Who makes friends at the gym!?

🎨 18 cultural centers & 4 social clubs to find community in Paris

A third place is an informal public space to gather and build community. The term was introduced by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in his 1989 book, The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community. Compared to the first place (home) and the second place (work), the third place is an essential gathering ground where conversations thrive and democracy takes shape. They are low-cost, low-effort, accessible, and open to anyone regardless of their status, political party, class, race, or age. Casual and spontaneous interactions are commonplace.

The third places of my small-town youth were the local public library, the mall, the movies, the beach, Starbucks, and Panera Bread.

As an adult, I’ve lived in many communities, but I’m not sure how much I’ve felt like I belonged to any of them. I’ve been cautious of strangers approaching me on the street, I didn’t always know my neighbors by name, and the third places I frequented were largely pay-for-play arenas (the gym, a social club, a coworking space). There was also a lack of spontaneity in my participation.

Social apps have sprung up to help people connect and meet each other, replacing the conduit of proximity and convenience-based relationship-building, but are they facilitating quality connections? Sometimes.

When I moved to a new neighborhood I started using Bumble BFF to meet local friends. I joined a nearby gym as well as ClassPass, a subscription-based app to book fitness classes.

People are friendly but it typically stops there. I have taken the initiative at times and it feels like one of those moments when everyone says “totally” and “sounds great” yet no further action is taken to actualize a second meetup. After a few years, I’ve yet to make a single *real* friend at the gym, the supposed new wave of the third place. Maybe it’s just me 😅 but it makes me wonder…

A friend is someone who would reply to your messages. I would not include someone you may have met once and now follow on social media but never talk to.

Is the era of sparking long-term connections by chance dead? Are apps and technology the best option to meet people potentially a few feet/miles/kilometers away? Do we need the perfect mix of shared interests to sustain friendships?

I argue that we need more spontaneous and accessible connections in our lives. Paris is a cultural hotspot for locals and internationals yet it’s not always evident where to go to tap into the things you love and meet interesting people. Let’s take things offline for a change and lean into chance encounters.

Here is my non-exhaustive running list of third places (ou tiers-lieux en français) and social clubs in Paris you may want to keep on your radar:

Cultural Centers 🎨

There are so many of these in Paris and the city does it well. I’d love to see more international third places and creator spaces. I’ll be on the lookout for English-language hubs, events, and gatherings 👀

1. Communale Saint-Ouen | Saint-Ouen
   (brand new food court and event space)

2. Césure | Paris 5e
   (cultural center located in the former campus of the Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle)

3. Ground Control | Paris 12e
   (cultural center located in a former train station near Gare de Lyon)

4. Hangar Y | Meudon
   (cultural event space located in the world’s first airship hangar, a remnant of the 1878 Universal Exhibition (Paris World Fair))

5. Jardin 21 | Paris 19e
   (cultural space in a former 19th-century orchard in Parc de la Villette)

6. Le CentQuatre | Paris 19e
   (cultural center located in a former factory)

7. La Cité Audacieuse | Paris 6e
   (feminist association and café supporting women and their projects, associated with Chez Mona)

8. La Cité Fertile | Pantin
   (cultural center located in a former train station supporting projects related to ecology and sustainability)

9. La Felictià | Paris 13e
   (food court and event space attached to Station F, a business incubator for startups)

10. La Gaîté Lyrique | Paris 3e
    (digital arts and modern music center)

11. Le Hasard Ludique | Paris 18e
    (cultural center located in a former train station hosting an annual community festival, Festival Fabrique)

12. La Maison de la Conversation | Paris 18e
    (community center with a mission to create social bonds through conversation)

13. La Maison des Métallos | Paris 11e
    (cultural center supporting live performance art)

14. Le Pavillon des Canaux | Paris 19e
    (restaurant and feminist cultural center located on the Canal de l’Ourq)

15. La REcyclerie | Paris 18e
    (restaurant and culture center promoting ecological responsibility and sustainability)

16. Magasins Généraux | Pantin
    (culture center supporting emerging artistic and cultural talent)

17. Poush | Aubervilliers
    (cultural arts center for contemporary artists and their work)

18. Sist’Her | Paris 10e
    (cultural center supporting women in social impact entrepreneurship created by Empow’Her)

Social Clubs 🍸

These groups offer exclusivity and are accessible via paid memberships. There are probably many more I don’t know about, but these are the ones I’ve come across through word of mouth.

1. Heimat | Paris 16e
   (fitness club for women founded by Waris Dirie)

2. La Montgolfière | Paris 10e
   (social sports club and coworking space located in a former hot-air balloon factory)

3. SoHo House | Paris 9e
   (international social club for creatives and entrepreneurs)

4. We Are | Parie 8e
   (social club for tech, digital, and creative professionals)

*Bonus*

Running Groups 🏃

All the cool kids are joining running groups. Running Crews maintains a better list, but here are groups I’ve either joined or have heard of through friends/members.

1. Founders Running Club (Paris)
   (global running club community for founders, investors, tech, and creative people; hosting Saturday morning running sessions from Jardin d'Acclimatation, Paris 16e)

2. French Bootcamp
   (hosting Monday and Wednesday after-work running and HIIT sessions in central Paris)

3. KIIN Run Club
   (hosting Wednesday and Sunday morning running sessions from Le Peloton Café, Paris 4e)

4. Paid Run Club
   (hosting Wednesday evening and Saturday morning running sessions from Porte Maillot, Paris 17e)

That’s all for now. As with all of my running lists, I’ll update and add to this when I have more to share.

One more thing

Mina Le is one of my favorite content creators. She presents a thorough deep dive and social analysis of third places, their decline, and the loneliness epidemic as it relates to friendship.

What do you think about the state of the “third places” in your community?

Comment below to share your thoughts or recommendations of any places and spaces I may have missed 👇🏾