Interview with Cherie Moshier

1. As an architect, what type of positive outcomes have you seen come from any of your commercial sites? (Such as a coffee shop, restaurant, etc.)

Most of our commercial neighborhood projects have been stores rather than ‘third places’ but increased sales and visibility are the result. Anecdotally I was told that Del’s restaurant in Bloomfield saw a 60% increase in sales when they redesigned the façade to feature traditional commercial windows etc. rather than the tiny retrofit windows they’d had for years. The Butler Street corridor in Lawrenceville is a particularly notable example of pedestrian-scaled redevelopment. Our new recreation center for Pitt is meant to fill a gap in the student community for a hangout option in a non-alcoholic setting.

2. Do any of your sites seem to be lacking the idea of fellowship within the neighborhood?
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3. Do you think third places you have planned revitalized the neighborhood in which it is located?
The Red Oak Café in Oakland filled in a missing storefront in an important section of Forbes Avenue and is giving a healthy menu option to health care and university people.

4. Do you think third places are important to a community?
For a segment of the population with some discretionary time, yes. Interestingly, both Gary and I had meetings with consultants in Panera Bread stores yesterday. For home-based business people, these are good meeting spaces.

5. What do you look for in third place that would make you a regular customer?
I have so little spare time that I don’t hang out anywhere. Proximity and a casual attitude allowing patrons to linger over a cup of coffee, comfortable seating and people-watching ability would be on my list.

6. Do you have a third place in your neighborhood?
Highland Park has a wonderful coffee shop called Tazza D’Oro which opened about 8 years ago in a building that had housed a independent drugstore. This place has become the de facto community center for the neighborhood, to the point that the planning team working on our community plan held ‘office hours’ at the coffee shop. There seem to be regulars there daily, both retirees and students, bicyclists who begin and end rides there, dog walkers, moms with strollers, etc. It’s become quite a landmark in the neighborhood.