Cup O Soul

Cup O Soul used to be on Fairbanks Avenue just across from Austin Coffee, that I will soon write about on this blog. Cup O Soul is now in a great location on Orange and Holt avenue just behind where I live in Winter Park. This place is literally just down the block and for that reason I should come here more often. The furniture is comfortable as they have plush couches, leather chairs and coffee tables all crammed into a samll attractive space on the corner. Glass windows surround the entire lounge area which most likely makes it difficult to cool during the hot summer months. Outside there is café like seating on the sidewalk that would make for great outdoor dining or conversation. The Wi-Fi is fast and reliable and although there is a dull murmer of chit chat in the background, the music is soft and I am not finding it hard to focus. Cup O Soul offers fresh baked goods and great coffee. I think Cup O Soul is going to become one of my top choices when looking for a place to study, write cover letters (I'm stilling looking for a job) and/or meet friends.

The Drunken Monkey

If it weren’t for writing this blog I would probably have gone to Stardust this morning. I was hungry and cold and just wanted a familiar place. After all, Oldenburg argues that part of the need for third place is simply a need for familiarity. Today, however, I came to Drunken Monkey so that I could write about it but I am also having a really good time. Drunken Monkey is located on Bumby just on the other side of Colonial and across from the Plaza Theatre. ( A concert venue where I saw Bon Iver and Iron & Wine). The Drunken Monkey as you can see is very busy on this unusually cold morning in Central Florida. The service is friendly and they have a number of vegan, vegetarian friendly pre-made things like the vegetable breakfast burrito that just hit the spot after a hard morning run. I am also enjoying my coffee with Hemp milk. The gentleman sitting just behind me is wearing a Boston Red Sox cap and was friendly enough to loan me his extension cord to plug in my laptop. A key to a good third place is plenty of plugs and good wi-fi. The Drunken Monkey has both and although I am not really being very community oriented with my headphones in while staring at my computer screen there are still quite a few people socializing here. Stardust for me has set the standard and feels most like home but Drunken Monkey is doing a great job and if it were closer to my house I would spend more time here.