Third Places

Behold the Portland coffeehouse. Above is Stumptown. There's also Albina Press (which also brews Stumptown), Fresh Pot (featured in the movie Feast of Love) and countless others. Some might say pretentious, I say bring it. Detroit could use more good "third places" like these. Starbucks doesn't count. Independent & locally-owned is what I mean.

My favorite Detroit coffeehouse is Cafe 1923 in Hamtramck. I wish it was a little bit closer to my home so it could be a daily destination. It's got that corner storefront, old-school-meets-new-world charm. It's the kind of place you wanna sit and work for hours. To wit, you can usually find one or five Model D reporters sipping espressos whilst tapping away on their typing machines. The esteemed local blogger Supergay Detroit snapped this lovely photo:

I also adore Detroit's Rowland Cafe and Stella International Cafe for their European style & flavor. You just can't beat the exquisite architecture of the Guardian and Fisher Building lobbies. And who doesn't enjoy a friendly welcome from Chris? He is one of my favorite things about Detroit:

I'm not a bonafide foodie, so I tend to choose places to eat & drink for reasons more environmental than gastronomical. I want to spend my limited time & money in spaces that please me. Not sure if I'm sophisticated enough to write the formula for that pleasure. All I can say is that it involves some combination of lighting, seating, quality materials, art and music. Oh, and good customer service and people-watching. You know, just the right amount of sociability when you're feeling sociable, and just enough peace & quiet when you're up against a deadline or don't feel much like chatting.

It was through long conversations with the sage Dai Hughes that I learned the difference between a good coffeehouse and an okay one. I hope he gets to open his Astro Coffee in Detroit. I love my daily trips to Avalon Bakery, but we could use more quality spaces like these: