Fun Thursday Adventures in Easton

I've lived in the Lehigh Valley for basically all of my 34 years, but I didn't really spend time in Easton until October 2014. At that point in my life, I reconnected with a high school friend, Marybeth Large, over Facebook. We started meeting on Thursdays at Cosmic Cup, where Marybeth worked until recently. I found Easton to be a flawed, but vibrant city, enticing with its Victorian architecture, restaurants, bars and coffee shops, along with Lafayette College.

Easton is ethnically diverse with sizeable populations of Germans, Italians, Irish, Puerto Ricans and African-Americans, each group contributing to the cultural tapestry that is Easton. The city has cheap rents, attracting artists, musicians and professionals from the Lehigh Valley and from major cities such as Philadelphia and New York; Route 22 makes Easton accessible from both Harrisburg and Manhattan. In recent years, Easton has attracted art galleries and specialty shops. Community events and celebrations include Heritage Day and Bacon Fest.

College Hill is easily my favorite part of Easton. Easton is a college town, centered on Lafayette College, and College Hill is its namesake neighborhood. It is home to 2,400 Lafayette students, as well as to some of the school's professors and a few locals as well. My primary reason for visiting this neighborhood is to spend valuable time at Cosmic Cup, a coffee shop established there in 2005.

Cosmic Cup is a large, relaxing, Bohemian coffee shop that serves Lehigh Valley locals, as well as the Lafayette community. It has an awesome owner, Troy Reynard, who is personable and attentive to every patron. The baristas there are friendly and attentive, definitely worth spending an afternoon with! I always take my spot at the comfortable coffee bar facing March Street, a picturesque view through the large windows. You get to be part of a fun neighborhood, populated by easygoing locals and motivated, enthusiastic college students.

I will often spend time on Thursdays in Lafayette's Skillman Library, where I will look at old magazines, including Time and The New Yorker, dating back to the 1920s. The library was reconstructed in the 2000s, and is a fine example of uplifting modern architecture. Its layout is perfect and its interior creates an aura of positivity.

I sometimes also enjoy forays into Downtown Easton. I often enjoy taking in the sights along both Northampton and Third Streets. Centre Square is a prime spot for checking out specialty shops, bars and restaurants, as well as for some interesting people-watching! Bushkill Park and Riverfront Park are both beautiful in the spring. A few times I have even ventured over to the Easton library, which has beautiful old, brick architecture and a large computer lab, along with some great reads.

On a normal Thursday, I will stop in for a coffee at Terra Cafe before taking the bus home. I enjoy the caffeinated reflections on both my Cosmic interactions and the material I poured over at the Lafayette library. Terra is very close to Easton's Centre Square, drawing on the heavy foot traffic, especially on weekends, at the holidays and during the warmer months. Its outdoor seating near the street provides an excellent opportunity to soak up the sun while enjoying an iced coffee. Terra Cafe is a staple of Downtown Easton and is part of the overall experience.

My Easton trips provide a break from my weekly pattern of visiting Center City Bethlehem on most days. I get to see the mass of Bohemians and other interesting denizens that make up Easton. Some of the more interesting individuals include artists, musicians, old gadflies and local rebels (such as myself)! More importantly, I have met some great baristas at both Cosmic Cup and Terra Cafe, people who I am now close friends with. Despite Bethlehem being my hometown, Easton has enriched my life in ways that Bethlehem can't. Marybeth Large is a close friend, and that makes Easton near and dear to my heart.