When it is set "view items as grid of icons" you just right-click and open in terminal. However, when it is set "viewing items as list" and the page is full of files, it's not possible to find an empty space to right-click and open in terminal.
SnapOverflow
You are right. I'm sure someone knows how to magic free space into a long list. But here is how to do it until they get here:
Go up to the parent directory of the one you want, right click on the directory you want to open in terminal, and the option is there.
If going up to the parent directory isn't possible (because you're at the top of the tree, for example), right click on any directory in the list, select open in terminal and then type
to change to the parent directory, and there you are.
There is now an option to open a terminal in the current folder by clicking on the folder drop-down in the top-left of the Nautilus window (next to the forward and back buttons).