Why did no one tell me that after graduation, bringing friends together would become nearly impossible? When I was in college, dinner together was almost a standing appointment, and cocktail nights at a speakeasy were practically instinctive. In school, community is de rigueur, you sit with your classmates, you make new friends from school clubs, and there’s always someone around for a coffee run. 

So I couldn’t help but wonder, in a city as bustling as Manila, where we often find ourselves converging only within behemoth mall complexes, is it still possible to find a fresh sense of community?

Besides home and school, what other social ecosystems exist? Because as much as social media promises that we’re only a click away from anyone in the world, somehow genuine connection feels harder to come by.

Today, however, the city is seeing a rise in third spaces. Coined by American sociologist Ray Oldenburg, it is denoted as a space where social interaction begins. And in a city that can feel busy yet surprisingly lonely, these third spaces are carving out opportunities to bring people together through common interests, and a mutual search for a place to belong.

Cedo Wellness

We’ve long known how gyms bring people with a passion for fitness together in one space. But social wellness club Cedo Wellness is redefining what it means to be well, and to belong. 

Tucked at the heart of Salcedo Makati and co-founded by siblings Aly Arellano and Josh Arellano, Cedo is bringing together movement, creativity, and connection under one roof, because wellness is not a solitary journey but a community experience. 

Aside from strength and recovery therapies like contrast therapy (an alternate between a hot and cold plunge), the studio also offers yoga classes, mat Pilates, barre, dance classes, and even pottery sessions with Color Me Mine PH. With the myriad of options available, Cedo allows people to explore different ways to care for themselves, and make new friends along the way. 

Just One Run Club

Running may be one of the most accessible forms of exercise but the recent surge in its popularity has much to do in its community.

The running boom has given rise to local collectives like Just One Run Club, co-founded by content creator Hannah Pangilinan and running coach Ani De Leon Brown. Built around the philosophy that taking “just one” step is all it takes to begin your fitness journey, the club welcomes runners through open runs, and fun runs. 

While running is often seen as an individual sport, Just One Run Club highlights how sports and wellness can extend beyond competition, creating spaces where people can encourage one another, share the journey, and push each other forward every step of the way.

No Name

The pandemic shrunk opportunities for social gatherings, but at the tailend of 2022, Echo Bueno and Chili Perez came out of the lockdown with the idea where people come together in intimate spaces beyond the convenient malls of the metro.

What began as a group film screening grew into a collective called No Name hosting music, dance, film, and cultural experiences in Manila. From Salsa evenings on the cobblestone streets of Intramuros to candlelit concerts with a quartet from the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra on the topmost floor of  the historic First United Building, No Name allows strangers to find common ground and unique experiences. 

At a time when the very notion of community was being challenged, No Name imagined a different kind of Manila, and brought people together to remind us that being well can also mean being together. 

The Bouldering Hive

Indoor bouldering is starting to become one of the metro’s growing collectives. 

The Bouldering Hive, with branches in Greenhills Mall and Circuit Makati, was founded by husband-and-wife team Christoph and Mica Bastin to introduce more Filipinos to indoor climbing through beginner, basic, and intermediate classes. While bouldering offers a full-body workout that builds strength, sharpens problem-solving skills, and challenges both the body and mind, its true charm lies in the community it creates.

Be it reaching new heights or trying to pick yourself up from the mat after a fall, there’s always someone cheering you on. After all, some challenges feel lighter when faced together. 

Celera

For us  Filipinos, community has always been built around the dining table. 

Registered psychometrician and licensed guidance counselor Mary Grace Yuen Laguting, RPm, RGC, shared in a previous interview with Allure Philippines that eating together “offers people a space to connect, communicate, and find common ground.”

That same concept comes alive at Celera in Makati, a Michelin-starred restaurant of chef and proud morena Queenie Villar and chef Nico Santos. The place features an open dining layout where good food and meaningful conversations go around. And while food nourishes the body, it is the people, stories and relationships that enriches the soul.

Making space for community

Finding a space to belong as an adult is not always easy. Without the familiarity of home, family, and the comfort of routines, a sense of community might feel out of reach. But today, wellness is reimagined in new  spaces where connection flourishes. 

Proof that growing up doesn’t necessarily mean growing apart. Sometimes, it simply means finding new places, and new people to grow with.

Frequently Asked Questions

Third spaces are social settings — separate from home and work — where interaction and belonging naturally occur, a concept coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg. In Manila, they’re expanding beyond mall culture as adults seek genuine community through shared interests like fitness, art, and food.

Cedo Wellness, a social wellness club in Salcedo Makati co-founded by siblings Aly and Josh Arellano, pairs strength and recovery therapies like contrast plunges with yoga, Pilates, barre, dance, and pottery sessions — treating wellness as a shared, community-driven experience rather than a solitary pursuit.

Just One Run Club, co-founded by Hannah Pangilinan and coach Ani De Leon Brown, turns running into a group experience through open and fun runs. Built on taking one step to start, it reframes an individually competitive sport as a source of mutual encouragement.

No Name, founded by Echo Bueno and Chili Perez after the pandemic, began as a group film screening and grew into a collective hosting music, dance, film, and cultural events — including salsa nights in Intramuros and candlelit concerts by a Manila Philharmonic Orchestra quartet.

The Bouldering Hive, run by Christoph and Bica Bastin in Greenhills Mall and Circuit Makati, offers beginner-to-intermediate indoor climbing built around encouragement after every fall. For dining, Celera in Makati — from chefs Queenie Villar and Nico Santos — uses an open layout designed for shared meals and conversation.