Looking for a new hangout? This website helps Charlotteans find a third place
Most hobbies are solo affairs — they’re great for the person who practices them. But software engineer Segun Akinyemi’s unique passions inspired him to create something that could benefit everyone in the Charlotte area.
His website, CharlotteThirdPlaces.com, currently features 383 places in the region where people can go to hang out, work, study, drink some coffee and meet others.
Whether you’re into bookstores or board games, pickleball or places with a view, his site can help you find your perfect fit.
What’s on the site
Originally launched in September 2024, the website includes all the essentials on a location — from descriptions and photos to parking and Wi-Fi availability, aggregating details from other websites, search engines and reviews.
It also provides Akinyemi’s first-hand experiences for most spots listed. He’s visited about 70% of them so far.
Visitors can search by set categories, tap shuffle for a random suggestion or try the site’s newest feature: a customized AI chat button. It offers site visitors personalized recommendations based on their own criteria.
And if you happen to like cinnamon rolls, Akinyemi’s already a step ahead. The site’s search filter includes a separate category for the sweet treats, too.
He calls them “the best pastry in human history … the apex pastry” and contends they not only offer the best value but provide the perfect antidote when things are tough.
“If it’s like a rainy, sad day and I want a pick-me-up, I’ll only go to a place with cinnamon rolls,” he told CharlotteFive.
So, what exactly is a third place?
The term “third place” may be new to many people, but the idea is likely familiar. Akinyemi first heard about it on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the video, a PhD student explored why — at a time when people are more connected than ever — there are increasing rates of loneliness, fear and feelings of disassociation from the world.
Then, he introduced third places as a possible remedy.
The name originally comes from sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s 1989 book, “The Great Good Place.”
“So, home would be your first place,” Akinyemi said. “Work or school would be your second place. But the third place, traditionally, is somewhere where people go to meet.
“There’s no pressure that you’re not getting dressed up. You’re not going to an event. You just exist there, and you meet people there. You interact, you meet friends.”
For Akinyemi, it brought to mind exactly that: the hit TV series “Friends” and the cozy cafe/bar, Central Perk, where everyone on the show gathers. (We chatted about how third spaces may be the secret sauce behind other successful sitcoms, too, from “Seinfeld’s” diner to “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s” dive bar.)
The quest to find third places in Charlotte resonated with Akinyemi, who arrived in 2020 to start a new job at Microsoft.
“Charlotte was described to me as if your version of fun is kind of hobbies with your friends, you’re in a great city. …You go, you find a hobby, whether it’s pickleball or the Whitewater Center or a book club, and that’s like how people interact. And then I moved. And because of the pandemic, a lot of that stuff was shut.
“And so the moment the vaccine came out and … businesses opened back up, I was very motivated to adventure in Charlotte and then the greater surrounding areas and just get up every day, go somewhere new. And that’s how I made most of my friends living here.”
Finding third places
Akinyemi started searching online for coffee shops where he could work remotely and kept a running list of options on the notes app of his phone.
“On each one of them, I’d write little notes about how I felt when I went there,” he said. “And so I just kept going … through the list and I’d check again. Then eventually I got to all the spots that people had mentioned on Reddit, on Instagram, on TikTok.”
So he turned to Google maps and simply searched “coffee” for any places he might have missed.
If any user reviews mention that a business serves coffee, Google will pull that info up, he said.
And as he met new people along the way, he asked for their favorite spots, too. Before long, his research expanded to include places like Kannapolis, Belmont and Rock Hill.
“I didn’t realize all those surrounding cities have their own kind of culture and identity,” he said.
Then one day, a friend asked for a copy of the list — and Akinyemi had a revelation as he tried to share it.
“Apple did that thing where your message is so long they put a ‘read more’ little button. And the moment that happened, I’m like, man … I’m a software engineer. I work with data a lot … I can definitely do better.”
Improving the website
CharlotteThirdPlaces.com has gone through multiple iterations since then. Akinyemi continually tweaks it to become more user-friendly and efficient on the back end.
“I’ll run into people around the city, friends and family, and then I’ll ask them to check it out, and I’ll kind of just peek over their shoulder. And anytime that I see them even struggle for a moment, I’m like, ‘OK, I can make that better.’”
He said open source software, from companies like Apple and Google, helps make that process easier. All the code he’s developed on the site is also available for the public to check out.
For Akinyemi, the project is also a fun way to improve his technical skills. And, lately, it’s helped him expand his expertise to include best practices for converting a generic AI model into a customized version, akin to a personalized ChatGPT.
That’s cutting edge knowledge he can use in his own work at Microsoft, as well as in workshops he leads for area youth.
Akinyemi, who was named to the 2025 Charlotte Business Journal 40 under 40 list, is also a passionate community volunteer. He mentors and tutors kids, founded Microsoft Charlotte Discovery Days — a recurring field trip introducing STEM career opportunities to students, and helps lead Minority Student Day through Microsoft’s Black at Microsoft group.
Free for all
Removing barriers to access is important to Akinyemi. It’s the No. 1 criteria he uses in evaluating potential third places for the website.
Nothing listed has a membership fee. The website will also always be free to the public, he said.
As a child of Nigerian immigrants growing up in Seattle and later a student athlete on scholarship in St. Louis — the only way his family could afford for him to attend college — Akinyemi became particularly attuned to the cost of living and barriers that can keep others out.
“I want to make it easy for people moving to Charlotte to be able to find community and connect with people. That means a lot to me, personally.”
And for those who think they’ve already seen all the city has to offer, Akinyemi wants to help them find the hidden gems that probably won’t pop up on sites like Instagram and TikTok.
“I always take pride in hearing someone say, ‘Oh, you know, I’ve been to all the coffee shops, they’re all the same.’ … I’m like, here you go, here’s 200 more that you haven’t explored.”
This story was originally published January 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
