HONK! Fest 2010: Parade from Davis Square to Harvard Square. Studies have shown that just having a diversity of folks in your life can be really protective for health and well-being. Photo by Chris Devers via CC

"If one of the many crises that befall our society is loneliness, third places offer a solution. These environments are where the community gathers, where you can be either actively engaged in conversation or passively taking in the bustle around you. At their very best, third places allow people of differing backgrounds to cross paths — to develop what are known as bridging ties. As opposed to our closest connections, bridging social networks encompass people who have varying identities, social and economic resources, and knowledge. 'Studies have shown that just having a diversity of folks in your life … more informal and infrequent and unplanned, can be really protective for health and well-being,' says Jessica Finlay, an assistant professor in the Institute of Behavioral Science and the department of geography at the University of Colorado Boulder. 'Classically, third places were sites where you could build up these bridging ties.'” - Allie Volpe

ARTICLE: If You Want to Belong, Find a Third Place

RELATED BOOK: Finding Your Third Place: Building Happier Communities (and Making Great Friends Along the Way)