More than coffee: It's a neighborhood

Coffeeshops like Bill's are more than a place to get a cup and a little
conversation. They are also places where people go to talk about their
hopes and lives. In a way, they are "neighborhoods."

This idea of neighborhoods is not new. But perhaps it is more important as the
traditional idea of physical neighborhoods has declined. So many of the new
neighborhoods do not have places to linger, places to talk about the events of the day, places to share ideas and tools.

But the best coffeeshops are places to linger, to share ideas, and to exchange everything from tools to CDs. Not all coffeeshops work this way. Reader Kelly Dobson points this out in his comments elsewhere in this blog. He offers some guidelines for a community coffeeshop, one which really functions as a neighborhood:

+ Is it open to all? Does it include not only those who don't have a neighborhood, but also those who don't even have a home?

+ Are the restrooms for all, or limited to those who buy something?

+ Is there an inexpensive coffee on the menu?

Dobson's questions are a start on a list for coffeeshops which are really a "neighborhood." You probably have some ideas, too. Click on the comment button below and add your thoughts.