On this sunny, brisk, blustery, invigorating  morning, five of us headed downtown to try out the latest Coava outpost.  Though we’ve found the flagship on SE Grand visually delicious, the layout for hanging out there was less welcoming.  Surprisingly, the setting for their 2nd shop – on SE Hawthorne – was cozy and very comfortable for hanging, provided it was not too busy.  Meanwhile, their latest shop on SW Jefferson has the size to accommodate crowds, and possesses some trendy design features with a 2nd floor looking out over the first, wonderful window space, and a living eastern wall of plants.  However, the rectangular layout upstairs did feel institutional, and the seats – even the bench along the northern wall – were uncomfortable if staying for more than 15 minutes.

Discussion-wise, we were all over the map.  J and his brother are hoping to buy a fast,  17′ sailboat with an outrigger, that’s now for sale on the east coast; M provided critical public testimony at a DEQ hearing about their proposed air shed policy, because it does not go far enough to protect vulnerable populations; D brought us up to date on the dramatic turnover of City Bureau directors; G told us of his nearby relative who attracts rodents by feeding the vermin, and his narrowly escaping a bike accident; and H told about his son/daughter-in-law’s new accesssory dwelling unit, and the snafu around the new key lock malfunctioning.

1171  SW Jefferson         coavacoffee.com