Fieldsite Observation II

Dreaming of a Dream https://www.pexels.com/photo/macbook-pro-on-desk-877695/

A Crash Waiting to Happen

There are two kinds of people in the world; caffeinated and decaffeinated. Those who are caffeinated are often exuberant, and energetic; they take determined steps and finish assignments at an almost inhuman speed. Whereas, un-caffeinated people have one eye shut, and are often irritable with the slightest misfortune of delays on the subway. They have the sluggish work pace and can often be seen catching up on deprived hours into the night. So living in an urban populous such that of NYC has its strains, where productivity is demanded, you can’t help seeking out the promise of superhuman powers of speed that coffee offers. After all, the caffeine drug stimulates various regions in our brain to promote productivity. The stimulus of caffeine in our brain reaches peak accumulation within minutes of consuming it and lingers around regions that control sleep, mood, and concentration (Ryan et al. Pg. 68). This means, that consuming coffee not only provides instantaneous productivity boost, but a single cup can have lasting effects, making sure you get through your day more effectively. Caffeine, not only affects our concentration and sleep, due to it acting as an inhibitory molecule in the body, binding to serotonin/adenosine receptors, that are depressants (Crisp et al. Page 467). Meaning that, by blocking the receptors of depressants, that causes sleepiness, the caffeine molecule keeps the body producing more energy. This causes us to feel more energized after a cup of coffee, which can linger for hours.

The Coffee Project New York is a small café located between Bowery St. and Second Avenue in New York City. For the patrons that were in the café, the warm and cozy interior provides a break from the hectic world outside; from the blaring horns and bright flashing hues of red, yellow and greens from the numerous streetlights almost drown your senses. A small portion of the packaged new Yorkers that walk the street, sit inside in small, but organized numbers. The interior was a juxtaposition of industrial decorations, with the traditional café tones, that devotes its color schemes to the same colors of coffee itself. The long wooden tables still hold a piece of its past life within a forest, dark wooden bark that border the lighter, expresso tones. If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine yourself near a cozy fireplace, the smell of the forest surrounding you. Low hanging, ceiling lights with the slightest yellow color adds to the mood of the shop, resembling a winter sunset, where you can almost feel the warmth leaving you as the sun sets west. The menu was placed behind the countertop, a chalkboard with various beverages/food items arranged vertically. The writing was in thin, straight lines that ended as abruptly as it started; it was very small as well, so I was wondering how difficult it must be to see when a person is standing 10 feet away. While nice and neat, it wasn’t very convenient and required a customer to go up to the counter, where they were greeted with a display of various home-made pastries. Macaroons were placed as the centerpiece today, ranging in colors from a blushing pink to porcelain white. Other deserts complimented the center, from small chunks of brownies to the memorable soft, buttery croissants.

Early in the mornings, you find the café empty mostly, customers coming in and setting up their mini-workplace for the day. The line of customers for their daily dose of energy, I noticed a diverse range of personalities. One person caught my eye, a young woman ordering for almost a whole room of people, each beverage had a unique personality. Not only did she take long to order, making the many different drinks took twice as long. One drink, a venti-skinny-mocha-latte with whipped cream and hazelnut toppings with caramel drizzle on top, had to be remade at least three times. Hearing that order, I could only imagine how saccharine it would taste and focused on enjoying my bitter black coffee, with little sugar. I could see the stress adding on the woman’s shoulders with each extra minute it took for the drinks to be made. I would assume she was an intern, wearing a white blouse and a grey pencil skirt. Her blond hair was smooth and silky, with not a hair out of place, indicating that she worked in an office environment.

I know from previous experience, that those who arrive as soon as the store opens, usually want to stay in the store for a long time. And the café, a small cozy unit cannot always have enough seats for all the patrons. They do have a small bench outside, overlooking the busy streets of Bowery, the window a welcoming font, outlined with hanging flowers that are most probably fake. However, due to the temperature in the low 50s, and even lower during the morning I visited, people tend to not take advantage of the neighborhood on the East Side. Since I went early, most of the interior was empty, minus the baristas that began prepping for the rush of customers. The baristas always wore a black outfit, underneath the apron that has the name of the store, a white canvas fabric, with swirls of the letters in the middle. The smell of freshly ground coffee filled the aroma almost immediately, its always a difference in the smell in the morning compared to the rest of the day; the lack of people, thus, the movement of air through the room meant that the aroma lingered and touched your senses.

It wasn’t until 7:50 AM, did I see people coming in and sitting down with a cup of coffee. Usually, people who come in this early, have in mind to stay for a long amount of time, like me. The first person who caught my eye was a young woman, maybe in her late twenties, who was bundled up in layers of clothing, evident of the cold temperature this morning. Her hair was in a low ponytail, dyed in bright colors of pink and white, with her own brunette peeking out in between. She pulled out an Air Mac laptop, and a few notebooks. The laptop was a dusty-pink color, with gold trimmings, and was thin. It felt very out of place with her notebooks, that was overflowing with loose papers. After she transformed the previous table into her mini home-office, she quickly went up to the barista to order a drink. I was sitting far away, so I didn’t hear what she ordered exactly. The barista called out her name after a few minutes, her name was Shelby, or it might have not been her real name. The Baristas in coffee shops are infamous for misspelling names, but she did go up and get it. Shelby’s order was an iced coffee with an addition of caramel, that pooled in the bottom of the cup. Normally, if the customer was taking out an order to go, they would get the convenient plastic cups to hold their beverage; however, if it’s a “stay here” order, the beverage is instead served in a nice ensemble. Depending on the type of drink, they are served usually in a short or tall glass, the plate underneath was a creamy porcelain, with light swirls on the edges. I understand that grabbing a caffeine-filled drink would help you become productive throughout the day; I can’t go a day without coffee during stressful points during semester, or during a holiday shift where I am busy. This is why I think the Coffee Project unique from any large chain brands, such as Starbucks. Rather than being a fast-paced environment, the Coffee Projects promotes the idea of lingering and enjoying a cup of coffee.

Proudly powered by WordPress

Need help with the Commons?

Email us at [email protected] so we can respond to your questions and requests. Please email from your CUNY email address if possible. Or visit our help site for more information:

Visit our help site

People
Groups
Sites
Courses
Events
Activity
About

Help
Privacy
Terms of Service
Accessibility
Creative Commons (CC) license unless otherwise noted

Built with WordPress Protected by Akismet Powered by CUNY