#thirdplaces — Public Fediverse posts

Millennial asks Gen Zers what they do for fun, and the answers are surprisingly different

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/rp-what-does-gen-z-do-for-fun/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rp-what-does-gen-z-do-for-fun

The 51st: Meet the D.C. devotees of a very niche arcade game. “Killer Queen is a 10-player arcade game designed to get you off of your phone and playing with strangers. In one D.C. bar, dedicated fans are trying to get new players hooked.”

The 51st: Meet the D.C. devotees of a very niche arcade game. “Killer Queen is a 10-player arcade game designed to get you off of your phone and playing with strangers. In one D.C. bar, dedicated fans are trying to get new players hooked.”

The 51st: Meet the D.C. devotees of a very niche arcade game. “Killer Queen is a 10-player arcade game designed to get you off of your phone and playing with strangers. In one D.C. bar, dedicated fans are trying to get new players hooked.”

The 51st: Meet the D.C. devotees of a very niche arcade game. “Killer Queen is a 10-player arcade game designed to get you off of your phone and playing with strangers. In one D.C. bar, dedicated fans are trying to get new players hooked.”

The 51st: Meet the D.C. devotees of a very niche arcade game. “Killer Queen is a 10-player arcade game designed to get you off of your phone and playing with strangers. In one D.C. bar, dedicated fans are trying to get new players hooked.”

Sounds intuitive
#ThirdPlaces
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/27/progressive-paris-far-right-french-capital-food-culture-community-extremists

Best-loved Indie used/rare bookstores visited to date

Identified below are my favorite independent used bookstores that have been visited thus far. Not included are chains like Half-Price Books. Several of those listed are also sellers of rare and collectible books, as well. While many bookstores today sell some used/rare books, this list emphasizes those shops that primarily focus on used and/or rare books.

As more used/rare bookstores are visited both here and abroad, the treasured ones will be added to this list. Stay tuned!

Peace!

_______

Big Star Books & Music – Santa Fe, New Mexico – added 4/19/26

Curious Book Shop – East Lansing, Michigan

Defunct Books – Nashville (Five Points), Tennessee

East Nashville Books – Nashville, Tennessee – added 5/10/26

Grimey’s Preloved Music and Books – Nashville, Tennessee

Landmark Books – Traverse City, Michigan – books and vintage typewriters, oh my!

Open Door Bookshop – Roma (Trastevere), Italy – I love this store and my favorite outside the USA.

Legatoria/Libraio Prampolini – Catania, Sicily, Italy – ‘literally’ an Italian institution

Quirky Used Books – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Second Story Books – Durango, Colorado – none better in the USA. Two floors of absolute perfection. So much charm and uniqueness, including books displayed in three old vaults. An absolute gem! – added 3/24/26

Under Charlie’s Covers – Albuquerque (Bernalillo), New Mexico – sadly closing in May 2026 due to a substantial rent increase.

Best-loved Indie used/rare bookstores visited to date

Identified below are my favorite independent used bookstores that have been visited thus far. Not included are chains like Half-Price Books. Several of those listed are also sellers of rare and collectible books, as well. While many bookstores today sell some used/rare books, this list emphasizes those shops that primarily focus on used and/or rare books.

As more used/rare bookstores are visited both here and abroad, the treasured ones will be added to this list. Stay tuned!

Peace!

_______

Big Star Books & Music – Santa Fe, New Mexico – added 4/19/26

Curious Book Shop – East Lansing, Michigan

Defunct Books – Nashville (Five Points), Tennessee

East Nashville Books – Nashville, Tennessee – added 5/10/26

Grimey’s Preloved Music and Books – Nashville, Tennessee

Landmark Books – Traverse City, Michigan – books and vintage typewriters, oh my!

Open Door Bookshop – Roma (Trastevere), Italy – I love this store and my favorite outside the USA.

Legatoria/Libraio Prampolini – Catania, Sicily, Italy – ‘literally’ an Italian institution

Quirky Used Books – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Second Story Books – Durango, Colorado – none better in the USA. Two floors of absolute perfection. So much charm and uniqueness, including books displayed in three old vaults. An absolute gem! – added 3/24/26

Under Charlie’s Covers – Albuquerque (Bernalillo), New Mexico – sadly closing in May 2026 due to a substantial rent increase.

Protecting our Indie bookstores from rent displacement

“When a bookstore closes, it’s as if a light has gone out in the neighborhood. A bookstore is a city’s soul; it’s where we go to find ourselves and each other.”

— Unknown

Just the other day we visited one of our local independent bookstores in suburban Albuquerque to trade/sell/buy some books. Upon arriving, we were shocked and saddened to learn the store will be closing in May 2026. Why? Not because of poor business practices, nor a lack of customers, but because their landlord raised their rent by a $1,000/month!

For independent bookstores, which traditionally operate on lower margins set by publishers and exacerbated by online competition, such a sudden and substantial rent increase is often unaffordable. Furthermore, the local store could not find another nearby location. As a result the store sold their entire book inventory to someone who plans to open a bookstore roughly 10+ miles away and this Albuquerque suburb will be losing an iconic local retailer and its lone bookstore.

Such a sad story is hardly unique, as large rent increases are a common factor that drives independent bookstores out-of-business or forces them to relocate to a different (more affordable) location. When a bookstore owner does not own the building where they are situated, they can be subject to the whims of their landlord. And like apartments, some landlords are good and others…not so much.

“If communities want a strong, diverse, and dynamic retail and service base, they must find ways to support their local business owners. As ‘third places,‘ bookstores, coffee shops, pubs, and similar informal social gathering spots are particularly critical cornerstones to fostering economic vibrancy. They are literally the super glue that holds it all together.”

– panethos.wordpress.com

Rent burden displacement is not a problem solely for bookstores, it is a potential challenge for all small businesses who lease their space. Therefore, if communities want a strong, diverse, and dynamic retail and service base, they must find ways to support their local business owners. As ‘third places,‘ bookstores, coffee shops, pubs, and similar informal social gathering spots are particularly critical cornerstones to fostering economic vibrancy. They are literally the super glue that holds it all together.

Supportive efforts to help prevent rent displacement may include but not be limited to grants, subsidies, tax abatements, commercial land trusts, low-interest loans, or even kickstarter and go fund me campaigns. Bear in mind, the assistance often must be in the form of a rapid response to effective help the business owner during a crisis.

“We talk about empty storefronts as if they’re just an aesthetic problem, as if it’s acne, but let’s add up all the missing sales tax from all the businesses that are not there.”

“It’s easy to respond to this by saying a commercial lease isn’t a public concern, it’s a private negotiation between two private parties. But…it is public: this kind of landlord-tenant conflict isn’t a private matter because ultimately if you wind up with a downtown with no small businesses in it, it’s not private anymore. If small businesses can’t make it, it is a civic problem [emphasis added]. After all, policymakers tacitly acknowledge this when they give subsidies to larger-scale developers who promise economic activity.”

– How to Protect Bookstores and Why, page 119.

Without access to emergency rent assistance, impacted storefronts may sit empty for extended periods or become occupied solely regional/national chains who can afford the higher lease rates. Do we really want our Main Streets and other local retail areas to become blighted by noticeable gaps in their storefronts or to become overpopulated with the same bland cookie-cutter “Generica-style” appearance found along commercial zones all across the United States.

Abandoning your local businesses is also a bad financial decision. Chain stores and online retailers simply do not plow money back into the local economy like local businesses do. Here’s a comparison using independent bookstores:

“The ABA [American Booksellers Association] report claims that approximately 29% of all revenue at independent bookstore immediately recirculates in the local economy. This translates to a local impact advantage of 109% that of chain competitor Barnes & Noble, and a massive 405% local impact advantage over Amazon.”

– How to Protect Bookstores and Why, page 12.

[In other words, 29 percent of every dollar spent at an independent bookstore is immediately recirculated in the local economy, while a Barnes & Noble only plugs 13.9 percent of every dollar back into local economies and Amazon returns a paltry 5.74 percent to local economies.]

Lastly, what makes no sense to this retired planner is why landlords jack-up rents to only have their existing tenants depart, leaving vacant spaces for months or even years. Such an approach seems counterintuitive. An occupied retail space is a monthly payment coming in to cover property taxes and other ownership costs to the landlord. Maybe the landlord does not make as much in profits, but at least they are covering more costs than an empty space would do.

So…what gives? Are these empty spaces a tax write-off? If so, then our tax laws definitely need to be re-written and re-codified in a manner that supports retail spaces being occupied over and above them being left to sit empty. In the meantime, strategies for emergency assistance when a crisis arrises should be crafted to meet their immediate needs and help insure that your local ‘third places’ such as independent bookstores and other treasured local businesses remain open and operating.

Peace!

Protecting our Indie bookstores from rent displacement

“When a bookstore closes, it’s as if a light has gone out in the neighborhood. A bookstore is a city’s soul; it’s where we go to find ourselves and each other.”

— Unknown

Just the other day we visited one of our local independent bookstores in suburban Albuquerque to trade/sell/buy some books. Upon arriving, we were shocked and saddened to learn the store will be closing in May 2026. Why? Not because of poor business practices, nor a lack of customers, but because their landlord raised their rent by a $1,000/month!

For independent bookstores, which traditionally operate on lower margins set by publishers and exacerbated by online competition, such a sudden and substantial rent increase is often unaffordable. Furthermore, the local store could not find another nearby location. As a result the store sold their entire book inventory to someone who plans to open a bookstore roughly 10+ miles away and this Albuquerque suburb will be losing an iconic local retailer and its lone bookstore.

Such a sad story is hardly unique, as large rent increases are a common factor that drives independent bookstores out-of-business or forces them to relocate to a different (more affordable) location. When a bookstore owner does not own the building where they are situated, they can be subject to the whims of their landlord. And like apartments, some landlords are good and others…not so much.

“If communities want a strong, diverse, and dynamic retail and service base, they must find ways to support their local business owners. As ‘third places,‘ bookstores, coffee shops, pubs, and similar informal social gathering spots are particularly critical cornerstones to fostering economic vibrancy. They are literally the super glue that holds it all together.”

– panethos.wordpress.com

Rent burden displacement is not a problem solely for bookstores, it is a potential challenge for all small businesses who lease their space. Therefore, if communities want a strong, diverse, and dynamic retail and service base, they must find ways to support their local business owners. As ‘third places,‘ bookstores, coffee shops, pubs, and similar informal social gathering spots are particularly critical cornerstones to fostering economic vibrancy. They are literally the super glue that holds it all together.

Supportive efforts to help prevent rent displacement may include but not be limited to grants, subsidies, tax abatements, commercial land trusts, low-interest loans, or even kickstarter and go fund me campaigns. Bear in mind, the assistance often must be in the form of a rapid response to effective help the business owner during a crisis.

“We talk about empty storefronts as if they’re just an aesthetic problem, as if it’s acne, but let’s add up all the missing sales tax from all the businesses that are not there.”

“It’s easy to respond to this by saying a commercial lease isn’t a public concern, it’s a private negotiation between two private parties. But…it is public: this kind of landlord-tenant conflict isn’t a private matter because ultimately if you wind up with a downtown with no small businesses in it, it’s not private anymore. If small businesses can’t make it, it is a civic problem [emphasis added]. After all, policymakers tacitly acknowledge this when they give subsidies to larger-scale developers who promise economic activity.”

– How to Protect Bookstores and Why, page 119.

Without access to emergency rent assistance, impacted storefronts may sit empty for extended periods or become occupied solely regional/national chains who can afford the higher lease rates. Do we really want our Main Streets and other local retail areas to become blighted by noticeable gaps in their storefronts or to become overpopulated with the same bland cookie-cutter “Generica-style” appearance found along commercial zones all across the United States.

Abandoning your local businesses is also a bad financial decision. Chain stores and online retailers simply do not plow money back into the local economy like local businesses do. Here’s a comparison using independent bookstores:

“The ABA [American Booksellers Association] report claims that approximately 29% of all revenue at independent bookstore immediately recirculates in the local economy. This translates to a local impact advantage of 109% that of chain competitor Barnes & Noble, and a massive 405% local impact advantage over Amazon.”

– How to Protect Bookstores and Why, page 12.

[In other words, 29 percent of every dollar spent at an independent bookstore is immediately recirculated in the local economy, while a Barnes & Noble only plugs 13.9 percent of every dollar back into local economies and Amazon returns a paltry 5.74 percent to local economies.]

Lastly, what makes no sense to this retired planner is why landlords jack-up rents to only have their existing tenants depart, leaving vacant spaces for months or even years. Such an approach seems counterintuitive. An occupied retail space is a monthly payment coming in to cover property taxes and other ownership costs to the landlord. Maybe the landlord does not make as much in profits, but at least they are covering more costs than an empty space would do.

So…what gives? Are these empty spaces a tax write-off? If so, then our tax laws definitely need to be re-written and re-codified in a manner that supports retail spaces being occupied over and above them being left to sit empty. In the meantime, strategies for emergency assistance when a crisis arrises should be crafted to meet their immediate needs and help insure that your local ‘third places’ such as independent bookstores and other treasured local businesses remain open and operating.

Peace!

An alleyway of hope towards community healing

Sadly in the United States, racism and bigotry are hardly a new thing. No matter how much we want to deny it, this country was largely born of racism and far too many of our fellow citizens continue to practice it on a daily basis.

That’s why it was so refreshing and rewarding to recently stumble upon a revitalized alleyway in small Indiana town that is attempting to right a terrible past wrong, while also adding walkable placemaking feature for the community.

The Ohki Alley in downtown Columbia City, Indiana is located directly across from the Whitley County Courthouse. This narrow alley honors Shinzo Ohki, a Japanese immigrant to the area who built a thriving soy sauce business (Show-You Sauce), but who also felt the sting of bigotry during World War II (see below).

“A Kind and Gentle Man”

“I first met Shinzo Ohki in the early summer of 1942. My family had moved to 203 Brownwood Avenue in Columbia City and the Ohki’s were neighbors. I was about 9 years old at the time.

My brother, Harrison, and I developed a neighborhood business of mowing lawns, doing yard work and general odd jobs as needed. We had a good summer business of about eight or nine customers for walk and driveway snow shoveling, plus stacking wood. In those days, many home owners burned wood in the dwelling heating system. The truck from Morsches Lumber Company would dump a load of wood at the curb and it was the property owners responsibility to handle it. Our job was to toss the wood, one piece at a time, in the basement window and then stack it neatly near the furnace. It was hard work but also steady work and good exercise.

As I became better acquainted with Mr. Ohki, I also got to know his wife and daughter. They were all soft spoken and gentle people. They also were very interested in you and your welfare.

Mr. Ohki’s daughter, Grace, was in college at the time and a talented musician and world-class clarinet player. I remember her as Paid Advertisement
a beautiful young lady who was always asking me about school and any plans I had.

Here we must remember the time frame. It was the early 1940s and World War II was just getting going.

My brother and I were very much enjoying our relationship with the Ohki family. Shinzo always talked with us and always overpaid us.

One summer day, after we had finished our work, Mr. Ohki came and paid us $10.00 each the usual amount for the weekly job was about $1.00 a piece. He was very soft-spoken, as usual, but not so cheerful that day. He said “You boys won’t be able to work for me anymore. It will be bad for you and your family if you do. I want you to tell your mother and dad everything I say and they will explain it.” He turned and quietly and quickly left. I think he was crying.

We started to cry as we walked home, thinking we had been fired from our job. We did as Shinzo had asked and told our folks everything he had said. They explained that others in our small town might bring grief to us for associating with a Japanese family a mystery to me at the time but well understood in later years.

True to his nature, Mr. Ohki was more concerned for our welfare than for his own.

My memory of him has not changed or dimmed over these past almost eighty years. He was indeed a kind and gentle man.”

Source: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=228160

The alley is adorned with tables and chairs, flowers, lighting, murals, and several historic markers about Mr. Ohki’s life. There is even a tiny ice cream shop (Alley Scoops) tucked into a doorway pocket along the corridor. The alley revitalization project was completed in 2020.

In today’s cantankerous environment, this little alleyway of hope is a charming breath of fresh air, both as a symbol of how to heal past sins, but also as a method for knitting the community back together physically with a wonderful placemaking featuring in the heart of downtown. And whenever you can successfully achieve two goals with a single project, that’s certainly a win-win situation. Kudos to a job well done, Columbia City.

Peace!

p.s. On this 80 anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan (today), this post about healing seems particularly appropriate. May humanity find lasting peace so that such brutal consequences of war never happen again.

#alley #cities #ColumbiaCity #food #fun #history #iceCream #Indiana #Japan #landUse #OhkiAlley #planning #preservation #revitalization #ThirdPlaces #tourism #travel

An alleyway of hope towards community healing

Sadly in the United States, racism and bigotry are hardly a new thing. No matter how much we want to deny it, this country was largely born of racism and far too many of our fellow citizens continue to practice it on a daily basis.

That’s why it was so refreshing and rewarding to recently stumble upon a revitalized alleyway in small Indiana town that is attempting to right a terrible past wrong, while also adding walkable placemaking feature for the community.

The Ohki Alley in downtown Columbia City, Indiana is located directly across from the Whitley County Courthouse. This narrow alley honors Shinzo Ohki, a Japanese immigrant to the area who built a thriving soy sauce business (Show-You Sauce), but who also felt the sting of bigotry during World War II (see below).

“A Kind and Gentle Man”

“I first met Shinzo Ohki in the early summer of 1942. My family had moved to 203 Brownwood Avenue in Columbia City and the Ohki’s were neighbors. I was about 9 years old at the time.

My brother, Harrison, and I developed a neighborhood business of mowing lawns, doing yard work and general odd jobs as needed. We had a good summer business of about eight or nine customers for walk and driveway snow shoveling, plus stacking wood. In those days, many home owners burned wood in the dwelling heating system. The truck from Morsches Lumber Company would dump a load of wood at the curb and it was the property owners responsibility to handle it. Our job was to toss the wood, one piece at a time, in the basement window and then stack it neatly near the furnace. It was hard work but also steady work and good exercise.

As I became better acquainted with Mr. Ohki, I also got to know his wife and daughter. They were all soft spoken and gentle people. They also were very interested in you and your welfare.

Mr. Ohki’s daughter, Grace, was in college at the time and a talented musician and world-class clarinet player. I remember her as Paid Advertisement
a beautiful young lady who was always asking me about school and any plans I had.

Here we must remember the time frame. It was the early 1940s and World War II was just getting going.

My brother and I were very much enjoying our relationship with the Ohki family. Shinzo always talked with us and always overpaid us.

One summer day, after we had finished our work, Mr. Ohki came and paid us $10.00 each the usual amount for the weekly job was about $1.00 a piece. He was very soft-spoken, as usual, but not so cheerful that day. He said “You boys won’t be able to work for me anymore. It will be bad for you and your family if you do. I want you to tell your mother and dad everything I say and they will explain it.” He turned and quietly and quickly left. I think he was crying.

We started to cry as we walked home, thinking we had been fired from our job. We did as Shinzo had asked and told our folks everything he had said. They explained that others in our small town might bring grief to us for associating with a Japanese family a mystery to me at the time but well understood in later years.

True to his nature, Mr. Ohki was more concerned for our welfare than for his own.

My memory of him has not changed or dimmed over these past almost eighty years. He was indeed a kind and gentle man.”

Source: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=228160

The alley is adorned with tables and chairs, flowers, lighting, murals, and several historic markers about Mr. Ohki’s life. There is even a tiny ice cream shop (Alley Scoops) tucked into a doorway pocket along the corridor. The alley revitalization project was completed in 2020.

In today’s cantankerous environment, this little alleyway of hope is a charming breath of fresh air, both as a symbol of how to heal past sins, but also as a method for knitting the community back together physically with a wonderful placemaking featuring in the heart of downtown. And whenever you can successfully achieve two goals with a single project, that’s certainly a win-win situation. Kudos to a job well done, Columbia City.

Peace!

p.s. On this 80 anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan (today), this post about healing seems particularly appropriate. May humanity find lasting peace so that such brutal consequences of war never happen again.

#alley #cities #ColumbiaCity #food #fun #history #iceCream #Indiana #Japan #landUse #OhkiAlley #planning #preservation #revitalization #ThirdPlaces #tourism #travel

An alleyway of hope towards community healing

Sadly in the United States, racism and bigotry are hardly a new thing. No matter how much we want to deny it, this country was largely born of racism and far too many of our fellow citizens continue to practice it on a daily basis.

That’s why it was so refreshing and rewarding to recently stumble upon a revitalized alleyway in small Indiana town that is attempting to right a terrible past wrong, while also adding walkable placemaking feature for the community.

The Ohki Alley in downtown Columbia City, Indiana is located directly across from the Whitley County Courthouse. This narrow alley honors Shinzo Ohki, a Japanese immigrant to the area who built a thriving soy sauce business (Show-You Sauce), but who also felt the sting of bigotry during World War II (see below).

“A Kind and Gentle Man”

“I first met Shinzo Ohki in the early summer of 1942. My family had moved to 203 Brownwood Avenue in Columbia City and the Ohki’s were neighbors. I was about 9 years old at the time.

My brother, Harrison, and I developed a neighborhood business of mowing lawns, doing yard work and general odd jobs as needed. We had a good summer business of about eight or nine customers for walk and driveway snow shoveling, plus stacking wood. In those days, many home owners burned wood in the dwelling heating system. The truck from Morsches Lumber Company would dump a load of wood at the curb and it was the property owners responsibility to handle it. Our job was to toss the wood, one piece at a time, in the basement window and then stack it neatly near the furnace. It was hard work but also steady work and good exercise.

As I became better acquainted with Mr. Ohki, I also got to know his wife and daughter. They were all soft spoken and gentle people. They also were very interested in you and your welfare.

Mr. Ohki’s daughter, Grace, was in college at the time and a talented musician and world-class clarinet player. I remember her as Paid Advertisement
a beautiful young lady who was always asking me about school and any plans I had.

Here we must remember the time frame. It was the early 1940s and World War II was just getting going.

My brother and I were very much enjoying our relationship with the Ohki family. Shinzo always talked with us and always overpaid us.

One summer day, after we had finished our work, Mr. Ohki came and paid us $10.00 each the usual amount for the weekly job was about $1.00 a piece. He was very soft-spoken, as usual, but not so cheerful that day. He said “You boys won’t be able to work for me anymore. It will be bad for you and your family if you do. I want you to tell your mother and dad everything I say and they will explain it.” He turned and quietly and quickly left. I think he was crying.

We started to cry as we walked home, thinking we had been fired from our job. We did as Shinzo had asked and told our folks everything he had said. They explained that others in our small town might bring grief to us for associating with a Japanese family a mystery to me at the time but well understood in later years.

True to his nature, Mr. Ohki was more concerned for our welfare than for his own.

My memory of him has not changed or dimmed over these past almost eighty years. He was indeed a kind and gentle man.”

Source: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=228160

The alley is adorned with tables and chairs, flowers, lighting, murals, and several historic markers about Mr. Ohki’s life. There is even a tiny ice cream shop (Alley Scoops) tucked into a doorway pocket along the corridor. The alley revitalization project was completed in 2020.

In today’s cantankerous environment, this little alleyway of hope is a charming breath of fresh air, both as a symbol of how to heal past sins, but also as a method for knitting the community back together physically with a wonderful placemaking featuring in the heart of downtown. And whenever you can successfully achieve two goals with a single project, that’s certainly a win-win situation. Kudos to a job well done, Columbia City.

Peace!

p.s. On this 80 anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan (today), this post about healing seems particularly appropriate. May humanity find lasting peace so that such brutal consequences of war never happen again.

#alley #cities #ColumbiaCity #food #fun #history #iceCream #Indiana #Japan #landUse #OhkiAlley #planning #preservation #revitalization #ThirdPlaces #tourism #travel

An alleyway of hope towards community healing

Sadly in the United States, racism and bigotry are hardly a new thing. No matter how much we want to deny it, this country was largely born of racism and far too many of our fellow citizens continue to practice it on a daily basis.

That’s why it was so refreshing and rewarding to recently stumble upon a revitalized alleyway in small Indiana town that is attempting to right a terrible past wrong, while also adding walkable placemaking feature for the community.

The Ohki Alley in downtown Columbia City, Indiana is located directly across from the Whitley County Courthouse. This narrow alley honors Shinzo Ohki, a Japanese immigrant to the area who built a thriving soy sauce business (Show-You Sauce), but who also felt the sting of bigotry during World War II (see below).

“A Kind and Gentle Man”

“I first met Shinzo Ohki in the early summer of 1942. My family had moved to 203 Brownwood Avenue in Columbia City and the Ohki’s were neighbors. I was about 9 years old at the time.

My brother, Harrison, and I developed a neighborhood business of mowing lawns, doing yard work and general odd jobs as needed. We had a good summer business of about eight or nine customers for walk and driveway snow shoveling, plus stacking wood. In those days, many home owners burned wood in the dwelling heating system. The truck from Morsches Lumber Company would dump a load of wood at the curb and it was the property owners responsibility to handle it. Our job was to toss the wood, one piece at a time, in the basement window and then stack it neatly near the furnace. It was hard work but also steady work and good exercise.

As I became better acquainted with Mr. Ohki, I also got to know his wife and daughter. They were all soft spoken and gentle people. They also were very interested in you and your welfare.

Mr. Ohki’s daughter, Grace, was in college at the time and a talented musician and world-class clarinet player. I remember her as Paid Advertisement
a beautiful young lady who was always asking me about school and any plans I had.

Here we must remember the time frame. It was the early 1940s and World War II was just getting going.

My brother and I were very much enjoying our relationship with the Ohki family. Shinzo always talked with us and always overpaid us.

One summer day, after we had finished our work, Mr. Ohki came and paid us $10.00 each the usual amount for the weekly job was about $1.00 a piece. He was very soft-spoken, as usual, but not so cheerful that day. He said “You boys won’t be able to work for me anymore. It will be bad for you and your family if you do. I want you to tell your mother and dad everything I say and they will explain it.” He turned and quietly and quickly left. I think he was crying.

We started to cry as we walked home, thinking we had been fired from our job. We did as Shinzo had asked and told our folks everything he had said. They explained that others in our small town might bring grief to us for associating with a Japanese family a mystery to me at the time but well understood in later years.

True to his nature, Mr. Ohki was more concerned for our welfare than for his own.

My memory of him has not changed or dimmed over these past almost eighty years. He was indeed a kind and gentle man.”

Source: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=228160

The alley is adorned with tables and chairs, flowers, lighting, murals, and several historic markers about Mr. Ohki’s life. There is even a tiny ice cream shop (Alley Scoops) tucked into a doorway pocket along the corridor. The alley revitalization project was completed in 2020.

In today’s cantankerous environment, this little alleyway of hope is a charming breath of fresh air, both as a symbol of how to heal past sins, but also as a method for knitting the community back together physically with a wonderful placemaking featuring in the heart of downtown. And whenever you can successfully achieve two goals with a single project, that’s certainly a win-win situation. Kudos to a job well done, Columbia City.

Peace!

p.s. On this 80 anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan (today), this post about healing seems particularly appropriate. May humanity find lasting peace so that such brutal consequences of war never happen again.

#alley #cities #ColumbiaCity #food #fun #history #iceCream #Indiana #Japan #landUse #OhkiAlley #planning #preservation #revitalization #ThirdPlaces #tourism #travel

An alleyway of hope towards community healing

Sadly in the United States, racism and bigotry are hardly a new thing. No matter how much we want to deny it, this country was largely born of racism and far too many of our fellow citizens continue to practice it on a daily basis.

That’s why it was so refreshing and rewarding to recently stumble upon a revitalized alleyway in small Indiana town that is attempting to right a terrible past wrong, while also adding walkable placemaking feature for the community.

The Ohki Alley in downtown Columbia City, Indiana is located directly across from the Whitley County Courthouse. This narrow alley honors Shinzo Ohki, a Japanese immigrant to the area who built a thriving soy sauce business (Show-You Sauce), but who also felt the sting of bigotry during World War II (see below).

“A Kind and Gentle Man”

“I first met Shinzo Ohki in the early summer of 1942. My family had moved to 203 Brownwood Avenue in Columbia City and the Ohki’s were neighbors. I was about 9 years old at the time.

My brother, Harrison, and I developed a neighborhood business of mowing lawns, doing yard work and general odd jobs as needed. We had a good summer business of about eight or nine customers for walk and driveway snow shoveling, plus stacking wood. In those days, many home owners burned wood in the dwelling heating system. The truck from Morsches Lumber Company would dump a load of wood at the curb and it was the property owners responsibility to handle it. Our job was to toss the wood, one piece at a time, in the basement window and then stack it neatly near the furnace. It was hard work but also steady work and good exercise.

As I became better acquainted with Mr. Ohki, I also got to know his wife and daughter. They were all soft spoken and gentle people. They also were very interested in you and your welfare.

Mr. Ohki’s daughter, Grace, was in college at the time and a talented musician and world-class clarinet player. I remember her as Paid Advertisement
a beautiful young lady who was always asking me about school and any plans I had.

Here we must remember the time frame. It was the early 1940s and World War II was just getting going.

My brother and I were very much enjoying our relationship with the Ohki family. Shinzo always talked with us and always overpaid us.

One summer day, after we had finished our work, Mr. Ohki came and paid us $10.00 each the usual amount for the weekly job was about $1.00 a piece. He was very soft-spoken, as usual, but not so cheerful that day. He said “You boys won’t be able to work for me anymore. It will be bad for you and your family if you do. I want you to tell your mother and dad everything I say and they will explain it.” He turned and quietly and quickly left. I think he was crying.

We started to cry as we walked home, thinking we had been fired from our job. We did as Shinzo had asked and told our folks everything he had said. They explained that others in our small town might bring grief to us for associating with a Japanese family a mystery to me at the time but well understood in later years.

True to his nature, Mr. Ohki was more concerned for our welfare than for his own.

My memory of him has not changed or dimmed over these past almost eighty years. He was indeed a kind and gentle man.”

Source: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=228160

The alley is adorned with tables and chairs, flowers, lighting, murals, and several historic markers about Mr. Ohki’s life. There is even a tiny ice cream shop (Alley Scoops) tucked into a doorway pocket along the corridor. The alley revitalization project was completed in 2020.

In today’s cantankerous environment, this little alleyway of hope is a charming breath of fresh air, both as a symbol of how to heal past sins, but also as a method for knitting the community back together physically with a wonderful placemaking featuring in the heart of downtown. And whenever you can successfully achieve two goals with a single project, that’s certainly a win-win situation. Kudos to a job well done, Columbia City.

Peace!

p.s. On this 80 anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan (today), this post about healing seems particularly appropriate. May humanity find lasting peace so that such brutal consequences of war never happen again.

#alley #cities #ColumbiaCity #food #fun #history #iceCream #Indiana #Japan #landUse #OhkiAlley #planning #preservation #revitalization #ThirdPlaces #tourism #travel

Record store names worth replaying

Who doesn’t love a great record store? For those who were born after digital music swept the industry, you may not understand the aura of authenticity found in a great independent record store. Forget the boring chains, often once found in malls. A great record shop was/is the gateway to sonic bliss; to head-banging enjoyment; or to new sounds, bands, and artists.

“If you ever get lonely just go to the record store and visit your friends.”

Penny Lane, Almost Famous

(found on the vinyltapnashville.com website)

Just like independent bookstores, record shops are a bonafide third place where music lovers of all ages can meetup, talk, and jam to the sounds of the era. No digital realm can ever begin to replace the atmosphere found in a record store. There little to nothing genuine about digital formats as they lack the album covers, liner notes, printed lyrics, and other tangible features one experiences with a vinyl album or compact disc.

Listed below are my favorite names for actual records stores located across the country both already known personally or by searching via google.com. Those shown in bold are the top picks. Common terms in these names include vinyl, record, disc, groove, ear, sound, spin, and wax. The list does not rank them on the quality of their service, but solely based on the name of the business. One is not surprised to find many of these located in college towns.

Personally, I really appreciate names that are catchy, unique, and include a bit of fun wordplay. If you know of any other great record store names, please feel free to pass them along.

Peace!

—–

All Sales Vinyl – Fort Collins, Colorado and Cheyenne, Wyoming

Culture Clash Records – Toledo, Ohio

Disc Daddy – Shreveport, Louisiana

Discology – Reno, Nevada

Ear Candy Music – Missoula, Montana

Earfood Record Store – Winchester, Virginia

Earshot Records – Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Earwax Records – Brooklyn, New York

The End of All Music – Oxford, Mississippi

Epic Seconds – Eugene, Oregon

Eyeconik Records – Las Cruces, New Mexico

Flipside Records – Berkley, Michigan

The Groove – Nashville, Tennessee

Groove Merchant Records – San Francisco, California

Groove Yard – Oakland, California

Hear Again Music and Movies – Gainesville, FL

High-Fidelity – Los Angeles, California and Amarillo, Texas – if you love the movie and book, you’ve gotta love this name!

Hi-Tones Records – Sacramento, California

Historic Hippie – Huntington, West Virginia

Hungry Ear Records – Honolulu, Hawaii

Inner Groove Records – Collingswood, New Jersey

Leftovertures – Marquette, Michigan

Longhair Records – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Love Garden Records – Lawrence, Kansas

MoJo’s Records – Fayetteville, Arkansas

Mothership Records – York, Pennsylvania and Portland, Oregon

My Vinyl Offer – Phoenix and Goodyear, Arizona

OffBeat – Jackson, Mississippi

Off-Track Records – Saratoga Springs, New York

Radio-Active Records – Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Record Parlour – Los Angeles, California

Reckless Records – Chicago, Illinois

Repo Records – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Retro Stereo – Long Beach, California

Revolution Records – Cape Coral, Florida

RPM Records – Traverse City, Michigan

Skele-Tone Records – Rochester, New Hampshire

Sonic Boom Records – Seattle, Washington

The Sound Booth – Birmingham, Alabama

Sound Decay Music – El Paso, Texas

The Sound Garden – Baltimore, Maryland – great name!

Sounds of Music – East Los Angeles, California

Speaking Volumes Records & Books – Burlington, Vermont

Spin Cycle – Seattle, Washington

Spin Shack – Baraboo, Wisconsin

Stax of Trax – State College, Pennsylvania

Trax on Wax – Catonsville, Maryland

Turn, Turn, Turn! – Portland, Oregon

Vinyl Consumption – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Vinyl Daze – Virginia Beach, Virginia

**Vinyl Tap** – Nashville, Tennessee – My favorite name of them all. Records, beer, and cocktails all in one! Great play on the fictional band name too.

Vinyl Valhalla – Denver, Colorado

Wax Moon – Richmond, Virginia

Wax Trax – Denver, Colorado

Yooptone Records- Marquette, Michigan- great name for a shop in the U.P. (Yoopers)

#albums #compactDiscs #cultures #music #recordShops #records #retail #stores #ThirdPlaces #vinyl

Record store names worth replaying

Who doesn’t love a great record store? For those who were born after digital music swept the industry, you may not understand the aura of authenticity found in a great independent record store. Forget the boring chains, often once found in malls. A great record shop was/is the gateway to sonic bliss; to head-banging enjoyment; or to new sounds, bands, and artists.

“If you ever get lonely just go to the record store and visit your friends.”

Penny Lane, Almost Famous

(found on the vinyltapnashville.com website)

Just like independent bookstores, record shops are a bonafide third place where music lovers of all ages can meetup, talk, and jam to the sounds of the era. No digital realm can ever begin to replace the atmosphere found in a record store. There little to nothing genuine about digital formats as they lack the album covers, liner notes, printed lyrics, and other tangible features one experiences with a vinyl album or compact disc.

Listed below are my favorite names for actual records stores located across the country both already known personally or by searching via google.com. Those shown in bold are the top picks. Common terms in these names include vinyl, record, disc, groove, ear, sound, spin, and wax. The list does not rank them on the quality of their service, but solely based on the name of the business. One is not surprised to find many of these located in college towns.

Personally, I really appreciate names that are catchy, unique, and include a bit of fun wordplay. If you know of any other great record store names, please feel free to pass them along.

Peace!

—–

All Sales Vinyl – Fort Collins, Colorado and Cheyenne, Wyoming

Culture Clash Records – Toledo, Ohio

Disc Daddy – Shreveport, Louisiana

Discology – Reno, Nevada

Ear Candy Music – Missoula, Montana

Earfood Record Store – Winchester, Virginia

Earshot Records – Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Earwax Records – Brooklyn, New York

The End of All Music – Oxford, Mississippi

Epic Seconds – Eugene, Oregon

Eyeconik Records – Las Cruces, New Mexico

Flipside Records – Berkley, Michigan

The Groove – Nashville, Tennessee

Groove Merchant Records – San Francisco, California

Groove Yard – Oakland, California

Hear Again Music and Movies – Gainesville, FL

High-Fidelity – Los Angeles, California and Amarillo, Texas – if you love the movie and book, you’ve gotta love this name!

Hi-Tones Records – Sacramento, California

Historic Hippie – Huntington, West Virginia

Hungry Ear Records – Honolulu, Hawaii

Inner Groove Records – Collingswood, New Jersey

Leftovertures – Marquette, Michigan

Longhair Records – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Love Garden Records – Lawrence, Kansas

MoJo’s Records – Fayetteville, Arkansas

Mothership Records – York, Pennsylvania and Portland, Oregon

My Vinyl Offer – Phoenix and Goodyear, Arizona

OffBeat – Jackson, Mississippi

Off-Track Records – Saratoga Springs, New York

Radio-Active Records – Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Record Parlour – Los Angeles, California

Reckless Records – Chicago, Illinois

Repo Records – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Retro Stereo – Long Beach, California

Revolution Records – Cape Coral, Florida

RPM Records – Traverse City, Michigan

Skele-Tone Records – Rochester, New Hampshire

Sonic Boom Records – Seattle, Washington

The Sound Booth – Birmingham, Alabama

Sound Decay Music – El Paso, Texas

The Sound Garden – Baltimore, Maryland – great name!

Sounds of Music – East Los Angeles, California

Speaking Volumes Records & Books – Burlington, Vermont

Spin Cycle – Seattle, Washington

Spin Shack – Baraboo, Wisconsin

Stax of Trax – State College, Pennsylvania

Trax on Wax – Catonsville, Maryland

Turn, Turn, Turn! – Portland, Oregon

Vinyl Consumption – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Vinyl Daze – Virginia Beach, Virginia

**Vinyl Tap** – Nashville, Tennessee – My favorite name of them all. Records, beer, and cocktails all in one! Great play on the fictional band name too.

Vinyl Valhalla – Denver, Colorado

Wax Moon – Richmond, Virginia

Wax Trax – Denver, Colorado

Yooptone Records- Marquette, Michigan- great name for a shop in the U.P. (Yoopers)

#albums #compactDiscs #cultures #music #recordShops #records #retail #stores #ThirdPlaces #vinyl

Discovering Third Places and Astroturf Right-wing Misinformation

In this episode we learn about Third Places and they might be as close as your local Humanist group, then I do a deep dive on a recent Moms4Liberty online event attacking the Trans commu

https://glasscityhumanist.show/2025/discovering-third-places-and-astroturf-right-wing-misinformation/

#ColinWright #GenderIdentity #LoganLancing #MelissaKarwowski #MiaHughes #Moms4Liberty #SocialConnections #SocialJustice #ThirdPlaces

Discovering Third Places and Astroturf Right-wing Misinformation

In this episode we learn about Third Places and they might be as close as your local Humanist group, then I do a deep dive on a recent Moms4Liberty online event attacking the Trans commu

https://glasscityhumanist.show/2025/discovering-third-places-and-astroturf-right-wing-misinformation/

#ColinWright #GenderIdentity #LoganLancing #MelissaKarwowski #MiaHughes #Moms4Liberty #SocialConnections #SocialJustice #ThirdPlaces

Discovering Third Places and Astroturf Right-wing Misinformation

In this episode we learn about Third Places and they might be as close as your local Humanist group, then I do a deep dive on a recent Moms4Liberty online event attacking the Trans commu

https://glasscityhumanist.show/2025/discovering-third-places-and-astroturf-right-wing-misinformation/

#ColinWright #GenderIdentity #LoganLancing #MelissaKarwowski #MiaHughes #Moms4Liberty #SocialConnections #SocialJustice #ThirdPlaces

Discovering Third Places and Astroturf Right-wing Misinformation

In this episode we learn about Third Places and they might be as close as your local Humanist group, then I do a deep dive on a recent Moms4Liberty online event attacking the Trans commu

https://glasscityhumanist.show/2025/discovering-third-places-and-astroturf-right-wing-misinformation/

#ColinWright #GenderIdentity #LoganLancing #MelissaKarwowski #MiaHughes #Moms4Liberty #SocialConnections #SocialJustice #ThirdPlaces

Discovering Third Places and Astroturf Right-wing Misinformation

In this episode we learn about Third Places and they might be as close as your local Humanist group, then I do a deep dive on a recent Moms4Liberty online event attacking the Trans commu

https://glasscityhumanist.show/2025/discovering-third-places-and-astroturf-right-wing-misinformation/

#ColinWright #GenderIdentity #LoganLancing #MelissaKarwowski #MiaHughes #Moms4Liberty #SocialConnections #SocialJustice #ThirdPlaces

This is Victoria St in Coburg.
The library is to the right, public toilets to the left and a bunch of public seating. It's a 'shared area' to provide car access for deliveries and carparks for the businesses here, but it's completely blocked off half way down and there is a lot of outdoor dining tables for a few cafes.

Lots of good shade from the trees and a wide mix of people. Some shouting rogues, a few old people with mobility aids, a few tables of old Lebanonese men who are probably controlling local politics.

This is an excellent example of a 'third place'. You can tell some people are just here because this is where they hangout, catch up with their people and watch the world go by.

#Melbourne #Coburg #ThirdPlaces

Important comments on “third places” (the places in our community outside home & work that support social interaction, from the pub to the community centre or church) in our communities, and how they effect our politics. #ThirdPlaces

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:uaouimfyg5u5da562qss3wxm/post/3lbpcvi3hp22m

This week in the blog, I wrote about the intersection of third places and meetups and how I see our developer communities offering many similar key benefits than third places while differing in some aspects.

https://hamatti.org/posts/third-places-and-meetups/

#ThirdPlaces #blogging #meetups #community

If you want to belong, find a third place

Your neighbourhood watering hole is more important than you think.

https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/24119312/how-to-find-a-third-place-cafe-bar-gym-loneliness-connection

#ElConcepte #ThirdPlaces

via #nonostantement

If you want to belong, find a third place

Your neighbourhood watering hole is more important than you think.

https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/24119312/how-to-find-a-third-place-cafe-bar-gym-loneliness-connection

#ElConcepte #ThirdPlaces

via #nonostantement

If you want to belong, find a third place

Your neighbourhood watering hole is more important than you think.

https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/24119312/how-to-find-a-third-place-cafe-bar-gym-loneliness-connection

#ElConcepte #ThirdPlaces

via #nonostantement

If you want to belong, find a third place

Your neighbourhood watering hole is more important than you think.

https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/24119312/how-to-find-a-third-place-cafe-bar-gym-loneliness-connection

#ElConcepte #ThirdPlaces

via #nonostantement

If you want to belong, find a third place

Your neighbourhood watering hole is more important than you think.

https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/24119312/how-to-find-a-third-place-cafe-bar-gym-loneliness-connection

#ElConcepte #ThirdPlaces

via #nonostantement

"am I going to talk shit about my mother? Absolutely the fuck I am"

Overhearing conversations like this are why we need more #PublicSpaces

#Urbanism #ThirdPlaces #Solarpunk

" This year’s program tracks will revolve around a range of topics we heard about in our call for proposals process, including waterfronts, placekeeping, reusing vacant space, streets as places, resilience, and more."

#placekeeping #thirdplaces

International Placemaking Week 2024 in Baltimore

https://www.pps.org/article/get-ready-for-placemaking-week-2024-in-baltimore

"Placemaking Week is a multi-day, global gathering of over 400 public space leaders that emphasizes hands-on learning, off-site exploration, and innovative social events, all while leaving behind a public space legacy in host cities. "

#placemaking #baltimore #maryland #community #thirdplaces

Third places are often great for introverts and extroverts a like! These are places that don't require planning or much planning other than being open.

"Your friends apartment is actually a third place for you."

"Introvert and not a homebody."

Watch "why you need a third place" on YouTube

https://youtu.be/ZB3jFuk9eb4?si=SkQ7eCzf2AXVSFy_

#thirdplaces #thirdplace #thirdspaces #community

I'm in an annoyed mood today, as many can tell. Annoyed the #transit is for some reason a hot button issue. Rewatching through notjustbikes, some of my favorites, this one specifically, #america is missing #thirdplaces https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvdQ381K5xg

> A place where you can pop in and out with little or no money; as a result, social hierarchy is left at the door, and all are equal, allowing for unexpected but delightful professional mingling— a CEO and a street performer can be seen chatting over drinks, while a fashion designer and a mechanic share a laugh at the bar.
> The concept of #ThirdPlaces has been around for centuries, evolving and changing through various eras...
https://medium.com/illumination/the-death-of-third-places-and-the-evolution-of-communities-5bbffc01c5e

> #RayOldenburg himself, in an interview with 360 Magazine, shared, "Americans don't know how to build cities. A #LivableCity should have the daily necessities within walking distance, and we've moved so far from that. We have to get in the car for everything."
> In addition to.. #UrbanPlanning [mistakes], Allebach also explained that "technology, polarization, [and] institutional distrust" are other possible reasons for why #ThirdPlaces don't thrive in today's society.
https://www.thelist.com/1226424/the-third-place-is-a-way-of-creating-community-heres-how-to-use-it-to-your-advantage/

> ...the ideal hangout has a few components: spontaneity, purposelessness, and a willingness among all parties involved to go wherever the conversation leads them...
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/04/third-places-meet-new-people-pandemic/629468/
#AllieConti #Spinelli #AshleySpinelli #ThirdPlaces #ThirdPlace #HangOuts

Do you have at least one reliable #ThirdPlace besides your home & place of work where you can spend time & interact with your community?
#ThirdPlaces #urbanism

Third places have disappeared en masse as people have less and less free time and everything has to be run akin to a for-profit company. Car-dependency feeds the issue, as does the strong hand of digital-first communication.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD_CMrCpBMc

#Urbanism #ThirdPlaces #AntiCapitalism #Community #Neighborhood #FuckCars

Really liked this video. "We've made it socially acceptable to hate #kids, and then act surprised that they hate themselves ... We've created more and more places wherein #young people have nowhere to go." When every space is dedicated to production or #consumption, #society suffers. In #Colorado we're comparatively privileged to have a lot of #parks, #skateparks, and other #thirdplaces, but it's still not enough. Community design needs to change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ku9csXhvJY

I watched #TheAutomat #documentary yesterday and then pleasantly surprised to see one featured as a set in the final episode of #MrsMaisel that I watched last night. Perfect timing. I felt a deep connection with the setting choice that I might have missed otherwise.

Super interesting and highly recommended documentary. I saw the trailer last year when I was developing the syllabus for a course on the #sociology of #ThirdPlaces but I don't think it was released yet.

http://automatmovie.com/

Il y a 3 semaines, @notjustbikes a publié une vidéo Youtube très accessible à propos des #tiersLieux (selon la définition originales des #ThirdPlaces), leur place dans l'#urbanisme, et leur importance pour nos villes.

Je trouve ce sujet crucial, même hors contexte américain, donc vous propose cette traduction française :
https://rentry.co/NotJustBikesTiersLieux
Partagez là avec celleux qui peinent avec l'anglais ou le format vidéo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvdQ381K5xg
#communauté #lotissement #centreCommercial #résilience