Random acts of urbanism: Therapy dressed as a coffee shop
A place where you are free to find you.
UPDATE: Bobby DeNeefe, one of my favourite humans, refreshed my memory. The place was called Dark Side Coffee. And it is indeed closed, alas.
It was near the small museum where Mr. Peanut loves to tell tales of historical Huntsville that I stumbled into one of the most magical coffee shops I’ve ever been in. That was in the spring of 2022. It was small and quaint, and its menu was nice but ordinary, by indie coffee shops standards.
It’s the vibe I remember the most.
This morning I went searching for the name all over the googles and came up with nothing. As best as I can remember, it was near Oakwood and Memorial Parkway. Small little place in some strip mall. (I know; I’m doing my best.) If you know the one I’m talking about, please holler.
It may not exist anymore, which would be a shame.
You know how there are places — stores, shops, coffee houses, restaurants — where you feel exactly as yourself. Where the atmosphere invites you to breathe deeply and relax into who you are. Where you absolutely know you’re accepted, no questions asked. Regardless of who you are.
These places are like that because the people who run them have hearts bigger than the sky. People who see service as an honourable purpose and devote themselves to putting smiles on faces and soothing bruised souls.
These places make you feel welcome. They tell you that you are worthy of love. And where you find what you didn’t know you needed.
Do you have places like that in your life? If so, share them in the comments.