Are lines the new third space?
What our current line culture signals about how Gen Z is spending their time and money
We live in a culture built around convenience. There’s same-day delivery, one-click check out, algorithmic recommendations, instant entertainment — and waiting should be obsolete. Yet some of the most coveted experiences this summer involve standing in line.
For coffee, for frozen yogurt, for a table at a crowded wine bar. The line itself is part of the appeal.
Last Saturday, I met my friend for drinks at Le Dive’s new West Village location.
I’ve walked by it every day since it opened and noticed the same thing — a crowd spilling onto the sidewalk. Not just a busy restaurant, but a scene.
By 5pm, there was already a line. An hour later, the crowd had grown. Once seated, Le Dive’s allure became crystal clear.
It’s communal.
In the hour and a half we sat there, we saw plenty of people we know — a friend from college, work, from growing up. Both walking by us on the street and on the outdoor patio. It seemed like every table around us (most filled with twenty-something-year-olds) was having the same experience. The attraction wasn’t just the wine or the food, it was the feeling that something was happening.
I went back to earlier this week (on a weekday) to check out the scene. Even at 5:29 pm on a Tuesday, it was packed. And not just normal NYC crowds. It was exceptionally popping.
It’s not just Le Dive.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’m calling our current ‘line culture.’ The phenomenon where everything good has a line: your favorite drinks spot, fro-yo place, coffee shop.
Check out these photos from last weekend at Mimi’s frozen yogurt and Blank Street coffee — dueling lines directly across the street from each other.
What’s happening here? The pendulum swings back.
For years we’ve been talking about the loneliness epidemic, the decline of third spaces, and the growing amount of time young people spend online. Now the pendulum appears to be swinging back.
This also comes amid Gen Z’s push toward optimization. Everyone is looksmaxxing. We’ve all gotten so serious. That takes a mental toll.
READ THE UP AND UP ON SKINNY CULTURE
When it comes to the cost of it all, our line culture is an evolution of the ‘little sweet treat’ culture that permeated for a while. And it marks a shift back from Gen Z’s investment era, where young people were opting for bigger-scale purchases or experiences that would last beyond a singular moment (those have gotten harder and harder to afford).
Community is now the commodity
Here’s what this tells us about how Gen Z is spending their time — and their money.