[mjyoon]

I don't buy this - there are third spaces where you don't need to spend money and they've been here forever and are usually accessible. Churches, libraries, parks, certain community recreational facilities, gyms ,etc. It's not a lack of spaces, it's an issue of getting to those spaces.

[3523582908]

I'm spending the summer in Canada, where they invest a lot in third spaces, and the difference between Canada and the US in this regard is night and day.

- Parks: A lot of them, every few blocks there's a large, well maintained park. Trash cans everywhere. - Many community centers, huge, filled with extremely inexpensive or free activities. Community centers all have gyms in them. - Beautiful, modern feeling libraries

It's hard to describe the difference, but it is non trivial.

[vel0city]

I'm in the US. I've spent time visiting in Canada recently as well.

Everything in your list is stuff I experienced in most of the parts of Canada I visited. Not all though, for instance it wasn't like that in the parts of Mississauga I visited. And everything in your list is stuff I experience regularly in the US, in the parts I've lived in.

[arccy]

  - churches: not really for the non religious
  - libraries: not if you want to actually talk to people
  - parks: only if the weather cooperates
  - certain community recreational facilities: spend money? too activity oriented
  - gyms: same as above

[mjyoon]

The original poster said "spend a ton of money" (those places you spend money but not a "ton") and I've included churches as an example. This short list isn't comprehensive. Also, have you been to a library recently? There are now spaces where you can socialize and meet.

[shiroiushi]

>The original poster said "spend a ton of money" (those places you spend money but not a "ton")

Then why'd you put gyms in your list? You DO have to spend a ton of money to get a gym membership. And you can't cancel it because you have to sign a ridiculous contract and basically file a lawsuit to end the membership (not really, but it seems almost this bad).

[vel0city]

> You DO have to spend a ton of money to get a gym membership.

I've been off and on user of several different gyms over the years. I don't recall actually paying for a gym membership myself. It's usually been a gym at my apartment complex, or a gym at the office park where I work, or my employer covered a gym membership, or I got it through health insurance.

[01HNNWZ0MV43FF]

We could agree that libraries don't have to be quiet anymore. It's not perfect but it's easy, and then a bunch of towns would suddenly have really nice public community centers.