Skate, snip or serve in Oakland’s “third places”

Editor’s note: This story was first published in a Pittsburgh’s Public Source neighborhood zine. Look for our printed zines now in Brookline, Carrick, Overbrook and Oakland.

A barbershop where the conversations rise above the buzz of clippers. A community center where you can meet your neighbors and access social services. A skate park where friends test their tricks and cheer each other on.

These are some of Oakland’s “third places.” They’re gathering spots –– beyond the location of home and work –– where people can form ties with their community, sometimes for free. Third places improve community well-being and foster civic engagement, but they’re increasingly rare, according to the Urban Institute.

Here’s a look at how three Oakland third places are serving the neighborhood.

A barber stands smiling next to a client in a cape, who is seated in front of a mirror at a barbershop with red walls and Pittsburgh decor. Barber Sekou Brown, left, does the hair of University of Pittsburgh student Albert Dada on Aug. 29, at The Natural Choice Barbershop & Natural Hair Salon. The barbershop is a gathering space for many who return for the conversation and music, and to catch the latest sports game on TV. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)

The Natural Choice Barbershop & Natural Hair Salon

Nearly three decades ago, Nate Mitchell stood on the Meyran Avenue sidewalk outside his future storefront and counted passersbys with a clicker.

He stopped when he reached 4,000, according to Natural Choice hair stylist Mariah Jackson.

Today, heavy foot traffic still draws new people in from the street.

“ You can come of course and get a service, but some people just come and just want to be around good energy,” Jackson said while working with a client.

Often, clients and friends hang around the shop without appointments. Men talk over a TV playing football in the background. Even Jackson sometimes stops by when she isn’t working.

Because of its proximity to the University of Pittsburgh, The Natural Choice invites a mix of strangers and recognizable faces, sometimes punctuated by an unexpected run-in with a good friend. For example, Jackson’s friend Melanie waved through the window, admiring her locs, before stepping in to introduce herself.

Some friendships are brand new; others pick up after decades.

“I sometimes get clients in here who are like, ‘Hey, is Nate still around? I haven’t been here for 25 years,’” Jackson said. “They’re just so happy that this place is still here.”

Oakland DIY

Before skating, Pitt student and skate club president Ansel Gunther swept leaves off the ramps at the Oakland DIY skate park. Tucked into the residential east end of Central Oakland, just steps from Schenley Park, trees shade the skate park — a graffitied, concrete foil to its quiet surroundings.

A skateboarder performs a trick on a ledge at an outdoor skate park surrounded by trees, while several people watch in the background. People gather to skateboard at sunset at Oakland DIY on Aug. 29. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)

In Harrisburg, where Gunther is from, he drives 25 minutes to reach a decent park. The added gas money makes skating an expensive hobby at home. But now that he’s back in Oakland for fall classes, it’s a quick walk away.

Oakland DIY is a refuge for students like Gunther, but it doesn’t have the support of the entire Oakland community.

“ People are trying to shut down the skate park because of the noise it creates,” Gunther said.

A few people have taken issue with the skate park’s loud noises and have sought for Pittsburgh City Council to replace it with a playground and bocce courts. At the council meeting on Sept. 3, several supporters of Oakland DIY urged councilors to allow the skate park to continue operating.

“For skaters, the Oakland DIY is not just a skate park. It’s a sanctuary. One where they meet new people, enjoy the outdoors in the beautiful Schenley Park, and a place where they can truly be themselves,” a Pitt student said during the council meeting’s public comment period.

A person wearing a backwards cap and gray shirt leans on a chain-link fence, smiling as sunlight casts shadows across their face and body. Pitt engineering student AJ Haddon stands at Oakland DIY skatepark on Aug. 29, in South Oakland. Haddon worked nearby to fortify a halfpipe with concrete as skaters dropped in after work and school. He is volunteering his engineering know-how to continue to build on the park with funds and materials donated by the community. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)

Pitt student AJ Haddon said during the meeting that one of Oakland DIY’s goals is to install a sign that outlines the skate park’s rules and commemorates the history of Panther Hollow. “Beyond skating, we envision features like a bocce ball court … making this a park for everyone,” Haddon said.

The Corner

A dozen people lined up outside Friendship Community Presbyterian Church, music wafting from a speaker. Laughter volleyed between residents and volunteers, who greeted everyone by name as they entered. Inside the church, volunteers offered dry goods, fresh fruit and hot food.

Food and resource distribution, like the one in mid-July, is organized each month by The Corner, West Oakland’s third-place community center.

Two young girls with backpacks stand together looking at a phone outside, while several adults and children gather in the background. Samira Washington, 7, and Ariah Talley, 9, chat at a food distribution hosted by The Corner on Sept. 18, in West Oakland. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)

With the neighborhood’s aging population, public transportation reliance and food access limitations (the closest supermarkets are about 2 miles away), this is one way The Corner sustains the community. It connects neighbors with social services, critical resources and one another.

“We’re excited to be that space for folks who are looking to build relationships, who are looking to access resources,” said Nadine Masagara-Taylor, executive director of The Corner. “Especially in a time like this, where so many things are happening, it’s important to have these community centers.”

April Dunscomb, a West Oakland resident of 49 years, said she most appreciates The Corner’s youth programming. It runs breakfast-before-school, tutoring and peer mentorship programs.

A man smiles while holding a standing baby on his lap, as another young person sits next to them, looking at a phone; framed photos hang on the wall behind them. Quinzale Taylor, left, sits with his sons at a Steelers game watch party hosted by The Corner on Sept. 21, in West Oakland. Taylor’s wife is the executive director at The Corner. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)

Last year, the summer enrichment program served almost 40 kids. This year, the number was much smaller. “With families moving out, whether that’s related to affordability or other causes, we’ve lost almost half of the children that we serve through our youth programs, which is heartbreaking,” Masagara-Taylor said.

Still, The Corner continues connecting kids, college students and long-term residents. Darryl Daughtry, a West Oakland resident of around 40 years, leads a line dancing class that welcomes dancers of all ages and experiences. The goal, he said, is to get people active and unite them.

“To do something like this, where I actually get to meet my neighbors and learn their names, watching them having two left feet … It’s been a lot of fun,” Daughtry said.

Hannah Frances Johansson is a former Public Source intern and can be reached at hannah@publicsource.org.

Sophia Levin is a freelance journalist and can be reached at sophialevin25@gmail.com.

This story was fact-checked by Emma Folts.

Skate, snip or serve in Oakland’s “third places”

Tags: