Having uprooted to an entirely new area in an entirely new state, one of my main projects was to find that greatest of sanctuaries: a favorite coffee shop. I know it might seem trivial, but sometimes, in order to really do effective writing, I need a change of scenery, and in that situation, it helps to know that there's a spot with good vibes where I can go and do good work. In Pennsylvania, it was easy: Perk on Main in Emmaus. Excellent vibes, good people, and such good coffee. What I didn't know until I started looking: There is an incredible number of locally owned coffee shops in the Norfolk/VA Beach area. Such a gratifying thing to learn. It took me three forays out to find my coffee shop in the 757. All three that I tried are excellent, and I'd highly recommend any of them to anyone who's looking. Here are my reviews of each.
Borjo Coffeehouse
4416 Monarch Way, Norfolk, VA 23508
(757) 440-5800
Going to Borjo took me right back to college--it's in the heart of Old Dominion's campus, across the street from the university book store and behind the convocation center. I can't say it was exactly welcome reminiscence, but it was still a great atmosphere. Bold reds, oranges, and yellows offset by black leather armchairs and colorful artwork by a local artist make it a warm space. Borjo also boasts several outdoor tables with umbrellas to keep off the sun (it was in the high 80s when I went), which are a huge selling point for me.
The girls working the counter were cute and friendly; they clearly had an excellent rapport with one another, and I like to feel that people are enjoying their job. After asking for a recommendation, I tried what the girl suggested--a Mocha-Java, which is like a chocolate milkshake plus espresso--and, while it was good, it was way too sweet for me, as heavy as a meal in itself. Average price range, maybe $4 for a medium one, exactly what I expect to pay for that type of drink.
I grabbed a table outside, and snagged the shop's wi-fi--password protected, but all I had to do was ask the baristas--to do some work outside. Within five minutes, I needed my headphones; maybe it's just me, but I can't do work with some foolish college girls babbling about Twilight on either side of me (yes, seriously). Eventually, that was what caused me to leave. I had put two hours worth of coins in the meter down the street--Borjo doesn't have its own lot, and parking is metered only--intending to do one hour of work on the internet, and one hour of writing, but I couldn't survive without my headphones. Would I have fared differently inside? Possibly. As it was, Borjo's overall vibe was cute but college-y, and, while I would return, it would be with a friend to chat, not to try to work.
aLatte Cafe
321 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 625-2326
My next adventure took me downtown, and while downtown Norfolk is much less expansive than other cities, my least favorite thing about driving downtown--any downtown, every downtown--is parking. There's a parking garage right behind aLatte on Freemason Street, though, so that's where I ended up. Walking up Granby to the cafe, my first impression was of some eclectic boutique, a quirky antique shop, maybe. Inside aLatte, this impression was only solidified: a mixture of old couches, tables at different heights, an old church pew stacked with magazines at either end. Multi-colored walls showing bold work by a local artist seems to be a theme, but one I appreciate. The overall effect--a former warehouse that got abducted by a quirky, color-happy antiquer--reminded me of a brighter, better lit version of Pittsburgh's earthy Kiva Han.
As I was ordering a large coffee, I realized that I should have instituted at least one control in my coffee shop quests: the same drink, a simple cup of coffee. Espresso drinks are all well and good, but the best way to judge the quality of a shop's beverages is in their basic cuppa. Either way, aLatte is another one using locally roasted beans behind their counter, and the coffee was good, pleasantly bold. I was feeling good, so I topped it with some cinnamon, and found a table. For whatever reason, I prefer the tall tables, so I took one of those and set to work. Probably I looked a little crazy, cutting out and mixing up pieces of paper for the parasyntactic exercise from my last entry, but I've never been one to worry about something like that.
The clientele at aLatte seemed balanced between local professionals and students from Tidewater Community College's Norfolk branch right down the street, but, just like in Borjo, I'm not either of those, so I felt a little out of place. I'm having trouble nailing down a reason that aLatte won't become my default location, but it's hard to pinpoint. The overarching vibe was good, but it wasn't great--when I got down to trying to do some new writing after playing with my bits of paper for a while, I couldn't. Maybe I felt over-stimulated by all the colors and sounds--there's an upright piano that spent some minutes being played by a boy clearly fishing for some young female attention--and the rotating cast of characters, but it's hard to say. I liked aLatte; it was cute and comfortable, and I'll definitely be back when I don't have any serious work to do.
Elliot's Fair Grounds
806 Baldwin Ave (upstairs), Norfolk, VA 23517
(757) 640-2899
Fair Grounds is my winner. The Ghent neighborhood is billed across the internet as the artsy-fartsy area with a boho ethos, and that's absolutely fine by me. This was my first trip down there, but it is really adorable--Ghent has a hometown, community-type feel, tons of locally owned restaurants, the historic Naro Cinema, plenty of people walking around and enjoying the beautiful weather. Fair Grounds shares a parking lot with Texture, the shop on the first floor of its building, and not having to pay to park is itself enough to sell me.
Fair Grounds would still win for me even without the parking lot. The mix of tables and comfy chairs, light colors with bold, my favorite Vampire Weekend song coming over the shop's XM Radio, and, best of all, tons of natural light all sold me at the top of the stairs. When I ordered my iced coffee--a medium for $1.90--the barista joked with me about the Steelers and chatted football with me for a minute or two. Something in his manner made me feel like a regular, exactly as comfortable and welcome as I always felt talking to the ladies at Perk. Oh, and the coffee was dynamite, rich and velvety without being bitter. The coffee on its own made my day; having a comfy chair to sit in inside a bomb atmosphere made it that much better.
More than anything, the vibe was local, comfortable, welcoming, intelligent, and functional. Yes, functional--I did more new writing in two and a half hours in Fair Grounds than I've done in months. That's the most important element for me, whether or not I can do the best work of my mind in any given atmosphere, and that is what will bring me back to Fair Grounds. The lovely little porch helps, and the excellent cup of coffee is absolutely crucial, but I've got work to do, and now I have a place in which to do it.
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