About Us

Welcome to Third Place Books

Main Entrance of Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park

Third Place Books is the deliberate and intentional creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park and in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle in 2002, Third Place Books is a general interest bookstore with over 200,000 new, used, and bargain books in Lake Forest Park and over 40,000 books in Ravenna. It is a fun, comfortable, and safe place to browse, linger, lounge, relax, read, eat, laugh, play, talk, listen, and just watch the world go by.

Why Third Place?

Sociologist Ray Oldenberg suggests that each of us needs three places: first is the home; second is the workplace or school; and beyond lies the place where people from all walks of life interact, experiencing and celebrating their commonality as well as their diversity. It is a third place. In his celebrated book, The Great Good Place, Oldenberg discusses how the cafes, pubs, town squares, and other gathering places make a community stronger and bring people together.

A Public Commons at Lake Forest Park

With a large public commons, five restaurants, free wireless internet, a community room, a stage, and over one thousand free public events every year, Third Place Books has something for everyone. Whether you need to study, host a community meeting, or get out of the house for the evening, we hope you will make this your third place.

Events and the public area within Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park are managed by a community organization, Friends of Third Place Commons, and supported by Third Place Books, the City of Lake Forest Park, and the merchants and management of the Town Center at Lake Forest Park. For more information about this group or to schedule a community event, please visit the Friends of Third Place Commons web site.

Food and Drink and Free WiFi at Ravenna

Enjoy Vios Cafe, a full-service sit-down Greek restaurant located at the back of the bookstore. Meet up with friends at the Third Place Pub located below Vios Cafe and the bookstore. Free WiFi is available throughout the bookstore, Cafe, and Pub.

Getting Here

Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park is located inside Lake Forest Park Towne Centre at 17171 Bothell Way NE. Click here for directions and a map to our store in Lake Forest Park.

Third Place Books in Ravenna is located on the northeast corner of 20th Ave NE and 65th Street. Click here for directions and a map to our store in Ravenna.

Careers at Third Place Books

Third Place Books is always accepting applications for enthusiastic booksellers, please visit our employment page for details.

And yes, as a matter of fact, we do have copies of Ray's book in the store. Come visit and we'd be happy to show you where it is, along with other great books on building community.

Some Services We Offer: