ThirdSpace
January 29, 2025 / Photo: Courtesy of Austin Aubry
Third places are diminishing around the country. Defined in Sociology as social environments other than the home or workplace, these communal resources like parks, libraries, and cafes are critical for individuals to engage with one another, discuss ideas, organize, and find community. And though the city has no shortage of spaces to gather, social and financial barriers often factor into their accessibility.
Monica Kraeger made ThirdSpace as an answer to these obstacles. Having gone to school for sustainability science and design, she approached the city’s third place deficit as a problem she needed to work out.
”The whole idea of civic engagement has totally changed because of social media,” she explained. “People are struggling to connect to their community.”
This sentiment sparked the idea for a communal space that would offer events, open hours, and other resources for individuals to connect, socialize, and create.
In February of 2024 Kraeger started Thirdspace as a non-profit community space that hosts a series of affordable or no-cost programs including open mics, topic-driven discussions, art exhibitions, and film screenings. Interested parties can send inquiries to ThirdSpaceabout renting the space or hosting their own programs, which are evaluated based on whether the event meets the space guidelines and upholds the communal, accessible pillars the space abides by.
Outside of their regular programming,ThirdSpace provides open hours for individuals to experience the 1,100 sq ft loft space. It also hosts weekly “Office Hours” where people can come to tackle work or projects, mingle, and enjoy a lunch made by a volunteer community cook.
Kraeger describes the robust variety of programming that she, volunteers, and community partners have executed within Thirdspace’s first year as time-intensive but a “labor of love.” In the coming months, she is looking forward to expanding the space’s offerings to include cost-friendly and inclusive wellness resources like yoga classes and acupuncture appointments.
The space also aims to provide resources to help individuals build stronger ties to their community by connecting them with volunteering opportunities or local activations pertaining to what they’re passionate about.
More about ThirdSpace can be found here.
