I'm currently sitting in a new coffee shop not far from my house, it's quickly becoming my favorite. Not only do they serve great coffee (I may be a little biased, but Humphreys Street Coffee is pretty good!) :) But the atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable and I love it. It's never too busy in the mornings, which I guess I should hope isn't the case for long, so they stay in business, but their scones are delicious, this coming from someone who doesn't really love scones (I just inhaled their chocolate, raspberry one) and everyone is very friendly. Anyway...this isn't an endorsement for Woodbine Coffee Co, but if you live in Nashville, you should check it out. I love the atmosphere of coffee shops and the built in expectation that community will happen here. I love people watching and observing people and coffee shops are an excellent place to do that. I love randomly running into someone I know, observing friends hug and exclaim how happy they are to see each other, seeing a group of people hunched over intently having a meeting, watching the contentment of someone working alone at their computer, noticing the tension of another person studying for their MCAT, seeing another wiping tears from her eyes as her friend looks at her with a face that says, everything's not okay, but you are not alone.
I love coffee shops because I've seen community deepen there, I've seen ideas be born, I've seen both burdens and celebrations shared, I've seen productivity achieved, I've seen a shared space become a place where there's room for everyone and it all happens over a delicious cup of coffee (or tea if that's what you prefer). I know for me it's a place where I feel peace, where I feel productive and where my creativity can thrive and that is a beautiful thing, my friends.
