When we last visited Flying Cat some 5 years ago, it had developed a niche as a shop that specialized in being extra family friendly, with musical performances for kids, toys to play with, a kid-friendly menu, etc.  We knew that mothers and kids would come from outside the neighborhood to take advantage of what was offered.

But today we learned that the Flying Cat’s focus has evolved with the apartment boom of Division St.    The shop’s most loyal customers became the residents of adjacent apartment buildings, and their needs were peace and quiet to be on their laptops for hours on end, a quiet that was disturbed by kid activities.  And though we appreciated the value the shop provided for young families, the change also makes sense to us as we are advocates for coffee/community establishments that foster hanging out for neighborhood residents.

One of the neat things about the Cat that imbues a special flavor is its low ceiling, giving it a cozier feeling than high ceilinged shops.   And then outside we realized that the shop was originally the basement for the house above it,  and we theorized that’s why it didn’t have to comply with building code requirement for a higher first floor ceiling.

With one of us spending 60% of their time in Denver taking care of elderly parents, and the other about to take off for Orcas Island for 4 nights, the discussion ping ponged back and forth between the travails of being responsible for demented and physically weak parents, and each’s experiences with the water-wonderland of Puget Sound.

3041 SE Division       http://flyingcatcoffee.com/