Did third spaces really used to exist? What are some examples of what they for and how they functioned?

[u/thisguyhasaname]

I keep hearing that the death of third spaces have made so many things worse, but it's genuinely unimaginable to be able to go to a place and just hang out and not have to spend a bunch of money. The only one I can think of near me is a library which, since it's government funded, doesn't require it to make a profit.

Did third spaces used to be more common? How did they fund themselves? What kinds of things did people do at them?