We had our first big rain of the fall today. I’m sitting in a coffee shop, soaked. The front of my light grey sweat pants are colored several shades darker by their wetness. It’s from the downside to Portland’s popular coffee culture.
Earlier I set off to a WiFi spot in one of my new favorite neighborhoods, Mississippi. On the way to the bus, the rain was pretty nasty, so I decided to go to Tiny’s Coffee, my closest WiFi shop. But it was full.
So, I went back to plan A and hopped on the bus. As I walked toward Albina Press I worried about whether they took cards. The Visa logo on the door made me feel better. All the tables were taken, but there was a back room with some open couches. Now, I know coffee shop etiquette and one look at the four ladies in front of me said those sofas weren’t for me.
Fresh Pot North? No cards (“thank you for understanding”). Crow Bar? Closed. Back on the bus, I ended up here at Goldrush Coffee Bar. It was virtually empty and thank goodness. I can dry off and get some work done.
I feel ya: good atmosphere at Albina Press, but there’s rarely a seat. The wi-fi at the Fresh Pot is dodgy, not really an option if you want to get serious work done.
I recently moved to the Alberta area, and am digging the scene up here. It seems like there’s *always* seats at Extracto, Random Order and Concordia coffeehouses. There’s also the Black Cat and Fuel, but they’re a bit smaller so no guarantees. Also, I think Mash Tun has wi-fi, in case you feel like a pint while you work 😉
But if you’re riding the bus, maybe the best part about Alberta is that there are lots of options within walking distance of each other 🙂