[mindcrime]

I don't think there's any particular requirement to socialize when at a "third place". So if you just go sit in a cafe, coffee-shop, bar, etc., and work with your headphones on the entire time, you're still enjoying a "third place". Some people (count me in this bucket) get "something" from simply being around other people, but don't necessarily want extensive engagement with those people - at least not on an ongoing basis. Sometimes you just want to listen to the Youtube video you're listening to, or finish the code module you're working on, or whatever. :-)

Me, I like sitting in the cafe at the local Barnes & Noble. I get to enjoy coffee, books, wifi, and a pleasant ambiance. And for the most part I can regulate how much I socialize with the people around me. I say "for the most part" because I'm such a regular there that I've gotten to know a lot of the employees and other regular visitors and have formed friendships with a number of those people, to the point that sometimes when I go in there I have a lot of people coming over to chit-chat. Which is OK in that they're people I enjoy talking to, but sometimes if I'm really trying to get some specific task done, it can be a little bit frustrating and I struggle with how to disengage from them without seeming overly rude. Still, on balance, I get a lot out of hanging out there.