A Vancouver gym that opened earlier this year offers a lovely third space, highlighting a lack of them in the city — particularly ones that are open late.
If you’re not familiar with the term “third space,” the general idea is that it’s neither a home space nor a work space. While there are various definitions and descriptions of the third space, it’s essentially a place where people can gather, build community, and socialize outside of work and the home.
Ideally, third spaces require no cost to enter; however, because the city has so few free spaces, paying for a latte as an entry fee seems to be a commonly accepted practice nowadays.
Some examples of third spaces include cafes, parks, and libraries.
While the city has no shortage of cafes, many of them aren’t open very late, limiting their availability as a third space. And, while parks are great, they aren’t necessarily a reliable choice given the unpredictability of Vancouver weather.
Enter Progression Bouldering Gym. Daily Hive was invited out to check out Progression’s facilities, and when entering the space, you could feel how much the locals have embraced it. Progression is located in Mount Pleasant, at 275 East 10th Ave. However, labelling it solely as a gym would be doing it a disservice.
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On its website, Progression calls itself a bouldering gym and community hub.
Progression is open till 10 or 11 p.m., depending on the day. As its name implies, it’s primarily a bouldering gym, but there’s also a full-service cafe offering plenty of treats, including Juice Truck smoothies, coffee drinks, and a liquor license so that you can grab an alcoholic drink after your climb. Progression even offers a clinic inside the space, open to all.
The cafe space can comfortably seat nearly 100 people. (Amir Ali/Daily Hive)
While it would be nice to have more third spaces that don’t require patrons to pay a cent, like libraries, another thing the city lacks is third spaces that are open late, free or otherwise. There aren’t many coffee shops in Vancouver that are open till 11 p.m. Progression offers that option to locals.
Enjoying a Juice Truck smoothie while chilling at the Progression Cafe. (Amir Ali/Daily Hive)
Many Metro Vancouver cafes also put restrictions on the amount of time you can spend in them, particularly if you have a laptop and are planning on working in that establishment.
Owners Pete Lindgren and Catherine Brunel seemed thrilled to have people occupying the space, which appears to be thriving.
Catherine Brunel and Pete Lindgren. Husband and wife, owners of Progression. (Amir Ali/DailyHive)
On the bouldering front, Progression’s motto is in its name. It offers options for beginners and experts. In speaking with co-owner Lindgren, he mentioned how there’s Olympic-level talent that works out at Progression. So you could be a rookie and climb alongside someone who is among the best in the world.
Another local space, Beaumont Studios, has been hosting a monthly community third space night, offering a free space in the hopes of building a sense of community for individuals who need a space like it.
Do you have any recommendations for free indoor third spaces in Vancouver that are open late? Put ’em down in the comments.
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