Rue de la Course on Magazine Street

It was a rainy day in New Orleans, and I considered taking my car, but I managed to avoid the downpours and rode my bike to work.  After work I headed to Rue de la Course on Magazine Street, my home away from home, my other office.  I spend a rather ridiculous amount of time here, and I usually ride my bike even though I live only a few blocks away.  Thing is, I’d rather take the bike no matter how short the distance, and I’m just used to tooling up to the coffee shop on Rhoda.  One of the loveliest things about this particular coffee shop is its neighborhood feel.  I see the same people here day after day.  Some are writing, others are listening to music or meeting friends or studying for med school exams or grading papers.  We all sit at tables in rows, sometimes chatting, usually occupying that odd space where one finds privacy in the very publicness of space.  It’s different if you sit outside, though.  Outside everyone chats, people stop as they walk by and you see the same dogs and owners at the same times.  And you get to know everybody’s bicycle–and people trick them out in this place.  It feels like home.