Reimagining Third Spaces for a New Generation with NYC’s Local Anti-Clique Clubs

Third spaces have long been thought of as unique social connectors. An environment distinct from home and work or school, they are places where common ground between individuals can be found and community is often built.

From Harlem’s ballrooms to the sticky floors of CBGB, New York City is famed for its cross-cultural third spaces throughout the years. Yet, as time goes on, the nature of the third space is changing. The cost of living has skyrocketed, with the Big Apple now being the US’s most expensive city to live in. Paired with an increased rate in youth unemployment, the desire amongst young New Yorkers to connect with their local community, find new hobbies and break through the pressures of life in a cosmopolitan city has never been greater.

To help combat this issue, we’ve teamed up with Hinge’s social impact initiative One More Hour to bring together 8 local groups from across NYC for Assemble, a platform centred around likemindedness and community building that stretches beyond the digital and into reality. We’ll be hosting an event in October featuring all 8 groups who will be holding workshops in iconic NYC venue Public Records, and you can meet some of them below.

Pawn Chess Club

Pawn Chess Club are encouraging togetherness and reimagining third spaces through their low stakes chess gatherings. Founded by Isabel Munter and Simone Robert, they tell us, “we found that a lot of the places that were available to play chess in New York often reflected a demographic or a level of chess expertise that we didn't fit into. We were really eager to create a space where beginners could thrive, and that often also means not necessarily fitting into this hegemonic ideal of the old white chess dude.”

Priding itself on its lack of admission fee, Pawn Chess Club further lessens the barrier for entry for beginners and casual players by hosting their events in public spaces such as bars and restaurants but without any obligation to purchase food or drink. The primary focus is that attendees show up and have fun. “I think it can be rare in New York to find a place to connect with other young people that isn't often focused specifically on drinking beers and things like that,” Simone says. “I think that's been a valuable part. Whether you choose to have a meal or drink isn't really the focus. It's really more about being there, being present with the people that are around you and connecting over a game.”

Additionally for Pawn Chess Club, playing the game is all about ripping up the rule book. From chess pizza parties, art exhibitions to anti-chess tournaments where players can make their own rules, the Pawn experience is everything but black and white. “We try to mix up the formats as well to show that chess can open up a lot of different experiences. The traditional chess experience is a little bit intimidating so putting it in different contexts can be exciting for people,” Isabel explains. “I think it's also fun for us to be like, ‘okay, what do we do next? How do we mix it up?’”

Find Pawn Chess Club in The Garden at Assemble on 5th October. In the meantime, explore NYC through their eyes.

Work In Progress

Work In Progress is a community that gives space to creatives to connect and be vulnerable in sharing their work in its early stages to a non-judgemental crowd. Founded by Rishabh Aggarwal, the group primarily attracts hobbyists and exploratory artists of various mediums who have emigrated to the US or are from South and South East Asian backgrounds.

Having moved around previously and felt restricted in his efforts to build community, it was settling in NYC in 2022 that shifted his mindset. “When I came here, I said I'm gonna invest in starting to build community from the get-go because I don't think that effort is gonna be futile,” he tells us. “I feel like community always helps and even if I'm here for six months and I have community for that amount of time and help other people also feel a sense of community, then that's good.”

Creating a third space that goes against the NYC norm is also a key part of Work In Progress’ ethos, emerging from a feeling that many creative spaces in the city were “intimidating” and therefore not a space where those who were still honing projects in their infancy could collaborate. This is something Rishabh believes is hard to come by in New York. “If you go to a space that doesn’t welcome vulnerability, you just won't be able to share,” he explains. “A lot of people are shy about their work, it's a window into their soul. So by creating our conscious intimate space, even if we have 250 people in attendance, everyone is super quiet and supportive when someone is presenting their work which is very rare to find in New York.” By creating a space where one can be fully immersed in their community, Rishabh has found that attendees have taken what were previously thought of as hobbies to them, to new heights. He tells us, “We had someone come to our events who said, “Before I came to Work In Progress, I was just a guy who writes, but now I feel like I can call myself a writer”, it's so amazing to see that.”

Find Work in Progress Upstairs at Assemble on 5th October. While you wait, get to know their favourite creative spaces in the city here.

A Safe Space Mentor

A Safe Space Mentor is an organisation that hosts community events that create mental health equity for marginalised communities. For them, providing a safe and accessible third space is vital, as their founder Teya Knapp tells us. “It’s so important, especially in cities that are so expensive just to live. We believe that community is a great way to feel seen and heard and be well.” The aspiration to “be well” today often doesn’t come cheap in a big city, with activities such as yoga and wellness retreats often costing a premium. A Safe Space Mentor makes a specific effort to make their events and activities free of charge. Teya tells us, “We're unique because we have so many different offerings, you never really know what to expect, we don’t offer just one tool or resource. I think that's what sets us apart - people can build a toolkit and learn new things, meet new people. I think that's hard because usually a lot of the same experiences cost thousands of dollars.”

Being able to build your own toolkit opens you up to a lot of new experiences and people, which can be fairly daunting. Teya suggests that a way to overcome anxieties around starting new activities is to just “be open-minded”. She tells us, “A lot of the things we are introducing are new experiences [for people]. Maybe it's your first time that you're doing a sound healing or breath work, or maybe it's your first time even going hiking, but our community makes everyone feel really safe.”

Feeling immersed in one’s own community is a clear goal for all of these groups, but some of their aspirations are also global. One of the most in demand events that A Safe Space Mentor hosts are their wellness retreats that take a small group abroad to countries such as Japan and Mexico. Even outside of NYC, finding and engaging with local third spaces is still a core part of the experience for attendees. Teya explains, “When we come to these places, we try to partner up with some of the local businesses, while also creating a really special experience for our guests. I think that makes everything really intentional for everybody, knowing that we're working with the local communities and showing that we have respect for the communities that we're becoming a part of.”

Find A Safe Space Mentor in The Sound Room at Assemble on 5th October.

New People’s Cinema Club

New People’s Cinema Club is a non-profit organisation that centres around independent film and art. Founded by Kate, Keenan and Casey, they find that subverting the traditional and introducing people to film in new and interesting ways allows for those who may not have found a space for their quirks to be seen, heard and celebrated. “Since the dawn of 2021, we have partnered with nearly 90 visionary creators, championing their works not only within the conventional confines of cinemas but in spaces imbued with their own magick—skate parks, carriage houses, rural farms, and temples,” they tell us.

Whilst spaces within film may be inaccessible, with New People’s Cinema Club, anyone can try their hand at filmmaking, eschewing expensive kit in favour of smartphones. “iPhone filmmaking democratises artistic expression, empowering creators with minimal financial burden,” they tell us. “The greatest work is done for love, not money. Affordable tools allow diverse creative expressions driven by passion, not financial necessity.”

Finding New York City’s third spaces to be “esoteric” in nature, New People’s Cinema Club have sought to democratise the weirdness, a notion that seems particularly urgent in creative spaces such as film that are not accessible to those who are not from a privileged background or having industry connections. Speaking of their experience of other third spaces in the city, they tell us that “the main barriers were socio-economic, as accessing these hidden spaces required financial means and a network of like-minded individuals.” Being unable to access these spaces has meant that they’ve carved out their own lane for themselves and are encouraging other film enthusiasts who are seeking to build community to do the same. “Seek beyond the conventional and embrace the hidden,” they suggest. “The most profound truths lie beneath ordinary reality. Find those who resonate with your inner quest and explore the less visible or mainstream spaces.”

Find New People’s Cinema Club in The Atrium at Assemble on 5th October, and read their guide to the most unique spots in NYC.

Like the sound of these clubs? Discover more in your city, just head to our directory.