Sociologists have dubbed places other than a workplace or home where people spend a great amount of time "third places." As more folks cope with joblessness and other economic uncertainties, "third places" are filling a need for haven. "I think it makes this more important. If you are down and out, to hang around with friends helps," said Ray Oldenburg, author of "The Great Good Place."
I posted about this article in the "Bar Games" thread, but I thought it truly merited its own thread. Bravo to Kim Davenport and Johnny Archer for the Marietta Billiard Club. They know how to run a pool room, it seems, and I hope they get paid back tenfold :smile:
Places like the pool hall have been around for a long time, of course, but as the job market unravels, more people reach for a "third place" —- neither home nor work, but a substitute with some of the best attributes of each.
"One of the major reasons that people go is just to hang out with other people," said Ray Oldenburg, best known for writing "The Great Good Place," a look at such sanctuaries. "There are dozens of functions of third places, but what it comes down to is not being alone," Oldenburg said.There are a lot of potential players these days: roughly 11.6 million Americans —- about 400,000 in Georgia —- are officially out of work.
Some "third places" are obvious: libraries, beer gardens, pubs and coffeehouses. Some are less so: post offices and barber shops, for example. These places can bring people together across class and race lines. They offer a kind of social democracy, albeit one that often has a hierarchy of regulars and outsiders. Most important, with minimal admission fees, they are communities.
For the customers who are struggling, the pool hall provides comfort, companionship and —- for patrons —- a kind of part-time employment: Cards.
Four nights a week, poker offers customers a chance to play for "bar cash," chits that can be cashed in to buy food. You have to spend at least $5 on food to get into the game.
"A guy came in last night with $50 in bar cash," Berry said. He bought chicken wings and took them home to his family.
There are a lot of potential players these days: roughly 11.6 million Americans —- about 400,000 in Georgia —- are officially out of work.
This sounds like a GREAT pool room, man! Bravo to Kim Davenport!
One recent weekday was a day off for Mark Raniere, a 49-year-old mechanical engineer. He arrived at the pool hall by 11:30 a.m.
By 3:30 p.m., the play-for-free period had passed, and he stood, chain-smoking and watching others shoot.
He lives alone, a mile away. At the billiards club he feels at home, especially now that he knows he, too, could be jobless at some point.
Four hours after arriving, he still had his cup of water —- and a full ashtray.
"Because I’ve come here every day for so long, it wouldn't be a good idea to change my routine now," Raniere said.
Recession has softened spending in the club, but it hasn't completely blunted the desire to play pool with other people, said co-owner Kim Davenport.
"We have tournaments or leagues seven days a week," he said. "Thursday night is our busiest night —- every table is going.:
Sometimes, though, solace lies in the warm lights and a smaller crowd on a cold afternoon.
Harold Dorden comes to the pool hall three or four times a week, now that he’s closed his construction business. The recession forced him to shut down. He and his wife are living off the salary she earns at a collection agency.
The pool hall is "an outlet," he said. "It relieves stress."
He will sometimes contribute a little money for players who don’t have quite enough cash to get a table. And he’s seen the owners sometimes let someone play without paying.
What would he do without the pool hall?
"Oh, God —- I’ve been doing this 10 years," he said. "I’d be lost. … Not only are these people friends, they are family."
Source: http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/03/15/poolhall0315.html [Retrieved 15 March 2009]
Link for Marietta Billiard Club: http://www.mariettabilliardclub.com/default.htm
Pretty neat article about the Marietta Billiard Club, I'd say.
So who here has a Third Place?
I posted about this article in the "Bar Games" thread, but I thought it truly merited its own thread. Bravo to Kim Davenport and Johnny Archer for the Marietta Billiard Club. They know how to run a pool room, it seems, and I hope they get paid back tenfold :smile:
Places like the pool hall have been around for a long time, of course, but as the job market unravels, more people reach for a "third place" —- neither home nor work, but a substitute with some of the best attributes of each.
"One of the major reasons that people go is just to hang out with other people," said Ray Oldenburg, best known for writing "The Great Good Place," a look at such sanctuaries. "There are dozens of functions of third places, but what it comes down to is not being alone," Oldenburg said.There are a lot of potential players these days: roughly 11.6 million Americans —- about 400,000 in Georgia —- are officially out of work.
Some "third places" are obvious: libraries, beer gardens, pubs and coffeehouses. Some are less so: post offices and barber shops, for example. These places can bring people together across class and race lines. They offer a kind of social democracy, albeit one that often has a hierarchy of regulars and outsiders. Most important, with minimal admission fees, they are communities.
For the customers who are struggling, the pool hall provides comfort, companionship and —- for patrons —- a kind of part-time employment: Cards.
Four nights a week, poker offers customers a chance to play for "bar cash," chits that can be cashed in to buy food. You have to spend at least $5 on food to get into the game.
"A guy came in last night with $50 in bar cash," Berry said. He bought chicken wings and took them home to his family.
There are a lot of potential players these days: roughly 11.6 million Americans —- about 400,000 in Georgia —- are officially out of work.
This sounds like a GREAT pool room, man! Bravo to Kim Davenport!
One recent weekday was a day off for Mark Raniere, a 49-year-old mechanical engineer. He arrived at the pool hall by 11:30 a.m.
By 3:30 p.m., the play-for-free period had passed, and he stood, chain-smoking and watching others shoot.
He lives alone, a mile away. At the billiards club he feels at home, especially now that he knows he, too, could be jobless at some point.
Four hours after arriving, he still had his cup of water —- and a full ashtray.
"Because I’ve come here every day for so long, it wouldn't be a good idea to change my routine now," Raniere said.
Recession has softened spending in the club, but it hasn't completely blunted the desire to play pool with other people, said co-owner Kim Davenport.
"We have tournaments or leagues seven days a week," he said. "Thursday night is our busiest night —- every table is going.:
Sometimes, though, solace lies in the warm lights and a smaller crowd on a cold afternoon.
Harold Dorden comes to the pool hall three or four times a week, now that he’s closed his construction business. The recession forced him to shut down. He and his wife are living off the salary she earns at a collection agency.
The pool hall is "an outlet," he said. "It relieves stress."
He will sometimes contribute a little money for players who don’t have quite enough cash to get a table. And he’s seen the owners sometimes let someone play without paying.
What would he do without the pool hall?
"Oh, God —- I’ve been doing this 10 years," he said. "I’d be lost. … Not only are these people friends, they are family."
Source: http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/03/15/poolhall0315.html [Retrieved 15 March 2009]
Link for Marietta Billiard Club: http://www.mariettabilliardclub.com/default.htm
Pretty neat article about the Marietta Billiard Club, I'd say.
So who here has a Third Place?
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