Writing in Cafés: A Personal History

I've written a lot of software in cafes. The combination of background noise, interesting people to talk to once in a while, people-watching possibilities, the travel to/from, switching physical space, etc., have always been helpful.

- Happy Donuts in Palo Alto was a particular favorite, and still my go-to when in the Bay Area: a great hangout for Stanford students, software developers, late-night stoners with a need for donuts. It was sad that homeless people would show up at 1 am to try to sleep as much as possible before daylight, interrupted once in a while by staff waking them up (legal issues I think). An early-thirties lady walked in with her parents late one night and stood under the huge cosmic donut on the ceiling saying "this is the place .. this is where I wrote [my dissertation]." Good vibes all around. They supplied Google with donuts for a while.

- Three Bees in San Mateo, Coupa Cafe in Palo Alto, Stanford CoHo, and Tart-to-Tart in San Francisco were other favorites.

- Current hangouts are Camino Bakery, Krankies, Ardmore Coffee, and the Coffee Mill in the Winston-Salem, NC area. As a remote software developer I need to get out of the basement several times a week.

[edit: spelling]

I did my entire bachelor degree studying in cafes at night. Each coup of coffee was very vivid reminder: I've payed for a coffe, so I had one hour (as much) to write, to study, and to think. It was a great constraint. I'm still searching for great cafes everywhere I go. It's a great personal pleasure.

The great cafe short story, "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" by Hemingway. http://www.mrbauld.com/hemclean.html