It took until the nearly the last day I was in Paris, but a local resident who understand my values absolutely insisted I check out La Bellevilloise, and so I did that night. It turned out to be what I would consider the place I’d hang out at the most in Paris, a true third place for creatives.

Described by its owners as a ‘an independent, artistic and festive place‘, La Bellevillois got its name from a Parisian cooperative of the same name founded in 1877, which offered political education

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The previous entry profiled the Architect magazine story, The Next Coffeehouse, and there’s one that truly stood out to me as something that a creative would say, “You know, I’d actually really want to work there.“

Designed by STUDIOS Architecture, their Modular Community Kitchen concept is the spatial inverse of the piazza, with a 60’ communal table serving as the ‘town square’. Greg Keffer, principal, provided some insight in this CoolTown interview:

Do you think the market is ready for

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What will the next generation third place look like? Architect Magazine asked five architectural firms to provide their unique answers which are presented in the article, The Next Starbucks. Clockwise from top left, there’s a definite coffee bar theme:

BARbucks by designLAB, Boston - Coffee served bartender style like at a bar for people that want a more social solo experience. This is how coffee is served in Italian espresso bars. designLAB also presents AUTObucks, the equivalent of the self

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First we profiled the conference bike, then the pub bike, followed by the delivery bike, so a natural progression would be a barista bike... the Bikecaffe.

Founded by a couple of coffee connoiseurs, Steve and Mike, they took it upon themselves to provide what they felt was missing in the marketplace - a mobile, outdoors-oriented third place.

“We saw a gap in the market for alfresco (outdoor) coffee to cater to the backlash against global coffee chains. People don’t like queing inside a shop

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You may have heard about the cafe for bike commuters, but what about a hangout for casual riders?  That’s what two native local entrepreneurs had in mind when they opened the Little Red Bike Cafe in Portland, OR last year.

What makes it a bicyclist’s third place?

- The bike-thru - Little Red Bike Cafe’s version of the drive-thru (pictured behind the kids). Plus a 50 cent discount on your coffee if you bike.
- Lots of bike parking.
- A very well written and illustrated blog all about the

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I first profiled Tryst back in 2003 as a popular coffeehouse third place in Adams Morgan, Washington DC. But five years later, ten years after it first opened, it’s not only become a neighborhood institution, but it really should be seen as a contemporary model for job creation.

Here’s the big picture:

1. A majority of big businesses come from small businesses, and small businesses are started by entrepreneurs… from their homes.
2. Many (not all) entrepreneurs who tried working exclusively

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My favorite category on this website is Reader Experiences. What better way to profile inspiring places than to have readers relive such moments. Today’s such person is Christian MacAuley, CEO of FabApps. Her experience:

“Philz Coffee in San Francisco makes your coffee one cup at a time. It feels special and tastes awesome. After waiting in line to be served, a staff member makes your coffee with you one-on-one, asking for your exact preferences so you’re getting very individualized attention

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We know third places are that familiar social gathering place away from home and work, and we’re thankfully witnessing a renaissance of them in neighborhoods everywhere. So, it was inevitable that as more creatives turn to more natural means of transportation we would start to see third places for biking commuters, aka urban bike stations (thank you Springwise).

You’re in luck if you live in the following cities with urban bike stations, all of which offer secure covered bike parking, on-site

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Say you’re at a bar with friends, and you want to sample a few beers, or you just want a half pint to cap off the evening, or you’re in the mood for a hefeweizen right now. There’s also something festive and congenial about refilling everyone’s mugs from a pitcher on the table.

It was inevitable, and it has arrived - self-serve tables with their own draft taps (and metered displays), which you’ll for the time being have to travel to Pilsen, Czechoslovakia’s new

Pilsner Unique Bar (pictured)

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If you’re looking to establish a beta community to crowdsource a natural cultural district (kudos to those of you who don’t have to click on the words to know what’s being talked about here), it starts with third places, events and scenes.

Third places. Most of you know what third places are - where you feel comfortable hanging out when you’re not at home or at work. A community starts with a third place so people can meet face to face, whether it’s a coffeehouse, a cafe/bookstore, or a

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