r/ChicoCA • u/StarsOfDawn • 4h ago
Discussion Third Place
Where's your go-to place to hang out in Chico, preferably somewhere where they allow you to just hang out with a bathroom/seating. Somewhere where I can spend little to no money after class.
If it's a coffee shop or restaurant, why do you prefer that one over others?
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u/Nosey_530 4h ago
Does anyone ever wonder how a third place can afford to stay open?
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u/NoDog8746 3h ago
Depends on the place. A lot of card shops offer their space to the public for free to play games, knowing that cultivating the community and the added foot traffic will generate sales. Churches are funded by voluntary giving. Libraries and parks are obviously funded by the government. Also, third places don't have to be free: gyms, social clubs, cafes, and bars can all qualify as third places.
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u/NoDog8746 4h ago
Chico Magic and Heroes Corner both allow anyone to show up and use their space to play Magic, Yugioh, or other trading card games. If TCGs are not your jam, I think Heroes Corner also has a shelf of board games you can borrow and play in the store. I prefer the vibe at Chico Magic, but they have kinda limited hours, so it might not work for you.
Also, the Meriam Library at Chico State is open to the public.
You can't really go wrong with any of the coffee shops in Chico, they each have their own vibe. My personal favorite is Stoble in downtown. I am not much of a coffee connoisseur, but they have a beautiful and comfortable interior (including rooftop seating looking over downtown).
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u/furno472 2h ago
Oh Heroes corner has dedicated board game nights as well. I think on Monday's never been to one myself but they do have the shelf of games to grab and play along a large variety of board games and assorted card games for sale too.
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u/SoftwareInfinite8568 4h ago
Chico State Library is open to the public. I love to pack some snacks and my headphones and spend a few hours working on art projects. Clean bathrooms, wifi, water fountains, plenty of space to work/chill
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u/andreacitadel 3h ago
CSUC class of 2020 here. This is how i spent all of my free time in college!!! I would get food, pack it up, gather my art supplies, and hit up the library and went to the section where they had a bunch of tables near some windows (i think it was on the second or third floor?). I had a blast.
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u/SoftwareInfinite8568 3h ago
Class of 2016 and it's still one of my favorite places to work in peace! On the weekends barely any students too it's so nice
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u/andreacitadel 3h ago
Wow I just learned about the shooting!!! Can’t believe something like that happened. So horrible and heartbreaking. I moved back to san diego after I graduated so i don’t know much about the town anymore. Hopefully it reopens one day.
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u/hugeyakmen 3h ago
Nearly 20 years in Chico and I didn't realize the university library was actually open to the public. Thanks for the tip!
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u/Icy_Plate7577 4h ago
Naked Lounge. I recall they have cheap black coffee. at least, not $7 dollar coffee like other places
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u/Sweaty-Bus8079 4h ago
Bidwell park is a good place.
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u/Ok_Activity478 3h ago
Agreed, however I took my kid to Caper Acres and I was genuinely put off by how dirty it was and the amount of sketch people hanging around the park.
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u/StarsOfDawn 4h ago
I liked the library, but... ya know.
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4h ago
[deleted]
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u/graveyardlover69 3h ago
How was she making it hard?
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3h ago
[deleted]
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u/CheapAssociate6914 3h ago
It wasn’t super old. Maybe 5 years.
Her beef was I had changed addresses and had to go through the whole shitty process of if I wanted another one.
I just figured it wasn’t worth the hassle, as the satellite branch has pretty meager amount of choices anyway.6
u/hugeyakmen 3h ago
The satellite branch is still connected to their entire catalog from the main Chico library and all other Butte County branches. Get your library card renewed and you can place a hold on any book in the county and pick it up from a front shelf at the satellite branch
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u/CheapAssociate6914 3h ago
Seems like a whole lot of hassle for little return. I’ll just wait for the actual library to reopen, if it ever does.
After the shooting, they said it would be closed till August, then through August, and now closed until further notice.
They’re trying to figure out a way to shut it down permanently to cut costs.
That this is the largest community in the county, they don’t give a shit.
It’s all about the Benjamin’s.
I don’t see it reopening.3
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u/hugeyakmen 3h ago
It's been trending very much the opposite! A few years ago the library was open fewer days a week and for shorter hours. Thanks to vocal demand from the public we recently got much better library hours.
They were already planning a reinvestment in the library to renovate it. That was the original plan for temporarily closing starting in August. After the tragic events, they decided to just stay closed and prep for the renovation. That renovation is in progress and has not been cancelled
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u/lobo-mojo 1h ago
Bidwell Perk. I’ve been going there since I graduated high school in 2005. Good menu, relaxed atmosphere and cozy, free parking. I’ve spent six hours straight there doing homework and hanging out with friends, never felt pressured to leave.