The album features eight original compositions plus two covers which are intended to musically describe Hiromi's travels around the world.

Jeff Winbush of All About Jazz stated "By its nature, solo piano has a degree of self-interest, but Hiromi is never a narcissist.

Place To Be is an exciting and brilliant romp through the life, time, and travels of Hiromi, one of the most consistently innovative and impressive artists in jazz today.

"[2] Steve Greenlee of JazzTimes commented "She has a deep affinity for the blues and loves the lower end of the register but isn’t afraid to throw in some dissonant non-chords either... It’s sheer delight, then, to hear Place to Be, a collection of 12 solos that run the gamut.

"[6] Alex Henderson of AllMusic added "As it turns out, playing unaccompanied is perfect for Hiromi; the acoustic solo-piano format gives her plenty of room to explore her creative impulses.