover Lehigh Valley, PA/flickr Report Add photo comments POST Tucker Cahooter Tucker Cahooter Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Used to be popular in Australia. I remember going to them during the 60s and 70s Vote comment up 11 11points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu One of the earliest examples of third places are tea houses tracing back to ancient Chinese communities and the Jin dynasty, around 265–316 AD. At first, they were considered a symbol of status where people could frivolously spend their money on tea in public. Later, they evolved into meeting places where local people celebrated and had business and friendly meetings daily. These were the hubs where they shared their creative ideas and generated innovations.ADVERTISEMENTFlash forward to the 17th century, and the owners of coffee houses were severely punished by Sultan Murad IV of the Ottoman Empire and King Charles II of England because they felt threatened by the ‘radical ideas’ that were shared in these places. #4 If you lived through the 80's and 90's, the mall was very much a public plaza for seeing your friends, group dates, or just stretching your legs.Now, did we still spend money a lot of the time? Sure. If 11 year old me had money in my pocket, I was buying a snack at the food court, maybe some Magic cards or a CD.But probably about half the trips I went to the mall from ages 11-14, I bought nothing. And my friends with less money didn't feel out of place, because we were there to walk around, talk, and play cards. PreferredSelection , Joe Wolf/flickr Report Add photo comments POST Serial pacifist Serial pacifist Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report First people stopped going outside to socialize. Then, they even stopped going inside to socialize. Vote comment up 12 12points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu #5 It is the same in my country Malaysia as well. You cant even enter some parks without paying an entrance fee and you're not going to be able to get there without a car. A public beach in my state is going to start development into another private tourist hotel any day now and we won't even be able to see the sunset without paying ridiculous amounts of money as parking fee. I wish we just had somewhere to chill and meet people for free. ven-diagram , Tomas Ryant /pexels Report Add photo comments POST Savahax Savahax Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Lots of countries are selling out their own people for tourist money. I remember a holiday in Gambia. The locals were not allowed on the beach. We (Dutch white) were there, if a black person who lived there went on the beach the police would beat them. Did not enjoy that experience 😵 Vote comment up 21 21points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT #6 My neighborhood has this tiny plaza located off a street full of local shops and restaurants. Its like 60' by 80', its basically just an empty lot between two buildings that's been paved with stones and has a few benches and a fountain.Every single evening that the weather is even remotely tolerable its packed with people. Parents with kids in strollers. Teenagers with their bikes chilling after school. Friends hanging out and chatting over pastries from the bakery next door. Local musicians playing live music in the summer. Its this tiny little island of space where people can just...exist, and say hi to each other, and enjoy being outside and around other people. If you build these spaces *people will come*. It doesn't take much. It doesn't need to cost a lot of money. You just need to carve out some space people lounge in, and give them local businesses they can choose to patronize without requiring them to spend money. And crucially *they have to be able to reach it without driving a car*. Mezentine , Darya Sannikova/pexels Report Add photo comments POST Moosy Girl Moosy Girl Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Around here if you build these spaces *drugdealers will come*. ;p Vote comment up 15 15points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT The term third place was popularized by urban sociologist Raymond Oldenberg, who described it as “public places on neutral ground where people can gather and interact. In contrast to first places (home) and second places (work), Third Places allow people to put aside their concerns and simply enjoy the company and conversation around them.”Writer, social media director, and brand strategist Nathan Allebach, who went viral in 2022 after posting a TikTok video on this topic, said to Bored Panda, "Third spaces have traditionally been the low-to-no-cost entry places where communities gathered. They could be public squares where there might be a fountain, statue, or bulletin board; they could be libraries, cafes, barber shops, pubs, music venues, skate parks, or any other place with a magnetic pull for people to hang out for more than just a quick purchase." #7 I miss the bookstores that had a cafe. A place to explore and find new authors, relax and enjoy a coffee with other literary minded people. Talk with staff about what was new and exciting. All gone now. rtopps43 , Esra Nur Kala/pexels Report Add photo comments POST Savahax Savahax Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Larger cities have them here as well Vote comment up 3 3points Vote comment down reply View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT Dr. Narae Lee, a scholar at Pennsylvania State University, has researched the impact of these locations and proposes that “one of the important features of 'third places' is social contact, either directly or indirectly,” Lee says. “In third places, you can enjoy direct social interaction with other people by chatting and enjoying activities with them.” #8 I miss them so much. This may sound gross, but I miss the smell of the VHSs and DVDs. I miss going in either with a plan or without one and simply browsing to find a random movie to watch. I miss picking out candy and pulling out my Blockbuster card. It was a highlight of my week, especially each weekend. __mentionitall__ , Paul Irish/flickr Report Add photo comments POST Traveling Lady Railfan Traveling Lady Railfan Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Visiting "the last blockbuster" (Bend Oregon) recently gave me the most amazing retro fueled nostalgic "high". I was grinning ear to ear all day. Vote comment up 10 10points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT #9 "Why aren't arcades a thing anymore?" I wonder as I pre-order another game on Steam. The door bell rings. Amazon delivery. "We used to have so much fun at malls. I wonder why they all closed down. Probably a conspiracy to remove all third places..." The phrase is familiar, something I've been seeing a lot online, and I spend a lot of time online. After all that's where all my friends are. Who would want to go outside and meet people? It's 2024. I play my RPGs on Discord now. Makes it so much easier than having to go to a cafe or someone else's home. Cafes are all closing down now anyway, you wouldn't find one if you wanted to. I don't want to, obviously, but hypothetically. kRkthOr , Amy/flickr Report Add photo comments POST Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report They are. We have a couple here in Portland that also serve beer and wine. Vote comment up 7 7points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT They help us form our individual and collective identities beyond our home or work. In a sense, they are a communal social hub that is becoming more important to our psychological well-being while living in a society where loneliness is increasing. Even if you aren’t actively participating in socializing, just showing up can do wonders. “It’s crucial for people to escape from a sense of loneliness and build a sense of community. Some people go to third places to be surrounded by other people, watch them, and rest while just enjoying the ambiance and white noise,” Lee says. #10 Dance halls, and dancing in general used to be massively popular. If you were in an American town of more than 1000 or so people you could count on at least one social dance a week, often more. backlikeclap , Lauren Mitchell/flickr Report Add photo comments POST Joshua Seaman Joshua Seaman Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report There are tons of dances in the city I live in, both partner and free-form dances. Of course, they cost $, but that's kind of to be expected with the space rental. Vote comment up 3 3points Vote comment down reply View more commentsArrow down menu #11 Soda fountains.I recently read a story about a girl in the 1930s who enjoyed a strawberry soda at a soda fountain for a nickel. I looked it up, and minimum wage in 1930 was 25 cents an hour. So at minimum, someone would need to work for twelve minutes to afford one strawberry soda at a soda fountain.Counterpoint, current federal minimum wage is $7.25. Priced proportionaly, that soda should cost $1.25. In my area, it should cost $3.20 based on state minimum wage. But I can't even get a basic black coffee for that price from the local coffee shops. A bottled 20 oz soda costs about $3 from the local liquor store, but I'm sure it's not as good as the fresh soda served from the fountain. And the store is designed for me to grab what I want out of the cooler, pay, and leave.So it's not just that there's no places we can't be at and not spend money. It's that the money we're expected to spend is out of proportion to, say, what some mid-century teens were expected to spend while hanging out at the local soda fountain. stolenfires , David Wilson/flickr Report Add photo comments POST shankShaw deReemer shankShaw deReemer Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report I love a fountain drink every now and again, especially one from McDonald's. Their stores keep the syrup cold or something like that, and boy do they give the best "burn" going down! Vote comment up 4 4points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT #12 My hometown closed its only remaining movie theater during the pandemic. at that point, the ***ONLY*** form of entertainment (Excluding bars and restaurants) is a concert venue and a theater venue. in a City with a population of 205,918.This is the second biggest city in New England, after Boston. And they wonder why the only thing kids do is play videogames and do d***s. MourningWallaby Report Add photo comments POST keyboardtek keyboardtek Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report To be honest, as a teen in the 1970's doing LSD and mescaline were more entertaining than most activities. Vote comment up 12 12points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu In the 1950s, these social hubs resided in the local diner, the library, the bowling hall, and hair salons. The 1990s and the emergence of the iconic TV show Friends again popularized coffee shops where people could come in to meet up with others, catch up about their day, and dissociate from their daily routines. #13 Music (the media, not instruments) stores, especially the ones that let you sample music!Bookstores aren't gone but there are far less of them. anon , Angie Linder/flickr Report Add photo comments POST Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report All over the place here on the West Coast. Vote comment up 4 4points Vote comment down reply View more commentsArrow down menu #14 "We complain children and teens don't go outside but we have totslly removed every single thing for them to do that isn't digital" is probably the pinnacle of why i struggle with maintaining a healthy living routine, along with the fact that money gets tighter every month. ThatSmartIdiot Report Add photo comments POST ByeFelicia ByeFelicia Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report It's because a small % of the population have ruined and continue to ruin things for the rest of us. Build a park? Graffiti, vandalism and d**g addicts. Turn a street into a pedestrian walkway? Every store gets robbed and they close. It's just not worth spending the money on something that won't last a year at most. It's sad but true. Vote comment up 9 9points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT #15 I always think about how if I woke tomorrow as a billionaire, I'd like to just open a big a*s arcade or something like it that operates at a loss just because it'd be cool to do. I have the same aspirations as a 5 year old. Merc931 Report Add photo comments POST ByeFelicia ByeFelicia Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report You wouldn't find me if I woke up a billionaire. I'd move to a small town in the middle of nowhere and clean out every animal shelter in a 20-mile radius on my way there. Vote comment up 18 18points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu Seeing a huge opportunity there, Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, changed the layout of their store to include warm colors, coffee tones, and comfortable seating. He was aware of the need for community and described their new design as “intended from day one to build a Third Place between home and work... at a time in America when people are hungry for human connection.” #16 And what are you going to do? Are you going to advocate for third places? Are you going to attend municipal council meetings? Will you sign petitions? Protest? Are you going to contact your municipality and tell them?Because if you do things will change. Third spaces will come back. tryingtobecheeky , Joshua Santos/pexels Report Add photo comments POST Damned_Cat Damned_Cat Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Not in my town. It's all about creating commerce and housing (in that order). So far, new business development consists of fast-food restaurants and car washes. Nothing is done for the quality of life. Vote comment up 9 9points Vote comment down reply View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT See Also on Bored Panda Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?” Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women #17 When I was little he had a half track as we called it that had been built in the creek by multiple cohorts of children. The first group of kids started it sometime in the 5th or 6th grade, around high school or so they can get to better places, so they showed that place to the Friends of their siblings and the younger kids. Eventually those kids got older and showed the place to their younger siblings and cousins and so on.Heading out in the middle of nowhere where it couldn't be seen from the road, and could only be found by waiting across a creek was a track made in the dirt for bikes by and for kids.By the time my age group was going there regularly, we had some banked turns, a quarter pipe to drop into the track, and me and about 15 other kids all worked to make a mogul section in the straightaway. Any given day you would go there there'd be at least another 10 kids. One or two of which were there for the first time and you got to meet someone new and show them your favorite part of the track and spread the history of this place.No of course there was eventually a half pipe and a quarter pipe made out of dirt, so a bunch of us were eating s**t and just absolutely wrecking ourselves on this course. This eventually led to the adults figuring out where it was.The city came and bulldozed the course. So we started rebuilding it. They came and bulldozed it again and then paved over it with cement. Flat cement with benches at the end of it.So we started bringing our skateboards and rollerblades and using the benches to practice our grinds. So the city put in studs at the edge of everything so that we couldn't do that anymore either.Needless to say it stopped being a good hangout place for kids, most of those kids I would see three times a week I never saw again in my life. The ones that I did were hooked on d***s because there was literally nothing else to do but sit in our rooms and get high.We're hell bent on making sure no one has anything to do and then complaining when people aren't doing things. DuntadaMan , Ahmed akacha/pexels Report Add photo comments POST Tiny Dancer Tiny Dancer Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Not to take away from this heartwarming (and breaking) story about skateboarding that I never thought about before, but why on earth have they used a picture of kids in a refugee camp playing in a mud puddle? Unless they're underwater, not a skateboard in sight. Vote comment up 6 6points Vote comment down reply View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT See Also on Bored Panda Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics) “Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way #18 The dog park is my third space. It turned from me going there to watch dogs alone to help with mental health, to now I have a dog of my own and watching her play with all her friends brings me such joy. mcflurvin Report Add photo comments POST Comfortably Numb Comfortably Numb Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report I had a dog who loved people but could care less about other dogs. I am a person who loves dogs but could care less about other people. Dog parks were not for us, we found... Vote comment up 4 4points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu However, with the introduction of the internet and Wi-Fi, these places started to lose the community aspect. Now many people come to them, put in their earbuds, keep their heads down, and focus on their electronic devices. Coffee shops or more specifically, Starbucks, are embracing it and changing their layouts once again. From previous inviting and communal spaces, locations have reduced the number of seats and introduced uncomfortable furniture, and blank walls, encouraging people to leave promptly. #19 I think the analogies fall flat, but I agree with the sentiment. ESPECIALLY with children. I feel like when I grew up the world was much more friendly to me as a child. Fast food places had play areas, we had cool places like FunScape, Disney Quest, Discovery Zone.Theaters had massive arcade sections (some still do). All these places just do not exist anymore for kids. Their bound to their houses. I mean sure they could go outside but some places are just endless suburb streets of private property. No woods, no rivers, no forts to build. Kids need their own place to go. EtsuRah Report Add photo comments POST Noname Noname Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report None of this exists in France outside the big cities. Playgrounds (aire des jeux) are for toddlers and have one or two things to play on, but it's not designed for the over 7 year olds. In the US, playgrounds are fairly large, designed for ages 1-12 year olds, and had tons of equipment. Usually they were in proximity to a primary school, so you'd bring your kids to your local playground and get to meet other families that go to that school. Quite often, after school, we parents would let the kids play while we chatted. Especially in summer, the ice-cream truck would make a stop or two during the day. This just doesn't exist in France, which is a shame. Vote comment up 7 7points Vote comment down reply View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT See Also on Bored Panda 50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics #20 I feel this a lot. I live in an eastern european city, close to a million people, and i often don't wanna go home after uni cuz it's boring and lonely, but there's quite literally nothing for me to do. I end up wandering city streets buying myself small things like pressed leaf tea and coffee and candy bars just to feel something, just to feel like I've got something to do. Its kinda sad. undead_and_unfunny Report Add photo comments POST Moosy Girl Moosy Girl Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report I think it’s also us who changed, because I know around here if you look for it there’s always stuff going on somewhere: free concerts, free theatre, free exhibitions, parties, book meet-ups and so on. But I rarely find the energy to look for it, or it gets buried in the endless stream of information. Vote comment up 6 6points Vote comment down reply View more commentsArrow down menu #21 The mall is the biggest one that hardly exist today in the form like they did prior to the 00s.Things I used to do as a kid in the 90s and 00s that I don't do anymore is things like:The arcade, stand alone ones were already dying when I was a kid but they did have them in malls, which also are dying/dead now. I don't know of any Malls today that have arcade in them like they were in my youth, a Dave and Busters is the closest thing but not the same.Bowling, way too expensive today compared to when I was a kid can you can do everything for like 2 dollars a game + shoes. Today you're going to be spending 20 bucks for the same, unless you want to show up on a weekday morning to get 5 dollar games.Movies, exactly the same as bowling. WAY too expensive. It also has the double whammy of streaming basically killing the urge to watch a movie.Browsing Blockbuster. Netflix killed that off, but it was already on the way out in the 00s. It was one of the places where I was like an 8 year old befriending the high schooler employee about films and games and it not being some creepy ass/sus friendship. A blockbuster employee taught me how to burn games and dvds and how to modify a PS2 to make use of those burnt discs.Gamestop/ Best Buy. Midnight game releases were events that people did, the death of physical media killed that in the mid 10s. pwn3dbyth3n00b , Vidal Balielo Jr./pexels Report Add photo comments POST BoredPossum BoredPossum Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Entertainment places. We never had them in Sweden, but I found one in Italy with rollerskating, skating, bowling, arcades, shuffleboard, you name it. It was awesome, just like being in Karate kid 1! Vote comment up 4 4points Vote comment down reply View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT See Also on Bored Panda “Everyone Went Dead Silent”: Family Dinner Ends In Tears After Woman Announces 7th Pregnancy Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out Lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic eliminated even more third places. Gyms, bars, restaurants, and libraries were forced to pause their operations, which led some of them to close down permanently. Allebach points out another reason why these locations are disappearing, and that is the hardly walkable town infrastructure. "Prior to WWII, every small town and big city alike was built to be walkable because walking was people’s primary means of transportation. You needed to get to the local corner store, bar, butcher, blacksmith, and so on within a reasonable distance. Since WWII and the mass production of motor vehicles, countries have begun redesigning their infrastructure toward car dependency. Roads slowly replaced train and trolley lines, and housing was slowly built far away from urban centers." #22 In my literature class we had a poem about front porches, and discussed their impact on the community as places to greet friends and neighbors, hang out and talked about how modern houses have pretty well eliminated this in many places.Discussed so much evidence that society has shifted dramatically into a less face to face, friendly place. Much less community. I barely know my neighbors, and most of my classmates said the same. earlofhoundstooth , Greta Hoffman/pexels Report Add photo comments POST Traveling Lady Railfan Traveling Lady Railfan Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report As central air in home (air conditioning) became more mainstream, "sitting on porches" became passe for most people. Vote comment up 6 6points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT See Also on Bored Panda Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk "There's a lot more to this history, obviously," he continues. "But now, decades later, we have a development pattern that requires a car to get anywhere, making third places harder to sustain financially. That, coupled with the last 20 years of technology, via the internet, social media, smartphones, streaming, and video games, people are increasingly atomized. It’s more comfortable and easy to stay home and consume media, rather than drive 20 minutes to your nearest park or downtown." #23 For kids/teens, the woods. I spent so much time wandering the woods behind my house when I was a kid and going to kegger parties as a teen, and all those woods are gone now. It's so upsetting that there's so little nature left and that kids today don't get to have those experiences. panic_bread Report Add photo comments POST CSC CSC Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report When I was growing up the woods were my backyard. Thankfully, they weren't torn down to build houses until after I had grown and moved out. It was so much fun! Vote comment up 5 5points Vote comment down reply View more commentsArrow down menu #24 I worked at a Pizza Hut in 1990 - 91, and that restaurant still had a booming dine-in business. Fast forward 15 or 20 tears later, that branch closed and reopened as delivery-only operation about 2 blocks away. Around 3 or 4 years ago my wife and I, feeling nostalgic, took our kids to a different area Pizza Hut that still had a dining area, and at around dinner time on a weekend (can't recall if it was Friday or Saturday) it was a damn ghost town. Two other tables being used, maybe. And they still had the island for the salad bar, but it was all closed down, at least on that night. Pizza was pretty good, but the experience otherwise was just depressing. edgrrrpo , Tadson Bussey/flickr Report Add photo comments POST Beth Wheeler Beth Wheeler Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Pizza hut yuck. And their stupid slogan.... I have news EVERYBODY out pizzas the hut even frozen pizza. Vote comment up 2 2points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT See Also on Bored Panda “This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport "I Didn't Start The Dryer": Karen Gets Taught A Lesson After Throwing Out Neighbor's Wet Clothes Something that can help preserve these places, according to him, is changing zoning and parking laws. "The problem is that the vast majority of suburbs, small towns, and cities alike have adopted highly restrictive zoning and parking laws over time that make walkable housing de facto illegal to build. On most land in most towns, you can’t even build a duplex without going through months of working with the local zoning board. Fundamentally, our zoning and parking laws have to change if we want our development pattern to change. A library, cafe, or barbershop is much more likely to not only survive financially but thrive as a place to spend time when it’s located in an active downtown rather than a dead suburb."He concludes, "When we legalize different styles of development, we can see how different people would choose to live, rather than the current status quo, which creates an artificial scarcity of walkable communities, making most of them unaffordable for most people." #25 I'm talking about the US in specific, but to fix the death of third places you must first fix the death of walkability and bikeability.If any kind of social activity for leisure requires the ownership of a multi-thousand dollar machine that needs constant fuel, maintenance, and insurance premiums, then yes you've essentially locked out *a lot* of people from accessing third places. Public transport is garbage in 99% of places to the point that it simply makes it not worth it.And this isn't just a case of "oh yeah let's retrofit sidewalks everywhere". People live *too f*****g far apart*. There are likely millions of suburban developments in the country that are perhaps an hour's walk - but a mere 10 minute drive - from anything that could be construed as a central community area.This in itself does something very damaging to our psyche in that our social interactions become atomized and bookended with "I must leave at this time to get here at this time to have this amount of social time doing X and then leave at this time to arrive home at this time". Nothing flows into each other anymore. Interactions, meetings, and conversations aren't organic.Communities in the US are way, *way* too dispersed for their own good, and as such are way too reliant on cars for basically f*****g everything. Third places cannot thrive in this context no matter how much conscious effort we put into it. Proximity, and critical mass of numbers, are huge factors in the success of third places. Griffolion , William Fortunato/pexels Report Add photo comments POST Noname Noname Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report And the Big Box Stores killed the local, easily accessible strip malls. Why bother going to several stores in one area when you can find everything in one gigantic store? Vote comment up 3 3points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT See Also on Bored Panda College Student Does Exactly As Told After Roommates Demand They Keep Their Stuff In Their Room Guy Divorced 3 Years Ago Drops Off 3 Y.O. With His Ex-Wife Completely Out Of The Blue #26 We wanted to go ice skating the other week. Every single rink has a website to register for public skating sessions. Every single person going with you needs their own account. You literally just can't show up anymore during public sessions and go skating. It really sucks. biological_assembly Report Add photo comments POST Lil Miss Hobbit Lil Miss Hobbit Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Not so in Canada. Ice-skating is very much still a part of everyday life. Vote comment up 4 4points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu #27 Much of it is a side-effect of what I refer to as 'capitalism gone bad'. Some decades ago, corporate America fully embraced a philosophy of 'profit above all else', and that meant any social conscience by large and far went out the window. If f*****g people over meant you made fat stacks of cash, then that was acceptable. How this relates to the subject of this post, is that a community center or skating rink doesn't make 'fat stacks of cash', they usually operate barely in the black at best, so if some corporation can buy up that property, and if necessary bribe some county officials to re-zone it, they'll do it, and put something in it's place that make the 'fat stacks of cash' they want -- and if that f***s over the local community, *tough s**t*. Someone complains they'll say "oh, well, we brought JOBS to the area!" and stand all tall and proud like they did a good thing.I also personally believe there are elements of our own government that don't *want* people venturing outside their homes unless it's to go to work or to buy supplies, they'd rather people be corralled into their homes and *stay there* otherwise. Among these I speak of are police; if you haven't noticed they've become more and more the 'jackbooted thugs with badges and guns' that I sometimes speak of. It's fairly common throughout human history that police, left unchecked for too long, become a power unto themselves, not content to just enforce the law, but to become judge, jury -- and *executioner* -- all-in-one. They'd much prefer, I think, that everyone everywhere be *controlled* 24/7/365, and keeping people in their homes is one way to do that. anon , Quang Nguyen Vinh /pexels Report Add photo comments POST keyboardtek keyboardtek Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report We can all thank Ronald Reagan for the beginning of the greed era and for Republicans since then making greed their mantra. Vote comment up 20 20points Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu ADVERTISEMENT The good news is that a lot of third places still exist, and they can flourish only if they attract returning regulars. Therefore, seeking out local cafes, parks, arcades, libraries, malls, bars, clubs, bookstores, community events, and yard sales can help preserve them.For those who aren’t sure how to find them, Dr. Lee recommends tying a third space to something they’re interested in. If reading is your cup of tea, try joining a local book club where you can discuss it with other people. In case you prefer nature over everything, going to a nearby park also counts. #28 I grew up in a somewhat rural area. The only 3rd place I can think of was the hobby shop in the mall. We would play yugioh, magic, DND, ect, and just chill there all day. But once we started getting our own apartments / houses, we would mostly hang out there. That continues to this day, although we are a bit older. deadrabbits4360 , SteelCityHobbies/flickr Report Add photo comments POST Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report I ride by one on my way to work every morning. Vote comment up 1 1point Vote comment down reply View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu #29 Not the one Amtrak is talking about, but the only roller skating rink I’ve been to in Philly is the Rothman Orthopedics Rink. It’s outdoors and converts to an ice rink in winter. I find it really funny that an Orthopedic center sponsors this rink considering how much business it must be generating for them (people falling and breaking something). klausklass Report Add photo comments POST ADVERTISEMENT #30 In a broad sense the idea of “community center” needs to be rethought because for decades it was and has been synonymous with “place for old people," not that this is not valid — it absolutely is, my MIL after her husband passed away craved those kinds of places — but it’s now something that more age groups want and need so we should think about how to design spaces that accommodate various age groups and interest groups. There’s also no reason that there couldn’t be commerce; what if in every other town there was a huge building with ample parking all around it, and inside there are all kinds of cool stores and restaurants? jeffehobbs Report Add photo comments POST firecrackershrimp firecrackershrimp Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report I know you mean malls ... But what to do now when many malls are instituting no one under 18 unless accompanied by a chaperone.... And at least where I am they've removed almost all seating benches in the public areas so if you're older or disabled there is no where to have a seat to rest. Vote comment up 2 2points Vote comment down reply View more commentsArrow down menu Note: this post originally had 62 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes. Ic_chat Progress: Ic check outlined Dialog close Ic_smile Ic_meh Next Next Back Ic check outlined Dialog close Ic_smile Ic_meh Thanks! Check out the results: View alternative results: Ic_score / 0 Ic_puzzle Games View all games Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Modal close Add Your Answer! Not your original work? Add source Publish Modal close Modal close Upload from computerUpload Photo Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB. Upload Upload Edit Image Error occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again. Twitter Render conversation Use html version Generate not embedded version Add watermark Instagram Show Image Only Hide Caption Crop Add watermark Facebook Show Image Only Add watermark Change Source Title Update Add Image What do you think ? Add photo comments POST Helena Helena Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Social media was the final death blow of 3rd places. Who can relax in public when any mistake you make could be immortalized to the internet forever? Vote comment up 6 6points Vote comment down reply Matthew Barabas Matthew Barabas Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report it doesnt even have to be a mistake. being a male of a certain age is enough to permanently label you as a creep. Vote comment up 1 1point Vote comment down reply Load More Replies... GirlFriday GirlFriday Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Covid killed our third space. There was a little diner/bar in Speedway, IN about 10 minutes from our home that was our place. Shelves lined with books, good food, boozy milkshakes, it was our place. If we didn't want to cook? Grindstone. Meeting friends for a quick chat? Grindstone. Want to hang out and play board games? Grindstone. Now it is gone and we don't have a place. Vote comment up 6 6points Vote comment down reply Annik Perrot Annik Perrot Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report And here we are, all scrolling away on BP... Vote comment up 4 4points Vote comment down reply Pittsburgh rare Pittsburgh rare Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Because the lack of third places. And because there's a f*****g heatwave with 70% humidity here, but that's another story. Vote comment up 3 3points Vote comment down reply Load More Replies... Load More Comments POST Helena Helena Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Social media was the final death blow of 3rd places. Who can relax in public when any mistake you make could be immortalized to the internet forever? Vote comment up 6 6points Vote comment down reply Matthew Barabas Matthew Barabas Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report it doesnt even have to be a mistake. being a male of a certain age is enough to permanently label you as a creep. Vote comment up 1 1point Vote comment down reply Load More Replies... GirlFriday GirlFriday Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Covid killed our third space. There was a little diner/bar in Speedway, IN about 10 minutes from our home that was our place. Shelves lined with books, good food, boozy milkshakes, it was our place. If we didn't want to cook? Grindstone. Meeting friends for a quick chat? Grindstone. Want to hang out and play board games? Grindstone. Now it is gone and we don't have a place. Vote comment up 6 6points Vote comment down reply Annik Perrot Annik Perrot Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report And here we are, all scrolling away on BP... Vote comment up 4 4points Vote comment down reply Pittsburgh rare Pittsburgh rare Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Because the lack of third places. And because there's a f*****g heatwave with 70% humidity here, but that's another story. Vote comment up 3 3points Vote comment down reply Load More Replies... Load More Comments Back to Homepage More about Social Issues Homepage Trending Social Issues Arrow point to left Homepage Next in Social Issues Arrow point to right Related on Bored Panda
Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)
Ic play 🧸💥 Spike Sneaks His Toy into School! 🏫 ⛔🎒And Other Stories for Kids and Family by Fire Spike!
Ic play 🦇👻 The Candy Monster Spooky Scare: A Halloween Night Adventure! 🍬🎃 and Other Stories by Fire Spike
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime