The Mind of Boz

Holy renovations, Batman! Time was, the upstairs at Gelato Vero was old and decrepit and reeking of stale cigarettes. I did a full-on double take when I climbed the stairs 5 minutes ago! New tables and chairs. Outlets every 10 feet. New paint. I think they might have redone the floor (but that could be my imagination). And no ashtrays to be seen! Sweet.

Ok, back to work on strongWiki. Just wanted to share.

Just when you thought the cafe posts were done. . . No!

Krakatoa
25th between B and C (Golden Hill)

Strong internet signal, 4 tables and a couch inside with 3 outlets. There are another 8 tables or so out on the patio, but there's no power there.

Linds and I took a nice little ride down here through Golden Hill and South Park (we basically took 30th from University to A St.). You could also take Florida St through the canyon, but there are more hills that way. Got here before 9am (so I might actually get something done today. . .) and now I'm avoiding looking for work. Bleh. But there's really nothing much else to say about this cafe. It's kinda small and red on the inside. We're sitting in the shadow of a giant sheet of copper hammered into the bust of an Easter Island statue. It's a little disconcerting. Having said that, I'm now noticing something of an Easter Island theme -- lots of island-y stuff. Which fits with the name Krakatoa, which is apparently a volcanic island in Indonesia. Ahh, the red walls are representative of lava. . . obviously more thought went into the decor than I initially noticed.

Ok, I'm gonna go find a job now. Wish me luck!

Big bay windows, a patio with a power outlet, decent coffee, decent network. What more can you ask for ?
Cafe Cabaret is on Adams Ave in Normal Heights (Adams and E. Mountain View). It's big enough for about 10 tables inside, plus a couch, and there are another half dozen on the patio. During the day it's very quiet (though that's true for most places -- telecommuting isn't as popular as the media would have you believe). Today the network has been funky, but I've been here on days when it's entirely solid.

One of the real bonuses to this place is a patio with a power outlet (you'd be surprised at how few cafes have this combination. . .). The only downside is that the outlet is right under a tree that sheds pretty seriously. Perhaps it's better at other times of year.

As for food and drink they have the standard collection of coffee and espresso drinks. There's a fair bit of baked goods, a few sandwiches and salads, and some breakfast fare. Pretty standard stuff.

There's power underneath the windows that face Adams, and also behind the couch and in the back room. Basically it's available anywhere you'd want it.

Oh yeah, and the girl that's usually behind the counter is a friendly smart-ass (my favorite kind). And she's kinda cute, Mr. O. . .

There exist a few cafes in Hillcrest that I don't visit all that often. Mostly because they're, well, really gay. Which is not to imply that I have any problem with gay. More that I prefer ogling women that might ogle back. David's is one of these places. It's on 5th just south of Robinson, so truly the heart of Hillcrest. There's a lovely patio, free internet, and a fair number of outlets. Inside, there's a piano with a note about 'only people that know what they're doing should play.' Gotta appreciate the honesty!

The other thing I noticed and liked was the availability of $.50 brownie bites, for those of us with a sweet tooth that don't need a 4lb cookie.

I'm not as familiar as I should be with South Park. Everyone says it's a cool little neighborhood, but I don't have any friends that live down there, so I don't have any reason to visit. Until now. My friend E. just took me to Rebecca's cafe on 30th and Juniper. Cool spot. Feels like Claire D'Lunes (eclectic furniture, art, tchotchkes), but with free wifi. And they're open 24 hours Thurs/Fri/Sat (does that mean they close at midnight on Sat? or Sun? ). Looks like there's no shortage of outlets (three prongs, no less), and I haven't had any issues with the wireless even though there were a lot of people when I got here.

I guess I have to start hanging out in South Park.