- Shops become corporatized, elbow out the mom and pops, and try to minimize loitering. This is combined with the decline of malls in some countries so there isn't really a "hang out" place anymore - community centers shrank and closed down, with the reamining becoming more focused on parents and children, so not quite a place for some 20/30s age single people to mingle. - decline in religious beliefs kn the newer generations mean church or similar sorts of groups aren't an option.

In other words, If you're single and not into a bar scene, the Third Place is nearly impossible to find these days. There are still in theory plenty of places left that I didn't list, but my personal experience reflects a lot of "Bowling Alone". I can be in a cafe or gym, but I haven't felt I was a part of a social experience in such environments since college. It's no different from being behind someone at a cash register; maybe I can get some small talk, but it never translates to a continuing friendship.

> Examples of third places include churches, cafes, clubs, public libraries, gyms, bookstores, stoops and parks. In his book The Great Good Place (1989), Ray Oldenburg argues that third places are important for civil society, democracy, civic engagement, and establishing feelings of a sense of place.

I wonder if there is an online example as well for something like this. I was tempted to say something like forums but I don't think that's the case.