Public transportation, third spaces, and rest

When I first arrived in New York, the rushed city life felt entirely overwhelming. Seas of speed walking people, constant honking cars, a go-go-go atmosphere. This massage therapist felt out of her element! And while I know not every part of NYC is like that, I wondered how people don’t feel exhausted all the time.

But as I familiarized myself with public transportation and spent more time on the subway, I noticed the amount of resting that people do in between stops, and something clicked. In “Rest is Resistance,” Tricia Hersey speaks on finding small moments of rest throughout the day, whether that’s a few seconds or a few minutes. This was exactly I was seeing. Accessible, public transportation being used as a time to put the phone down, rest your eyes, and breathe with the rocking of the subway. It didn’t matter that the trip might take longer; it was a natural moment for a reset in the midst of chaos.

Along with this, I was struck with the sheer amount of third spaces in the city. Areas where people can just exist- without paying, without looking a certain way, without needing to be productive. There seems to be an inherent community standard of care that exists in NYC, and it’s very comforting.

In Sacramento, more and more third spaces have been popping up, which is wonderful (shout-out to public libraries and A Seat At The Table Books). I also feel that some of Sacramento’s strict permitting and zoning regulations inhibit the potential for third space growth and accessible community care (I’ll write a whole other blog on this one day, lol).

In conclusion, while I certainly don’t have all of the perfect solutions on hand, I feel we could learn a lot from these aspects of NYC. Public transportation and third spaces prioritize people over profit, offer community care, and can encourage both rest and connection in a world filled with often tired and isolated people.