52nd City

Broadcasting From CoffeeHouseLand

Monday, March 16, 8:38 p.m.: St. Louis isn't a Monday night kind of town. The options are limited, severely. Even in CoffeeHouseLand, that's true. The Grind, closed. 6 North, closed. Bread Co., closing at 9. So, it's off to Kayak's, a bit of a haul for the South City-centric, but an open place to study and grade. Strangely, I'd never been to the joint, but the results are exactly what I'd imagined. The clientele a mix of Wash U. students and the occasional "character" blown in from the rainstorm outside. The weird, Canadian wilderness-inspired motif is just as odd on the inside as it looks from the outside, but the tea's warm and the ANTM barrista's got a certain, "Wash U. boys worship at my altar" sass. Might not be a regular stop, but it's good to have options, especially on these damned Monday nights.

Tuesday, March 17, 10:13 a.m.: The rain's still falling and Hartford Coffee's got that soggy day feel. Save for the one cat, who's got the need to shout out his coding directions from back at the office, which is enjoyed by everyone in the room, for sure! Thank goodness this isn't a personal call. Babies roll in with parents. The volume rises a touch, with Shouty McShoutington competing with youthful squeals. And what's that other, loud sound? Ah! The tiny Hartford stereo, playing Heart's hits from the 1980s. It's weird to remember every track. Every note of every track. ("Never! No, never! Never! Never run away!") Uh-oh, the Heart's off and a mix CD goes in. Some St. Etienne, nice. Some other, sorta anonymous disco-lite. Okay, it's a blah day, let's go with it. Suddenly, the volume jumps. HIGH. It's a remix/reversion of "It's Raining Men." Apt on a drizzly day? Dunno, oh, sure. Loud? Kinda, come to think of it. Funny, oh, yeah!

Wednesday, March 19, 11:30 a.m.: Quiet in Dogtown and at Cardeiras. A few customers in-and-out. (Hey, Andy Strickland!) Some nice stuff on the PA and a barrista who's starred in multiple horror films. Really. The quiet tip-tap of keys on a laptop. In fact, the first post from this blogger via laptop. Sweet. Just... hit... Save...