third place
n.— «Librarians and other experts say the growing conflicts are the result of an increase in the number of latchkey children, a decrease in civility among young people and a dearth of “third places”—neither home nor school—where kids can be kids.» —“Lock the Library! Rowdy Students Are Taking Over” by Tina Kelley New York Times Jan. 2, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...
The word filibuster has a long and colorful history, going back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas. Today it refers to hijacking a piece of legislation. Plus, the language of yoga teachers: When doing a guided meditation, you may hear...
How is this really different from Starbucks’ referring to itself as a third place (not home and not *work*)?
Because it applies to students, not businesspeople. The subtleties matter. Also, the term is probably older than Starbuck’s extended franchise expansion, as you can see from the cites at Word Spy. Note the Freud and Oldenburg reference there. A related term is the French troisième bureau, which usually refers to a bar or brasserie or the apartment of a mistress.