Thoughts In Hard Times Cafe

When I need to study or do some editing for my internship, I always make the trip to West Bank for some coffee and vegan goodness in Hard Times. Something about the ambiance - the name-shouting, the eccentric array of vinyl music, and the background noise teetering on your absolute threshold - helps me focus.

I don't mean to seem like I endorse Hard Times. God knows they don't need any shout out from some obscure, student-run blog. Either way, just sitting there from time to time conjures up stories of its own, stories that indubitably make a substantial part of my college experience.

Tofu Scramble Garden

I always see the group of old men having brunch at Hard Times every morning - an affectionately loud group of seniors they are. Sometimes I see the occasional couple-on-a-date, or the friends who come because it is their spot, their un-maligned sanctuary.

I come because I can think in this place. It's one of those Twin Cities' gems specific to University of Minnesota students; specific to a culture which thrives on local taste and exploration. I almost want to write a poem about how I fell in love with Minnesota thanks to these tiny, tucked away spots. It seems the best way to deal with the harsh climate is to find your inner coffee-lover and taste the sights and sounds of what down the street can bring.