at the water's edge

Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Edition Collegiate Dictionary defines place, among many ways, as a physical environment (space); physical surroundings (atmosphere); an indefinite region or expanse; a building or locality used for a special purpose; a particular region, center of population, or location; a building, part of a building, or area occupied as a home; a particular part of a surface or body (spot); a position in a social scale; an appropriate moment or point; a distinct position, condition, or state of mind; an available seat or accommodation; an empty or vacated position; a public square (plaza); a small street or court.

I would add that place is what surrounds our mind, body, and soul at a given moment in time and space and that the place is defined by an individual's mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional interaction in that place at that time. Thus, the definitions are infinite and with memory, real or perceived, the definitions will change.