ABSTRACT
Social isolation affects one-third of adults over the age of 45 in the United States and poses a significant health risk to affected individuals. Rising rates of social isolation have been abetted by a broader disengagement from civic life and the growth of individualistic leisure practices. With these trends in mind, this study investigated the purported benefits of neighbourhood third places, defined as places within a community that offer users opportunities for sociability outside of the obligations of work and home. Specifically, researchers undertook an ethnographic exploration of The Village Pub in East Nashville, Tennessee. Our findings indicated that participants experienced numerous benefits associated with third places, including relationship formation, assistance with the activities of daily life, and feeling a part of a place-based community. While this study supported the continued relevance of the third place concept within leisure studies, it also calls into question the degree to which such spaces are in fact open to all members of a given community.
