Escape to the Corner Cafe

Separate the good from the bad, the new from the old. Sweep them up into one hand and cup them gently until you get to the end of the block. The coffee shop culture captures the college kid -- a quiet retreat where you can escape the pressing responsibilities of adulthood and still feel like an adult. Abstract art adorns the walls: most of it by budding student artists, most of it out of place most of the week. The college crowd can't, and won't, shell out $200 for the rendition of a high-rise apartment building done out in water colors behind magazines pressed into the canvas. The windows are tinfoil. They save the money for the bookstore (and the bars). The art appeals to the Sunday morning crowd of retired businessmen who've decided to finally sprinkle some culture into their lives - who've decided a coffee shop is the place to do it.

A subtle sanctuary squeezed between fresh burritos and fresh skin ink. This pre-dawn meeting place for sisters to share truth, life, and love. Jesus is here. Silence hides no hurt. There's such community and understanding. An early morning lesson to remind me that God is faithful, friends are beautiful, and I am not alone.

Joy overflows at 616 N. Manhattan Ave.