East End Treasures

Apparently I have not posted anything since October. Blogspot hardly remembered me. I signed in, entered my password and it was like the old guy at the registrar's office who knows your records are there somewhere, but he cannot remember where the key is to the "inactive" files.

There is something about applying for job after job after job after job (well over 100 jobs at this point) that completely wears me out. If you have ever done 4 applications in a row, each having 125 question personality profile tests included, you crave the opportunity to look at anything other than your computer screen. The other day I spent a break just watching my coffee maker percolate. It was surprisingly blissful.

I have discovered that the East End of Pittsburgh is not the scary and run-down region I had once thought. In fact I have a new-foumnd respect for this part of town. It is full of hipsters (not to be confused with hippies... shudder) art and culture. In some ways, it is everything Meadville wants to be... just attached to the City of Pittsburgh instead of out in farm country.

I have discovered farmers marktets, and locally roasted coffees. There are corner stores, and littles restaurants. Yeah, there are McDonalds and Home Depot locations, but these are not what defines this part of our steel city.

One of the little gems I have discovered is a local coffee shop. Open from 7am to 10pm (8am-10pm on Sundays) I wandered into this place on a whim one day. I drove past it several times and the fogged up window bays at the front of the shop congured up images of warm drinks, and lively conversation within. It did not dissapoint.

I cannot say that would stand out from any other neighborhood coffee shop for one reason or another... there is no gimmick in here. Nothing strange covers the walls, it will never be featured on a WQED special about odd and quirky places... but it is a pleasant surprise to find that Highland Park has a place like this.

What is even better for me, is that the coffee is good. Strong and hot (TWSS) it is falvorful and smooth. A couple bucks will get you a generous mug of Joe, and a free refill.

It is heart-warming to see a place like this thriving not only in this economy, but in a world over-run by Starbucks and Wal Mart. This is truly a vestige of the America we used to know... and life i grew up with. In my hometown it was not rare to be in the Diner and know over 75% of the other clientele by name. "Hey, Jim... how was the surgery last week? We missed you..." that sort of thing.

I am new to this place, but already the crew behind the counter knows I like a "black coffee for here." They don't know me by name yet, but some of the others are certainly established regulars. Today alone I heard someone check up on some work he had secured for another patron, two people in line in front of me addressed by name... and I don't want to paint the picture too much like a coffee-oriented version of Cheers, but there is a mailman who seems to be a regular after his route here. (I'll call him Cliff for now).

What makes this place really ring of the small-town or locally/independently owned business is the mix of people that it attracts. As I sit reading the morning paper (in the mid-afternoon) there are the expected grad students with laptops, and older people eating the soup, but there are also middle aged people catching up, kids getting off the school bus and heading in for a hot-chocolate to go, and a woman who brought two young boys (about 6 or 7, i would guess) who came here to get caffeine (shakes head), sugar (shakes shakes head more) and play chess. (yupp.. chess).

What all this rambling is really aiming, i am not sure. But I know this: there is a lot to be discovered here. I am realizing why people told me "oh... we LOVE the East End" when they heard i was moving here. I am starting to as well.