What is the “Third Place”?

Third Place Bar NYC is a series of non-alcoholic bar events founded by Sam Bail in late 2022. The “Third Place” is an idea first coined by the sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe those places, outside of work or home, that foster social connections. Libraries, beauty salons, and cafes are all Third Places that nurtured artists, thinkers, and revolutionaries for centuries. Yet in the United States, these spaces have increasingly declined. "The problem of place in America manifests itself in a sorely deficient informal public life," wrote Oldenburg in 1989. 

Third Place Bar exists because it is the right thing to do. 

Don't get me wrong. I love hanging out at bars. I love drinking. I used to hold "office hours" at my local dive every Friday afternoon, make friends with the staff, the regulars, and random strangers. Yet after a lifetime of seeing the destruction alcohol leaves in its wake, I started to question why our social lives so often revolve around consuming alcohol. 

At first, I wondered quietly. Over time, that curiosity grew louder. I began talking to friends, some of whom shared their personal struggles with alcohol, and I heard a loud and clear “yes” when I asked if a desire existed for social spaces — third places — that encourage socializing without alcohol.

Third Place Bar wants to be a true third place.

The kind of neighborhood bar where everybody knows your name. Where you stop by on your way home, shoot the breeze with the bartender, bring friends, make friends, all while making it easier to not drink.

We welcome everyone, whether they’re just not drinking tonight,  taking a break, or are on a longer journey.

Come on in.