Café Culture

From time to time on the Candy Bowl, we will give a cross-section of New Haven's offerings on a specific topic, just to give y'all a taste of your home for the next few years. Today we will discuss places that Esther and Patrick know well and love dearly: coffeeshops.

Coffeeshops are a standby for students reading, studying, or writing papers. New Haven, like most college towns, is ripe with choices, each with its own character. Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of the most popular ones among YDS students.


Blue State (York St. and Wall St.)


As you might imagine from the name, Blue State has an unabashed political stance. In fact, its slogan is "Drink Liberally." This small chain only has stores around major New England universities: Boston (Boston University), New Haven (Yale), and Providence, RI (Brown). What makes Blue State really stand apart is their commitment to sustainability; they try to be a "zero waste" business, which means almost everything is recyclable, or better yet, compostable. Patrick thinks the espresso here is pretty good, and that their chai is also excellent.

There are two Blue State stores in New Haven. The first, on York St., is close to a lot of stores downtown and several undergrad residential colleges, so it gets a considerable amount of foot traffic. York St. is also the smaller of the two, so it can sometimes be more difficult to find a table. The second, on Wall St., is on a small side street further into campus and a bit further away from the center of residential colleges. There are lots of tables that are often pretty crowded, but most are marked as "communal," so you can ask to share without being considered rude. Wall St. is generally the quieter of the two, but both are relatively calm places to write a paper.


Koffee? on Audubon


Koffee a is distinctly off-centered coffeeshop, and for that reason is both Patrick and Esther's favorite. It is located in the Audubon Arts District of New Haven, and attracts an appropriately quirky clientele. Their espresso, brewed coffee, hot chocolate, and food are all excellent, if a little more expensive than other places in town. The combination of quirk and delicious coffee are evidenced in the following quote from Prof. Carolyn Sharp: "And just in case you'd be tempted to say I never taught you anything worthwhile: the best mocha lattes in New Haven are at Koffee on Audubon Street. There. That's something you can cling to when all the world seems to be awash in postmodern relativism." After 5pm everyday, Koffee Afterdark begins, with an array of craft beer, wine, and cheese. (Neither of us have been to Afterdark yet, but in the sake of research for y'all, we will be in the near future.)

Koffee can be a little louder than than many coffeeshops, which could be a good or bad thing depending on whether or not you like to study with background noise. For instance, Patrick will read and study here, but not try to write a paper. Esther will sit here for hours reading, writing papers, or just chatting with friends, and usually some combination of the three. Koffee also has yard space in the back and is next door to a children's music program, so afternoons sometimes include a surprise mini-concert. Perks all around. A final thing to know is that there is a $10 minimum for credit cards, so getting your change put on a gift card is the best way to go if you are a mostly cash-free consumer like Patrick. They also have a rule stating that you can't sit there for more than two hours without purchasing something else - while they may not strictly enforce this rule, it's pretty easy to keep seeing things you want if you make Koffee your home for the afternoon.


Café Romeo


Café Romeo, on Orange Street near the intersection with Pearl Street, is another place that tends to be a bit louder and a bit busier, but for good reason. They have tasty food, a good amount of tables for individuals or groups, outside seating, and good coffee.

This is definitely more of a café than a coffeeshop, but it's on the list because it's another place where students often come to work on papers or read for a few hours. The seating is in hard chairs at tables, so it's not a particularly cozy place, but it's wonderful for meeting with other students to talk about projects or upcoming exams. It's only a quick walk from YDS, and so Café Romeo is also a popular lunch spot for students who are looking for a break from the Refectory.



Willoughby's (Whitney Ave. and School of Arch.)


Willoughby's is known for the the quality of its coffee, which is excellent. Its espresso is crisp, bold, but not burnt. They also offer a wide selection of brewed coffee and teas.

We list it this far down because, if you're looking to study, Willoughby's is really not the place to go. The location at the School of Architecture is very small and is usually crowded with Architecture students (go figure.) The location of Whitney Ave. has no exposed plugs and no free WiFi, which in New Haven is the standard announcement that students are not really welcomed. We mention it because of its coffee, which is really good, and because it can be a nice escape from people doing schoolwork if you are looking for a coffeeshop to relax in.



Café Lulu


Café Lulu is a cute little coffee shop next to Orange Street Market in the heart of East Rock. It is run by a lady (Lulu) who lives close by, and is often greeted by name by her clientele. Their espresso is mid-range in quality: not great, not terrible. Esther was disappointed to learn that Lulu doesn't do anything over ice, which - let's face it - is an essential beverage for finals period.

Lulu's is hardly ever crowded and they have nice armchairs inside and wooden patio furniture on the sidewalk which makes for a great place to read. However, there are no electronics allowed (posted all over the door), which wards off people from setting up shop for the day. Still, students are welcomed as long as you come, drink your coffee, socialize, maybe read a little, and then leave.





Starbucks

Not much needs to be said about Starbucks' coffee. They are the largest coffee chain in the world and transformed Seattle coffee culture into its own brand. If you don't know them, you have likely been living under a rock for the past 15 years.

The Starbucks nearest campus (Chapel St. at High St.) is eternally slammed full with undergrads. It has many long wooden tables that can seat a lot of people, but these are almost always packed to brim. There are some YDS students who study or write at Starbucks, but most avoid it like the plague and choose one of the many more locally minded options.