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Where's Your "Third Place"?

dragt

By dragt
in Grand Rapids Coffee House

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Explorer55 Whistle-Stop

Explorer55

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:lol: that made me laugh. No, you aren't. here's my email I sent to them:

My Third Place has got to be the Silver Derby Bar at 815 Burton St SE (Burton and Eastern). I've been going there at least once a week with only a few exceptions for about 4 years. It's a small neighborhood bar where it doesn't take long to get to know the regular customers and the bar tenders. It's smoky, the beers are cheap (and huge), the drinks are double pours, and the juke box has the best by Willie, Waylon, Johnny, and Journey. I'm not sure there is a better bar in Grand Rapids to relax at. Unless there's a band (which rarely happens on Saturday nights) it's pretty reasonably quiet, so you can actually have a conversation with your companions. It draws a decent Calvin following because of its prices and location, but every place has a flaw (kidding).

Did I mention the legendary Derby Dogs? 2 for $2.50. Pretty incredible.

A quick story about the Derb. They sell sweatshirts with their name and logo embroidered on them. My friends and I tried to purchase one to send to one of our drinking buddies who is stationed in Iraq. When I mentioned who it was for, Bill the bartender insisted that our money was no good and told us he was going to buy the sweatshirt for us to send to our Marine friend. How can you not love a place like that?

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FilmMaker Whistle-Stop

FilmMaker

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Our "third places" is actually a list:

most frequently:

church and our church school (we have two 7yr olds enrolled)

Our little home base of downtown Rockford for many reasons

with the kids:

Reeds Lake on our boats

Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake on our boats

White Pine Trail on our bikes

Crystal Mountain on our skis

just me and the mrs:

(hmmm... we don't get out much, but if we do...)

Bostwick Lake Inn

Downtown Rockford

In our heated barn playing cards with friends

Although the question was about third places, the clear winner of where we spend most of our time is....

AT HOME!! (please refer to my lengthy post under "unused backyards")(basically if we go anywhere, we mostly go wherever the kids need to go... that's parenthood, eh?)

p.s. We used to all spend more time downtown GR when my office was there, but we've consolidated our world to a much tighter radius around the house for the sake of simplification and sustainability.

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houseofdon Whistle-Stop

houseofdon

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:lol: that made me laugh. No, you aren't. here's my email I sent to them:

My Third Place has got to be the Silver Derby Bar at 815 Burton St SE (Burton and Eastern). I've been going there at least once a week with only a few exceptions for about 4 years. It's a small neighborhood bar where it doesn't take long to get to know the regular customers and the bar tenders. It's smoky, the beers are cheap (and huge), the drinks are double pours, and the juke box has the best by Willie, Waylon, Johnny, and Journey. I'm not sure there is a better bar in Grand Rapids to relax at. Unless there's a band (which rarely happens on Saturday nights) it's pretty reasonably quiet, so you can actually have a conversation with your companions. It draws a decent Calvin following because of its prices and location, but every place has a flaw (kidding).

Did I mention the legendary Derby Dogs? 2 for $2.50. Pretty incredible.

A quick story about the Derb. They sell sweatshirts with their name and logo embroidered on them. My friends and I tried to purchase one to send to one of our drinking buddies who is stationed in Iraq. When I mentioned who it was for, Bill the bartender insisted that our money was no good and told us he was going to buy the sweatshirt for us to send to our Marine friend. How can you not love a place like that?

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twoshort Town

twoshort

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I see I'm not the only one who loves the Derb! I'm there quite often on Thursday nights with a small group of friends, and we usually stop in for at least a little while on Friday or Saturday nights. I'm sure I'd recognize you, but I'm afraid I'd fall into that evil Calvin group:-/
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Chelle D Unincorporated Area

Chelle D

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When I worked downtown, I would go to Olive Express all the time. Now with an almost 2-year-old, we hang at the EGR library and the Children;s museum. We will also probably get a membership to Meijer Gardens soon because I hear the Children's Garden is wonderful.

DH and I like trying a new local restaurant every time we go out, but that does not happen as often as we would like.

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Weallneedhistory Whistle-Stop

Weallneedhistory

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3rd Floor Archives room at GRPL, used bookstores, or just walking around downtown, EGR, HH, looking and admiring the sights, smells, and sounds of summer, while studying and reflecting on its past.

Concerning Hanky Panky, I spent a lotta time at the grandparents house and cottage on that lake in the summers, and it's gotten a lot worse out there since when I was a kid. 50 boaters in one bayou + alchohol + Spring Lakes narrow "drag strip" exit towards the Yacht Club & Channel = stay off the lake when the party's ending.

But I do still like heading out there during the week, when the lake is silent and peaceful, and the only action is a fisherman in a 14' aluminum. :thumbsup:

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twoshort Town

twoshort

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We had a couple of beers at my third place on Tuesday to celebrate one of my buddies being back from Iraq (he is a member of Alpha Company). I think every patron in the bar came over to our table, shook his hand, and said thank you. Needless to say he didn't spend any money either.

Just adding to why it is my third place.

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dragt Whistle-Stop

dragt

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We had a couple of beers at my third place on Tuesday to celebrate one of my buddies being back from Iraq (he is a member of Alpha Company). I think every patron in the bar came over to our table, shook his hand, and said thank you. Needless to say he didn't spend any money either.

Just adding to why it is my third place.

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