From cafés to creative hubs, Third Spaces are reshaping how Nigerians can use the Detty December season to connect, unwind, and dress — where community, culture, and style meet in the city.
The House, Lagos, is home to a plethora of events, and in the Detty December season, it reaches its zenith. The architecture of the venue makes it easy to accommodate various events. It is built to mimic an actual house, having a kitchen space, a lounge, a library, an outdoor seating area, and more. On 11 December 2025, I found myself in its dining room, seated at a round table with a spinning tabletop I would later learn is called a lazy Susan. I spent the evening playing an array of games with Aduke Shitta-Bey, Somkele Idhalama, and Munachi Abii. The games were all rom-com themed. The event was the first of a series of game nights for movie lovers. Additionally, the night was slow-paced, fun, mentally stimulating, and for the first time, I realised there are more ways to celebrate Detty December than the stereotypical partying.
The Lovers Club
The event was hosted in partnership with Blush & Slate Films. This movie lovers’ hangout, called The Lovers Club, focused on the often-clichéd romantic comedy genre. Known for its predictable tropes, like chasing someone at an airport or kissing in the rain, rom-coms remain popular, especially during the holiday season when viewers seek feel-good stories and some escapism.
Read also: The 10 holiday romance movies I’ll be watching this December
What made The Lovers Club so exhilarating were the games and trivia moments, like Pop the Balloon on Clichés. A personal favourite was the writing prompts, where every guest had to continue a story on a board based on where the last person stopped.
This mix of movies and games is classified under a new term created by the younger generation: A Third Space.
What is a Third Space?
Social media has brought the world to our fingertips, and yet we’ve never been so distant. In urban life, most of us live between two primary worlds: Home (first place) and work or school (second place). But sociologists have highlighted that social connection and community life happen in a Third Space — places outside home and work where people meet, relax, share ideas, and build relationships.
Sociologist Ray Oldenburg, who reasoned that third places like cafés, parks, and community hubs are essential for healthy social life and civic culture, popularised the concept.
Why Third Spaces matter in Nigeria?
In Nigeria’s fast-paced cities, especially Lagos, the relevance of Third Spaces feels more urgent than ever. Productivity and responsibility structure daily life for many Nigerians. Long commutes, demanding jobs, family expectations, and economic pressures often leave little room for unstructured social time. Home is private and sometimes crowded; work is formal and transactional. A Third Space offers something different: A neutral ground where no one is in charge of you, where conversation happens naturally, and where presence is enough. These spaces may be physical, but what defines them is the freedom they provide. You can come alone or with friends, stay briefly or linger, talk or simply exist.
Third Spaces have always existed, even before the term became fashionable. From roadside bukas where neighbours gather in the evenings, to salons, viewing centres, and open courtyards where people exchange stories, the community has long found its way into informal spaces. What has changed is the scale and structure of urban living. As cities grow denser and more digital, intentional Third Spaces have become vital for sustaining human connection, creativity, and emotional well-being.
They are where ideas are shared across class and profession, where friendships are formed organically, and where culture is produced in real time.
December and the art of intentional gathering
Lagos has quietly evolved into a city of intentional Third Spaces that also function as style ecosystems. Creative hubs like A Third Space in Ikoyi feel less like venues and more like cultural living rooms, attracting artists, editors, designers, and fashion enthusiasts who arrive dressed for comfort, expression, and curiosity. Places like My Friend’s House encourage a softer kind of elegance; clothing that moves easily between shared meals, music, and long conversations. Fired and Iced, Lekki, gave us the iconic Spotify Greasy Tunes, and let’s not forget Beyoncé’s birthday party, too. Rumour has it that they have another Beyoncé event this December! The Garden has also become a fan favourite for relaxed events. Alara, the high-end boutique, has also curated a list of activities for literature, fashion, and art lovers.
Cafés as fashion’s new front row
The coolest girl you will see this season is not on the runway; she is probably at Milk and Honey café in Ikoyi. Cafés across Lekki, Ikoyi, Ikeja, and Yaba have become some of the most authentic fashion spaces in the city. They offer a front row to everyday style: Effortless tailoring, vintage denim, relaxed silhouettes, and experimental layering. These are places where trends emerge quietly, as they serve as stop routines for party or Owambe goers and IJGBs trying to get around town. Ajanee Studio is having a pop-up, but first, she must grab a snack and coffee!
Read also: Christmas gift guide for the always-on fashion it-girl
Green spaces, movement, and style
Public parks remain some of the most underrated Third Spaces in Nigerian cities. Places like Muri Okunola Park and Baywater Park invite people into a shared rhythm of walking, resting, observing, and exhaling. They are democratic by nature, welcoming people across age and income without asking for anything in return. In a landscape where many experiences come with a price tag, the simplicity of a free, open space feels quietly radical.
Art, culture, and community
Art spaces such as Revolving Art Incubator in Victoria Island extend the idea of Third Spaces into cultural dialogue. Through exhibitions, talks, and pop-up experiences, they create environments where creativity is communal rather than solitary. Nahous perfectly blends arts, fashion, and community activities at its foundation.
Even temporary cultural events — book readings, listening sessions, or immersive art shows — transform the city into a network of shared moments, reminding us that connection does not need permanence to be meaningful.
Finding your place in the in-between
At its heart, a Third Space is defined not by architecture, but by atmosphere. It is a place that asks nothing of you except your presence. In Nigeria, where the society often prioritises strength and loudness over softness, Third Spaces offer a gentle alternative. A permission to rest, to connect, and to be human without explanation. From a café you visit every week, to a park bench that slowly becomes familiar, or a creative hub that feels like home, these spaces shape our daily lives. They remind us that we live life not only in private or professional moments, but also in the quiet, communal spaces in between.
