Talk to Each Other

We loved this The Bold Italic article about East Bay coffee joints that encourage connection!

Once upon a time, coffee shops were simple places. Somewhere you could go to buy a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, or catch up with a friend. Maybe you’d even meet a cutie in line. But in 2020, a coffee shop can now be anything: an office, a trendy backdrop for an Instagram photo shoot, the headquarters of a small startup.

Don’t get me wrong; as a writer, I understand the need for a place to get some work done, and libraries don’t serve you coffee. But sometimes, I want to grab some coffee with a friend and not be glared at because I’m talking too loudly while someone is working on their pitch deck for a new app.

If there’s one place that emphasizes and revels in human interaction, it’s the East Bay. With a surprising number of cafés that flat out don’t have Wi-Fi at all, the options are plentiful for those seeking comfort and conversation in a simple coffee shop. Below are my top picks for cafés in Oakland where people actually talk to each other:

Tertulia Coffee 
Awaken Cafe & Roasting
Timeless Coffee, Piedmont
Equator Coffees, Bay Place 
Farley’s East, Oakland 
Blue Bottle, Broadway 
Julie’s Oakland 

By Emma Webster for The Bold Italic.