Java Joe and His Coffee Hangouts

I think that it is fair that I should start out mentioning my greatest interests. My chief interest/recreational activity at this time in my life is spending time in coffee shops. These venues are great for consuming great coffee, reading, using free wi-fi and socializing with awesome people. I have several different places that I frequent, in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton.

My chief coffee haunt is The Wise Bean in Bethlehem, while I also visit the Joint from time to time when I am in town. I also visit Cosmic Cup in Easton and Coffee House Without Limits in Allentown. I have friends and acquaintances at all of these locations and have things I like that are specific to each coffee shop. I live closest to Bethlehem, so I spend the most time there. I like The Wise Bean due to the personal warmth of the Young family who owns it, the wonderful reading materials, the comfortable seating and the devoted following of regulars.

Also in Bethlehem, at the Sun Inn Courtyard, I also like to visit the Joint. The Joint from a cursory view may not seem like much, yet it is a hidden gem, due to its clean-looking interior, cool decor and reclusive back section. It is great for people-watching as service industry employees fly in and out. Some interesting local characters remain for some intriguing conversations. It is a great place for an afternoon jolt, chasing away the 2:30 feeling.

Once a week, I visit my friend Marybeth from high school, in Easton. She is a barista at Cosmic Cup in the College Hill neighborhood, near Lafayette College. The other baristas and the owner are friendly and helpful as well. I always love visiting my friends Tia and Erica. The coffee bar in the front of the shop is the best place to sit and is often populated by Lafayette students and engaging locals of that neighborhood. The view of the neighborhood is beautiful, with a large number of Victorian buildings. It is a fun neighborhood.

Allentown is also home to a burgeoning arts scene, so it make sense that there would be a good independent coffee shop there as well. There is and it is named "Coffee House Without Limits," founded and owned by my friend Billy Mack. Besides having great coffee and a fine location, it is connected to the Alternative Gallery with its awesome collection of pop art. The crowd is vibrant and diverse, and there are always events going on in the evenings, including the heavily-attended Non-Mic Open Mic Night. During slower times, there is a cool collection of intriguing books stored in the two bookcases near the coffee bar. It has, in a short period of time, become the hub of the up-and-coming 10th Ward, near the intersection of 4th and Tilghman Streets.

I will write more about experiences at these coffee shops and about the coffee shop social scene in general. The people-watching that goes in these places gives one a lot of material with which to write about the philosophy of human nature.