Image courtesy of Aaliyah Afolabi: A chill Sunday at Brew’d Awakening Coffehaus

Aaliyah Afolabi

Connector Editor

The topic on Gen Z’s access to third spaces has been an ongoing discourse throughout the past few years. Many Gen Z’s have raised a concern about the lack of third spaces that past generations once had access to. Not only is there a complaint about the lack of these spaces, but the expenses of them. Once popular third spaces like malls, have very little activities to do nowadays but just shop from companies owned by large corporations. This leaves teens and young adults to succumb to the dystopian lifestyle of doomscrolling, municipal troublemaking and other degrading life quality activities that are a result of a lack of third spaces. With midterms coming up and for people who aren’t familiar with the city, here are a few spots outside the academic environment where one can relax, do homework, socialize and build community.

First on the list, is a small business located in downtown Lowell, called Brew’d Awakening Coffeehaus. This cafe offers free Wi-Fi, outlets, a warm, cozy and inclusive atmosphere with trendy music and comfortable seating, both indoors and outdoors, making it a perfect place for students to hang out. This cafe offers reasonably priced treats, hot meals and drinks ranging from iced coffee to seasonal refreshers. They are also dog friendly, making this a suitable place for those with certain disabilities that require the furry friend, or for those who are just going on a walk with them. Brew’d (as some locals like to call it in short), is open Monday through Friday until 9:00pm, with hours differing on public holidays as usual. This is a great shop that one should visit, as it is a wonderful place.

Second on the list, is another small business located in downtown Lowell, on Merrimack Street called Little Bakery Delights. This family-owned bakery offers an inclusive scenery, with their being an emphasis on responsive customer service, being LGBTQ+ friendly and being dog friendly. This bakery is mainly dedicated to treats like cupcakes, macarons, bubble tea, gelatos and many more delectables, making it a great place for those with a sweet tooth to hang out. Their long tables also make it perfect for groups to play traditional games like solitaire, chess, checkers, various board games, cards games and so on.

Third on the list, is our very own UMass-Lowell food forest, located on south campus at Wilder Street. This green space has an array of plants and an abundance of trees, making this the perfect place for students to de-stress and clear out their minds in nature. As for seating, the food forest offers benches and a small swinging bench (typically for two) towards the end of the forest, for people to sit. One can read a book, do some homework, meditate, chat with friends, or even gaze at the different creatures that call the mini forest home. It is highly recommended that students visit this wonderful piece of art, established by a revolutionary alumnus of ours!

Fourth and final on the list, is the Saint Louis Sponge Park. This park is made from green infrastructure made to absorb water unlike traditional land spaces like parking lots and roads. It is also just a walk down from University Suites on east campus, making this place a direct and easy place to access. This eco-friendly park offers a supersized playground, a splash pad, basketball courts and site seating, being a lovely environment to play and chat with friends.

This is just some detail of many third spaces that Lowell has to offer. There is the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell, Lazy Cat Lounge, Dragon Fly Cafe, the park on Worthen Street, Pollard Memorial Library and more. With there being an ongoing past reduction of third spaces for young people across the country, students can feel free to explore some of these beautiful spots.