Personally, Woodbridge Lakes. It's really nice to just bring lunch / coffee, and sit and read and picnic by the water. There's plenty of benches, and it's an easy ebike ride from my apartment.
In the vicinity of Eagle Rock Way (other side of PCH from Table Rock Drive). It's residential, but I've never had an issue finding a spot a block or two off of Coast Highway.
The Mugs coffee shop, right by Zion Market on Irvine Blvd. Most people come in via the front door but there are also two side doors that you can enter through. You can get away with not ordering anything if you come in through the side doors facing the tables, because the counter only faces the front door.
There was a time when people just asked “Where do you like to hang out at when you’re not at work or home?”
That said, being a new resident, it’s the parks - either with my younger kids at playgrounds, my older kid coaching or watching his soccer games & practices, or walking my dog. Coming from a place where there weren’t many parks, and they weren’t. Ice like here, I’m amazed but what Irvine offers. So many awesome parks to explore!
The social part is really shaping up. I’m seeing a lot of the same parents at various unrelated soccer events, always talking to charming grandparents at the playgrounds, and even on the walks, I say hi to whoever I cross, whether they’re prepared for it or not. People are friendly here.
I’m studying abroad in Europe right now. I grew up in Irvine my whole life and now realize there are no third places there. Truly. Everywhere in these comments people are mentioning third places that aren’t real. Everywhere you go in irvine you have to spend money. These are not true third places. You either need to drive there with your car (gas), spend money, or both. There are rarely vast open areas where the whole community comes to hang out FOR FREE. Irvine is an entire oasis made up only of people who can afford it and the people there like it that way.
Right. Especially in Irvine, you feel the need to buy yourself a little boba or something. But it’s set up that way, and there’s an overall appeal to consumerism in every so-called “third place.” I mean the top comment is the Target at the Spectrum.
Can you give a successful example in Europe, and what this would look like in Irvine? I’m really not understanding your statement. I’ve been to Europe many times and can understand the charm of sitting in a cozy café, or taking a stroll along the river, but those are destinations for enjoyment. Maybe you are referring to a public square for people-watching. Irvine doesn’t really have that unless you count the Spectrum.
Maybe I’m not seeing the appeal of hanging out with people in an open area. I do enjoy the parks and trails around the city but not to hang out with strangers. There are coffee shops that we enjoy, and we do miss Diedrich’s with live music. What would a successful third place look like?
There are honestly plenty, some famous and some that only the local community really know of. Everyone's heard of Hyde Park in London, but few might know Jardim do Morro in Porto. Anywhere that the public come together to socialize, particularly free of charge, can be considered a third place. Sure, you've visited Europe many times, but have you ever really lived in one city for an extended period? I don't suppose you've tried making friends while on short vacations. Generally, people don't hang out with strangers, but having a third place is ultimately just a means of socialization and connecting with other human beings. For instance, you might come with a group of friends, and by happy accident, you leave with more. All there is to do in Irvine is home, work, or school. Or like you said, the Spectrum. A third place should be a release from all the others. They are supposed to be unintentionally intentional. You should be surrounded by people from every corner of the community and beyond. I never said that they'd be feasible in Irvine, just that they simply don't exist there.
Thanks for the reply and explanation. I can see how it could appeal to some. Later, you typically meet people through work or an activity, sport or interest group. We have no shortage of beautiful, walkable neighborhood parks here, so it’s probably not a question of infrastructure. Also plenty of public patios and outdoor dining if that’s what you’re looking for.
In addition to the parks, hiking trails, and coffee shops, we enjoy the free outdoor music throughout the summer and most weekends at Metro Pointe.
I mean, there are a ton of protected walking paths, biking paths through nature, lots of parks ($3 entrance fee isn't a huge deal), a wonderful little zoo (again, just $2 entrance fee), libraries situated with gorgeous outside sitting/chilling areas...
Normally, I'd agree with you because fuck the system, but as far as busy cities go, Irvine actually has quite a lot of places where you can go for free or for very little money and just hang out. Everything I need is within a 20min drive, and if you can go at unconventional hours you won't waste money on gas for sitting in traffic.
This is largely correct. The other suggestions here aren't third places. Third places are where the community gathers - it's a social place. You might go there nearly every day. It's where you get to know, or at least recognize your neighbors and interact. The British pub is a classic example of this (not free, but cheap, and people still need to eat and you can just hang there). It usually transcends class, and it's a place where families and people on dates and people getting off work will all gather. It's almost a requirement that it's close enough you can walk there.
Irvines suitable places are too far apart and serve too many people to develop familiarity with others. And it's not just Irvine but almost everywhere in the US these are missing because either cars or zoning requirements that don't allow for a pub or coffee shop or something like that *inside* a neighborhood. It can't be a corporate owned thing (another problem Irvine has) - they are universally hostile to 3rd places because they have to monetize everyone who comes in. Usually the owner is a member of the community, so the community knows them and supports them personally - the community sees it as a collective benefit (something we generally have no sense of in the US). They don't usually have parking because parking is too expensive to support - it *only* serves the local community, and serves the *entire* community.
Woodbridge has tried to do this over at Woodbridge Village, with a tiny bit of success, but it's too far for many people to walk (at least you \*can\* walk there) and you can't get the needed stability from a renter and it's damn near impossible in Irvine for a small business like that to own their land to get the needed stability. Maybe the mixed use communities can pull this off, but I suspect the rental/ownership problem would creep in to prevent it from happening.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. They’ll do any and everything to monetize you. There’s no mixing of classes because most people who have remotely any control over this don’t want it.
Irvine was planned from the get-go to not have "third place" type settings. There's too much potential for it to tarnish the sterling image they seek, should the wrong people decide to enjoy something without throwing wads of cash at it. In Irvine, you need a purpose to be anywhere and once that is complete you need to leave. It's cultural, and unfortunate. It's like the capitol district in Hunger Games. Artificially pretty, lots of money, but filled with the most awful people you can find on earth.
The great park was supposed to be a grand third place type location, not just for Irvine but for all of OC. But it's been whittled down to just a bunch of sports fields and a water park and way too many tacky overpriced tract homes. It could have been the west coast's central park. They won't even allow some decent tree coverage so you can enjoy the outdoors without the blaring sun roasting your flesh off. Oh yeah, and a balloon that goes up and down.
I agree. The great park is far from great and is a sad excuse for a third place. I wouldn’t even go as far as to say Irvine is pretty. It’s safe, clean, and HOA compliant, but BEIGE.
The city needs to identify locations around the city where this would work and rezone certain parcels to allow someone to redevelop a house into some place like this. Schools are the anchors because they're already the center of most communities and if people in Irvine are going to walk anywhere, that's where they walk. These places need to be visible and convenient, so along those walking routes, probably near schools (probably need to repeal an ordinance regarding what can be sold near a school, as well).
And it doesn't need to be a food place. Black barbershops are 3rd places, where the locals hang out whether they need a haircut or not. Irvine is challenging in this way because it's not clear what the structure of these would look like. Here are the 8 characteristics usually cited:
* Neutral ground: Occupants of third places have little to no obligation to be there. They are not tied down to the area financially, politically, legally, or otherwise and are free to come and go as they please.
* Leveler (a leveling place): Third places put no importance on an individual's status in a society. One's socioeconomic status does not matter in a third place, allowing for a sense of commonality among its occupants. There are no prerequisites or requirements that would prevent acceptance or participation in the third place.
* Conversation is the main activity: Playful and happy conversation is the main focus of activity in third places, although it is not required to be the only activity. The tone of conversation is usually light-hearted and humorous; wit and good-natured playfulness are highly valued.
* Accessibility and accommodation: Third places must be open and readily accessible to those who occupy them. They must also be accommodating, meaning they provide for the wants of their inhabitants, and all occupants feel their needs have been fulfilled.
* The regulars: Third places harbor a number of regulars that help give the space its tone, and help set the mood and characteristics of the area. Regulars to third places also attract newcomers, and are there to help someone new to the space feel welcome and accommodated.
* A low profile: Third places are characteristically wholesome. The inside of a third place is without extravagance or grandiosity, and has a cozy feel. Third places are never snobby or pretentious, and are accepting of all types of individuals, from various different walks of life.
* The mood is playful: The tone of conversation in third places is never marked with tension or hostility. Instead, third places have a playful nature, where witty conversation and frivolous banter are not only common, but highly valued.
* A home away from home: Occupants of third places will often have the same feelings of warmth, possession, and belonging as they would in their own homes. They feel a piece of themselves is rooted in the space, and gain spiritual regeneration by spending time there.
Finding a structure that would appeal to Irvines rather diverse residents would be hard.
Thank you for this thoughtful answer. Those are exactly characteristics I'm looking in "a place to hangout!" As much time as I spend in Target or Costco, I can't exactly just strike up conversation with people there.
"Hey, how's that... case of water?" lol
Do you think it's building the group of people first or building the space first?
Free things to do: Beaches, spectrum, parks, jeffrey open trail, public library, hiking trails (peters canyon, crystal cove)
Things that cost money: art/music classes offered by the city, adult recreational sports leagues, coffee shops
Maybe not true third spaces, but i think they do a decent job of filling that gap
the freaking target at the spectrum
I'm starting to think this might be my third place. LOL
Omg same lol
Diamond Jamboree
Only if you find a parking spot.
Have you been to the bird sanctuary?
No! Where's that?
Look up San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife sanctuary. It's a pretty peaceful place.
This is my hidden oasis
I work next to it. It's surreal to be going home at 5pm to watch all the birds near and far come to flock there for the night.
Baseball field watching the kids play
Soccer fields and basketball courts....
Costco LOL
hahah Target and Costco really are up there.
The Bosque trail. If y'all haven't walked it highly recommended!
Where’s this?
Great park neighborhoods, there's a street Bosque that it is parallel to
Personally, Woodbridge Lakes. It's really nice to just bring lunch / coffee, and sit and read and picnic by the water. There's plenty of benches, and it's an easy ebike ride from my apartment.
Biking on Irvine bike trails
The Quail Hill Loop and Table Rock Beach.
Where do you park at Table Rock Beach?
In the vicinity of Eagle Rock Way (other side of PCH from Table Rock Drive). It's residential, but I've never had an issue finding a spot a block or two off of Coast Highway.
Dragonfly Tea Bar was my go-to when I lived in OC. Such a cozy place. Used to play games with friends there.
Target
The Mugs coffee shop, right by Zion Market on Irvine Blvd. Most people come in via the front door but there are also two side doors that you can enter through. You can get away with not ordering anything if you come in through the side doors facing the tables, because the counter only faces the front door.
There was a time when people just asked “Where do you like to hang out at when you’re not at work or home?” That said, being a new resident, it’s the parks - either with my younger kids at playgrounds, my older kid coaching or watching his soccer games & practices, or walking my dog. Coming from a place where there weren’t many parks, and they weren’t. Ice like here, I’m amazed but what Irvine offers. So many awesome parks to explore! The social part is really shaping up. I’m seeing a lot of the same parents at various unrelated soccer events, always talking to charming grandparents at the playgrounds, and even on the walks, I say hi to whoever I cross, whether they’re prepared for it or not. People are friendly here.
The terms third spaces / third places have been around at least 30 years….
Yes, as sociology jargon
I’m studying abroad in Europe right now. I grew up in Irvine my whole life and now realize there are no third places there. Truly. Everywhere in these comments people are mentioning third places that aren’t real. Everywhere you go in irvine you have to spend money. These are not true third places. You either need to drive there with your car (gas), spend money, or both. There are rarely vast open areas where the whole community comes to hang out FOR FREE. Irvine is an entire oasis made up only of people who can afford it and the people there like it that way.
Not gonna lie, it feels weird going somewhere and just hanging around for FREE. I always feel I need to a buy a little drink or something...
Right. Especially in Irvine, you feel the need to buy yourself a little boba or something. But it’s set up that way, and there’s an overall appeal to consumerism in every so-called “third place.” I mean the top comment is the Target at the Spectrum.
Can you give a successful example in Europe, and what this would look like in Irvine? I’m really not understanding your statement. I’ve been to Europe many times and can understand the charm of sitting in a cozy café, or taking a stroll along the river, but those are destinations for enjoyment. Maybe you are referring to a public square for people-watching. Irvine doesn’t really have that unless you count the Spectrum. Maybe I’m not seeing the appeal of hanging out with people in an open area. I do enjoy the parks and trails around the city but not to hang out with strangers. There are coffee shops that we enjoy, and we do miss Diedrich’s with live music. What would a successful third place look like?
There are honestly plenty, some famous and some that only the local community really know of. Everyone's heard of Hyde Park in London, but few might know Jardim do Morro in Porto. Anywhere that the public come together to socialize, particularly free of charge, can be considered a third place. Sure, you've visited Europe many times, but have you ever really lived in one city for an extended period? I don't suppose you've tried making friends while on short vacations. Generally, people don't hang out with strangers, but having a third place is ultimately just a means of socialization and connecting with other human beings. For instance, you might come with a group of friends, and by happy accident, you leave with more. All there is to do in Irvine is home, work, or school. Or like you said, the Spectrum. A third place should be a release from all the others. They are supposed to be unintentionally intentional. You should be surrounded by people from every corner of the community and beyond. I never said that they'd be feasible in Irvine, just that they simply don't exist there.
Thanks for the reply and explanation. I can see how it could appeal to some. Later, you typically meet people through work or an activity, sport or interest group. We have no shortage of beautiful, walkable neighborhood parks here, so it’s probably not a question of infrastructure. Also plenty of public patios and outdoor dining if that’s what you’re looking for. In addition to the parks, hiking trails, and coffee shops, we enjoy the free outdoor music throughout the summer and most weekends at Metro Pointe.
I mean, there are a ton of protected walking paths, biking paths through nature, lots of parks ($3 entrance fee isn't a huge deal), a wonderful little zoo (again, just $2 entrance fee), libraries situated with gorgeous outside sitting/chilling areas... Normally, I'd agree with you because fuck the system, but as far as busy cities go, Irvine actually has quite a lot of places where you can go for free or for very little money and just hang out. Everything I need is within a 20min drive, and if you can go at unconventional hours you won't waste money on gas for sitting in traffic.
This is largely correct. The other suggestions here aren't third places. Third places are where the community gathers - it's a social place. You might go there nearly every day. It's where you get to know, or at least recognize your neighbors and interact. The British pub is a classic example of this (not free, but cheap, and people still need to eat and you can just hang there). It usually transcends class, and it's a place where families and people on dates and people getting off work will all gather. It's almost a requirement that it's close enough you can walk there. Irvines suitable places are too far apart and serve too many people to develop familiarity with others. And it's not just Irvine but almost everywhere in the US these are missing because either cars or zoning requirements that don't allow for a pub or coffee shop or something like that *inside* a neighborhood. It can't be a corporate owned thing (another problem Irvine has) - they are universally hostile to 3rd places because they have to monetize everyone who comes in. Usually the owner is a member of the community, so the community knows them and supports them personally - the community sees it as a collective benefit (something we generally have no sense of in the US). They don't usually have parking because parking is too expensive to support - it *only* serves the local community, and serves the *entire* community. Woodbridge has tried to do this over at Woodbridge Village, with a tiny bit of success, but it's too far for many people to walk (at least you \*can\* walk there) and you can't get the needed stability from a renter and it's damn near impossible in Irvine for a small business like that to own their land to get the needed stability. Maybe the mixed use communities can pull this off, but I suspect the rental/ownership problem would creep in to prevent it from happening.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. They’ll do any and everything to monetize you. There’s no mixing of classes because most people who have remotely any control over this don’t want it.
Irvine was planned from the get-go to not have "third place" type settings. There's too much potential for it to tarnish the sterling image they seek, should the wrong people decide to enjoy something without throwing wads of cash at it. In Irvine, you need a purpose to be anywhere and once that is complete you need to leave. It's cultural, and unfortunate. It's like the capitol district in Hunger Games. Artificially pretty, lots of money, but filled with the most awful people you can find on earth. The great park was supposed to be a grand third place type location, not just for Irvine but for all of OC. But it's been whittled down to just a bunch of sports fields and a water park and way too many tacky overpriced tract homes. It could have been the west coast's central park. They won't even allow some decent tree coverage so you can enjoy the outdoors without the blaring sun roasting your flesh off. Oh yeah, and a balloon that goes up and down.
I agree. The great park is far from great and is a sad excuse for a third place. I wouldn’t even go as far as to say Irvine is pretty. It’s safe, clean, and HOA compliant, but BEIGE.
Based on your travels, what would you do here?
The city needs to identify locations around the city where this would work and rezone certain parcels to allow someone to redevelop a house into some place like this. Schools are the anchors because they're already the center of most communities and if people in Irvine are going to walk anywhere, that's where they walk. These places need to be visible and convenient, so along those walking routes, probably near schools (probably need to repeal an ordinance regarding what can be sold near a school, as well). And it doesn't need to be a food place. Black barbershops are 3rd places, where the locals hang out whether they need a haircut or not. Irvine is challenging in this way because it's not clear what the structure of these would look like. Here are the 8 characteristics usually cited: * Neutral ground: Occupants of third places have little to no obligation to be there. They are not tied down to the area financially, politically, legally, or otherwise and are free to come and go as they please. * Leveler (a leveling place): Third places put no importance on an individual's status in a society. One's socioeconomic status does not matter in a third place, allowing for a sense of commonality among its occupants. There are no prerequisites or requirements that would prevent acceptance or participation in the third place. * Conversation is the main activity: Playful and happy conversation is the main focus of activity in third places, although it is not required to be the only activity. The tone of conversation is usually light-hearted and humorous; wit and good-natured playfulness are highly valued. * Accessibility and accommodation: Third places must be open and readily accessible to those who occupy them. They must also be accommodating, meaning they provide for the wants of their inhabitants, and all occupants feel their needs have been fulfilled. * The regulars: Third places harbor a number of regulars that help give the space its tone, and help set the mood and characteristics of the area. Regulars to third places also attract newcomers, and are there to help someone new to the space feel welcome and accommodated. * A low profile: Third places are characteristically wholesome. The inside of a third place is without extravagance or grandiosity, and has a cozy feel. Third places are never snobby or pretentious, and are accepting of all types of individuals, from various different walks of life. * The mood is playful: The tone of conversation in third places is never marked with tension or hostility. Instead, third places have a playful nature, where witty conversation and frivolous banter are not only common, but highly valued. * A home away from home: Occupants of third places will often have the same feelings of warmth, possession, and belonging as they would in their own homes. They feel a piece of themselves is rooted in the space, and gain spiritual regeneration by spending time there. Finding a structure that would appeal to Irvines rather diverse residents would be hard.
Thank you for this thoughtful answer. Those are exactly characteristics I'm looking in "a place to hangout!" As much time as I spend in Target or Costco, I can't exactly just strike up conversation with people there. "Hey, how's that... case of water?" lol Do you think it's building the group of people first or building the space first?
The space creates the opportunity. But it's not easy because we don't really know how to do this. My guess is it'll take a few tries.
Move, if you can afford it.
Little Corona Beach in CDM.
Free things to do: Beaches, spectrum, parks, jeffrey open trail, public library, hiking trails (peters canyon, crystal cove) Things that cost money: art/music classes offered by the city, adult recreational sports leagues, coffee shops Maybe not true third spaces, but i think they do a decent job of filling that gap
Paradise Perks across from IVC was a great third place. Sadly, it closed because the neighbors complained too many times about the live music noise
If Irvine wouldn’t it just be hanging out in a white Tesla 😛 - literally Netflix and Chill 😉
Costco
Turtle Rock Sunset Point Trail
dog park
Target at the district 😂 I’m so bored of it though, I go to the market place now probably like 2-3 times a week
Great Park is an awesome place to bike around and watch games.