Newsletter: Where are San Diego's third spaces?
Plus, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is monitoring San Diego activists.
Third spaces offer a public, safe, alternative location for people to connect with each other outside of their homes, work or school.
Around the world, a variety of places serve this role. Italy has its piazzas lined with tables to gather around, Iceland has geothermal spas where folks share the news of the day, Japan has record bars where guests enjoy jazz music on vinyl and Mexico has plazas filled with live music and evening strolls.
San Diego County has a variety of third spaces including late night cafes, cocktail bars, gyms, barbershops and salons, public libraries, community centers, malls, senior centers, parks and hiking trails.
But the availability of low- or no-cost spots to hang out has been steadily in decline for years, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Philanthropy Daily, a journal of the Center for Civil Society.
American urban sociologist and author Ray Oldenburg first recognized the concept in his book “The Great Good Place,” published in 1989. In it he wrote that since the Industrial Revolution, people typically spend most of their time at home and the second most at work. Meanwhile, he said, people prioritize time spent in third places among friends and neighbors the least. That’s especially true in the United States, where he said many people lack a third space altogether.
“[American planners and developers] have failed to provide modern counterparts of once-familiar gathering places,” he wrote. “The gristmill or grain elevator, soda fountains, malt shops, candy stores, and cigar stores-places that did not reduce a human being to a mere customer, have not been replaced.”
Today, research shows that the ever-shrinking number of third spaces is largely due to rising costs, neighborhood gentrification, car-centric development, longer work hours, a shift to a “low-trust society” and increased likelihood to “hang out” on social media.
A 2024 American Social Capital Survey found that stark class, race and educational divides impact who can access third spaces. People who have lower income, lack college degrees or come from Black and Brown communities are “more likely to live in civic deserts, lacking commercial places (e.g., coffee shops) and public places (e.g., community centers, parks, and libraries) that are hubs of community connection,” the survey said.
Third spaces can also promote wellness by providing a venue for people to engage with activities and people they love, thus decreasing the negative effects of isolation, according to Northeast Psychological Wellness, a mental health care provider.
The Centers for Disease Control reported in 2024 that about a third of adults feel lonely or disconnected from others, and about a quarter lack social and emotional support. Low-income adults, adults living alone, young adults, older adults, immigrants and people who identify as LGBTQ+ are more likely to experience loneliness.
The 2022 AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing found that loneliness was most prevalent in young adults. The study found that around the world, nearly 60% of people aged 18 to 24 and more than 50% of people aged 25 to 34 report experiencing negative effects on well-being stemming from loneliness.
Social isolation can increase someone’s risk of dementia, depression, anxiety, self-harm, heart disease, stroke and earlier death, according to the CDC.
In “The Great Good Place,” Oldenburg wrote that third places offer more than an “escape and relief from stress.” Having neutral ground to meet and interact with others can equalize relationships between people of different social, cultural or economic backgrounds.“Worldly status claims must be checked at the door in order that all within may be equals,” Oldenburg wrote. “The surrender of outward status, or leveling, that transforms those who own delivery trucks and those who drive them into equals, is rewarded by acceptance on more humane and less transitory grounds.”
When I think about the ever-declining number of third spaces, I imagine what my life may have been like without them.
Throughout my 20s, my primary third space was Lestat’s on Adams Avenue. As a full-time college student juggling my academics, editing my college newspaper and a full-time bartending job, I spent many late nights studying there.
One night, while in the weeds of writing some article at one of Lestat’s communal tables, I met Paige, a student from a different college who became one of my closest friends. Together we befriended two older writers who taught us to play Dungeon Quest, a board game that remains one of my favorites to this day. Since the game is only intermittently printed and very niche, I never would have heard of it were it not for my late night writing adventures at Lestat’s.
Years later when I met my husband, we learned a few dates in that we had the same favorite coffee shop, yet in all our long hours each studying at Lestat’s, we never ran into each other there until after we started dating.
This week, we're launching a series to showcase local third spaces, starting with The Block Club in the Black Arts and Culture District.
I hope you enjoy this week’s article, and stay tuned for others in the near future. If you have a favorite third space in San Diego you think we should feature, I’d love to hear about it! Send me an email at lauren@daylightsandiego.org or DM me on Instagram.
— Lauren J. Mapp
ICE is monitoring San Diego activists
Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego is monitoring activists who document the agency's activities, court records revealed. Called Operation Road Flare, the surveillance has targeted Jeane Wong, an activist who organized cyclists to patrol schools for ICE activity in their communities, and Arturo Gonzalez, an influencer on TikTok and Instagram who films encounters with immigration enforcement officials, among others. It's not clear from the document made public in a court case how many activists the government might be monitoring in San Diego.
— Kate Morrissey
Documents reveal Border Patrol also used Escondido gun range
As the Escondido City Council prepared to meet Wednesday night about a contract between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the police department for use of its gun range, documents obtained by activists surfaced that included a 2018 agreement with U.S. Border Patrol.
— Kate Morrissey
The Block Club builds community
Tucked inside the Black Arts and Culture District, The Block Club has quickly become a home base for artists, entrepreneurs and neighbors looking for connection. Founded by La Raza Webb, Phillip Coleman and Denise Raimo-Webb, the space offers free co-working hours, rotating art shows and community-driven events. Nearly one year in, the nonprofit is already proving there’s a deep need for accessible, creative third spaces in southeastern San Diego.
— Lauren J. Mapp
The San Diego Police Department has abruptly ended its decades-old media credentialing program this month, eliminating both press identification cards and parking placards used by journalists covering breaking news. While existing credentials will remain valid until they expire, the department will no longer issue new or renewed passes. Journalists across the region say the move could create new safety risks and logistical challenges, particularly when covering crime scenes, natural disasters and protests.
— Lauren J. Mapp
The Trump administration has charged hundreds of U.S. citizens with impeding federal officials, though many of those cases fall apart. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security is pursuing information about social media accounts that criticize Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Here's what happened last week in immigration news.
— Kate Morrissey
Abortion funding cuts hit basic care
When the Donald Trump-directed Congress defunded Planned Parenthood last year, critics warned that choking off federal Medicaid payments to the organization would do little to prevent abortion services, but instead deny everyday health care to hundreds of thousands of the nation’s most vulnerable patients. About six months into the one-year funding shutoff, that is precisely what is happening.
— Story by Mark Kreidler, Capital & Main
Angelenos rally to protect immigrants
Community organizers in Los Angeles are rallying in opposition to a Trump administration rule that they say will displace and fracture immigrant families, increase homelessness and potentially throttle rent collections to the point that local housing authorities might be forced to shutter some of their stock. The kicker? The rule hasn’t even been formally proposed.
— Story by Mark Kreidler, Capital & Main
Homeowners insurance resist regulation amid climate crisis
In 2024, there were 27 confirmed weather and climate events in the U.S. each with losses exceeding $1 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But insurance industry groups have resisted supporting climate regulations by questioning the link between higher premiums and climate change, according to a new report from InfluenceMap, a transparency advocacy nonprofit.
— Story by Marcus Baram, Capital & Main
Weekend Energy: Feb. 26 - March 4
The last week of February still presents opportunities to celebrate Black History Month and Lunar New Year. There are also plenty of opportunities to celebrate Ramadan and unwind through community yoga, music and dance if everything is just too much right now.
— Maya Srikrishnan
Other news
Voice of San Diego published its annual guide to San Diego County schools last week. The resource dives into the continuing downward trend of school enrollment, data on a variety of subjects including test score performance and chronic absenteeism, and information about after-school programs.
The congressional district held by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa will be the San Diego area most impacted by new district boundaries following the November approval of Proposition 50, according to KPBS.
San Diego State University is collaborating with the FBI to recover more than $5.4 million lost in a fraudulent wire transfer last year, CBS 8 reported.
A San Diegan learned her former apartment became an Airbnb shortly after she moved out, even though her landlord claimed in the eviction notice that they planned to live there, an inewsource investigation found. No-fault evictions are only legal if the owners move into the residence within 90 days and stay at least a year. But records show the owners applied to turn the unit into a vacation rental within 90 days of her departure.
Upcoming Events
Feb. 26
SBAOA Ramadan Iftar: Somali Bantu Association of America is hosting its annual Ramadan Iftar with an evening of food and reflection. Reserve free tickets online. 5 - 7 p.m., 4855 Seminole Drive, San Diego, CA 92115
Feb. 27
Community Yoga: Alchemystic Studio hosts a gentle community yoga session at The Brown Building every Friday. Reserve space online on a pay-what-you-can basis. 6 - 7 p.m., The Brown Building, 4133 Poplar St., San Diego, CA 92105
CAIR-SD Community Iftar: The San Diego office for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, is hosting a community iftar for local folks to break their fast with a halal dinner. Tickets are available online for $25. 5 - 7 p.m., Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine, 5915 Balboa Ave., San Diego, CA 92111
Feb. 28
San Diego Chinese New Year Fair: The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association is hosting its annual Chinese New Year Fair at CCBA Senior Garden. Feb. 28 and March 1, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., CCBA Senior Garden, 438 Third Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Bomba Dance Workshop: Bomba Liberté is offering a dance workshop with traditional Puerto-Rican/Afro-Caribbean music and movement, featuring Lío Villahermosa. The class costs $20 and will be followed by a bombaza in Barrio Logan. 12 - 1:30 p.m., Centro Cultural de la Raza, 2004 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101
Spinners Meetup: San Diego County Spinners is hosting a meetup at Barley & Sword for people to learn about the group, spin fibers and knit. Guests are invited to bring extra fiber and tools to trade or share. Email questions to sdcountyspinners@gmail.com. Noon - 4 p.m., Barley & Sword, 3052 El Cajon Blvd., Suite 102, San Diego, CA 92104
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