The Sound of a Third Place

Crossthread offers a community space for San Jose teens IRL

Walking to Guitar Wars, a recently opened musical instrument store in downtown San Jose, we immediately noticed its location at 447 South 1st Street. Situated in an area predominantly populated with bars and restaurants, this hybrid retail venue feels like a welcome addition. From down the block, we spotted a small crowd gathering outside, which served as a clear cue that we were in the right place. The doors open into a front lobby, featuring a sales counter on one side and a small lounge area with chairs on the other. Guitars line the walls, hanging from nearly every available surface. However, one question lingered in my mind: how would they successfully host a show in this space?

That question was quickly answered as we walked further inside and found a long hallway leading to a larger open area at the back of the store. There was no stage, only a designated space for instruments and performers directly in front of the audience. Much of the crowd appeared to be in their late teens to early twenties, and for many, this may be one of the few remaining places where they can gather and fully express themselves. While the area was not particularly large, its intimacy seemed to intensify the energy in the room. As the crowd grew, the excitement built to a palpable crescendo. When the first band began playing, you could feel the tension release, as if the entire audience exhaled at once. It felt like a collective moment of catharsis in a space perfectly suited for it.

What we were experiencing at that moment reflects a broader sociological idea known as the “third place.” In a world increasingly replacing in-person interaction with online engagement, young people may be feeling the loss of the “third place” most acutely. The concept of the “third place” was coined by American sociologist Ray Oldenburg, who popularized the phrase in his seminal text The Great Good Place, originally published in 1989. The term refers to spaces for socialization and communication that are distinct from home, the “first place,” and work or school, the “second place.” There are plenty of historical references for these spaces, including the Greek agora, Imperial Chinese teahouses, and European cafes.

As the crowd grew, the excitement built to a palpable crescendo. When the first band began playing, you could feel the tension release, as if the entire audience exhaled at once.

While this concept has been widely studied in relation to adults and young children, very little attention has been given to the gap between those two groups. The limited research that does exist on the impact of third places on adolescents suggests that they serve an important role in emotional development. Having a place to go allows teens to express themselves in a more or less safe, judgment-free environment that encourages experimentation and self-discovery.

In fact, a study published in the journal, Child Protection and Practice, in 2025 concludes, “Having access to a third place can significantly reduce the risk of problematic behaviors in adolescents." The study examined a group of Japanese eighth graders, ages 13 to 14, and used a series of questions to assess emotional symptoms, peer relationship problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity. The researchers found that adolescents with access to a third place showed more positive outcomes across multiple categories and demonstrated a lower risk for internalizing emotional issues. These spaces provide young people with a sense of autonomy and belonging that is vital for development, something that school simply does not and cannot provide.

It is not that these places no longer exist entirely, but what remains has become increasingly less accessible to adolescents. Parks now have stricter loitering laws, often put in place as a pretense to remove teenagers before they can be perceived as causing trouble. Malls still exist, of course, but with steadily rising prices they are more unaffordable than ever, even for those with part-time income. In a post-COVID shutdown world, third places have been disappearing for everyone, consumed by the ever-hungry machine that is capitalism. By and large, this leaves teens in the lurch, with few places to congregate outside of digital spaces.

It is within this landscape of shrinking access that places like Guitar Wars begin to stand out in a meaningful way. Spaces like this, which actively encourage participation from an age group that is largely overlooked, are vital for a community to thrive and grow. Several of the attendees I spoke with expressed, in different ways, their appreciation for places like this, where they genuinely felt welcome.

Even with a willing venue, there must be an organizing force behind the scenes to bring it all together. In this case, that force is Crossthread, a San Jose-based nonprofit organization whose mission is rooted in creating safe, all-ages spaces for alternative music and art. Founded in 2023 and granted nonprofit status in 2024, the organization clearly understands the importance of these environments, especially for adolescents. Crossthread consists of four founding members: Haley Bayuga-Graff, Danny Coggins, Morgan Ruiz, and Sherrise Sexton. Together, they have made it their goal to create spaces where people of all ages can feel safe and welcome.

To better understand how these spaces are created and sustained, I spoke briefly with Haley, Crossthread’s Treasurer, at the event. For them, this is an issue close to the heart. They have been involved with the music scene since their teens and started playing in their first band at 15. Among other things, we discussed the importance of community spaces outside of school for young people. Currently, the team is working to find a permanent physical location so that they can build and sustain that kind of environment. Haley describes the goal as “establishing something that can sustainably survive in San Jose and be a place where kids can do their thing with a little bit of structure.”

In a recent piece published by Content Magazine, the group discusses the importance of third places that allow for experimentation and self-expression. Coggins explains, “When you create something where kids are enthused and motivated to do things, it gives them a conduit for their energy and emotions.” Whether or not a dedicated space exists, the need for that kind of expression will always be present. For many young people, a safe outlet can act as a lifeline. For Crossthread, harm reduction is central to that effort. At the Guitar Wars show, as with every event they host, Crossthread set up a resource table stocked with Narcan, test strips, condoms, body wipes, and safety pamphlets. The table also doubled as a first aid station and ticket booth.

Crossthread's member, Danny Coggins explains, “When you create something where kids are enthused and motivated to do things, it gives them a conduit for their energy and emotions.”

While observing the activity around the table, a small commotion rippled through the crowd and moved toward us. Two people emerged, one supporting the other, who was holding their hand to their face as blood streamed from a nostril and a small cut on the bridge of the nose. The Crossthread team responded immediately, administering first aid and assessing the situation with calm efficiency. It was clear that this was not their first time handling an incident like this.

Once treated, the injured attendee returned to the crowd almost without hesitation, as if it were simply part of the experience. In many ways, it is. Any time a large group gathers, the potential for injury increases, especially among younger crowds. The difference here is the presence of a prepared and capable support system.

That sense of safety, however subtle, reinforces the importance of spaces like this. What stands out most is not just the distorted guitars or the constant rumble of the crowd, but the feeling of acceptance that fills the room. Everyone moves, jumps, screams, and collides in ways that feel spontaneous. The mass of bodies moves together with the music, drawn in by the same shared energy, and no one looks or feels out of place.

In an era where so much interaction is filtered through screens and shaped by algorithms, that kind of human connection feels increasingly rare. Online spaces offer the possibility of constant connection, but often at the cost of flattening the human experience into something you observe rather than live through. Here, the experience is felt through the entire body. You can feel each blast from the drums in your chest and the heat of the crowd pressing in on you. It is messy and sometimes chaotic, but that is exactly what makes it so visceral and real.

Here, the experience is felt through the entire body. You can feel each blast from the drums in your chest and the heat of the crowd pressing in on you.

That is also what gives it meaning. Without community spaces like this, there are far fewer opportunities for young people to test boundaries and engage with one another in ways that are not mediated or structured. More importantly, they need the freedom to make mistakes in a low-stakes environment and to learn from those mistakes, especially in an age defined by social media and constant visibility. In a world where spaces like this are becoming harder to find, their presence feels less like a luxury and more like a necessity.