New York City coffee shops are more than meets the eye. While in Europe, coffee shops are mostly for drinking coffee, having a cigarette (in places where you can still smoke) and chit chatting with friends, NYC coffee shops are so much more than that. They are almost replacing libraries. They’re a universe of brainstorming, of quick business meetings, of first time meet-ups, of getting your inspiration as a writer. The smell of fresh coffee and toasted bagels in the morning is quite appealing amongst freelancers, escaping the confinements of their apartments for mental and visual stimulation. Going into one, you can expect to see anything and anyone: both young and old, locals and tourists, freaks, hippies, even dogs, all typing away at their laptops, spending hours on end at the same table.
I used to think people that spend that many hours by themselves in a coffee shop are pathetic and lonely. I changed my mind in the meantime. I started going to one myself whenever I need to be alone (not quite alone, but surrounded by a bunch of strangers) but efficient. I take my laptop, buy a vanilla soy latte and start typing away …
