COFFEE, Continued from Page 4.
that comes in to nestle in the cozy booths and study while enjoying unique blends of coffee amidst sketches by local artists. "It's kind of weird to see new faces here. We're sort of like Cheers and have a very intimate clientele," Gerschon said.
While the crop of local coffee hangouts in Lawrence provides plenty of places to study, they also make a relaxed capstone to a night on the town. James Hilbrun bartends at the Bourgeois Pig at 9th and Mass.
"More people realize that drinking isn't good for you, so they look for better alternatives," he said. "Couples come in to enjoy our espresso and intellectual conversation. The music here is low and the place is more relaxed than a bar."
Part of the appeal of coffee bars is that they are a low-key place to go on a first date.
"They are more non-committal than going out to dinner and there's certainly less sexual pressure associated with going out for coffee than going out to a bar," said Siri Vik, Eugene, Ore., junior. "Going out for coffee is just more casual and more conducive for talking and getting to know someone."
Enjoying the mood and the wares of local coffee shops has the added ad-vantage of being a cheaper dating en-vironment for cash-strapped college students as well.
The atmosphere of the "Pig," as it is known to regulars, envelopes visitors in a low-lit cocoon of softly played jazz and a pleasant aroma of coffee and chocolate.
The Pig is a bar in the European sense of the word.
"We really aren't the trend that's sweeping the country," said Charlie Whitman, one of three owners of the coffee house. "We're in the European tradition of a marriage of liquor, coffee, and chocolate, and this is not what's coming out of Seattle."
Even if you aren't a "coffee-phile" and if you could care less about atmosphere, Lawrence espresso shops still offer a relaxed environment for every college students' favorite pastime, hanging out.
David Ryan, a regular at many area coffee shops, likes the ready-made distractions of the coffee environment.
"You can go in, get some work done and have a free form conversation that can spawn new ideas and take things in a new direction," Ryan said.
The main appeal of Lawrence area gourmet coffee shops is the low-pressure sanctuary they provide for college students.
With all the pressures of school, work, and families on nearly every student's mind, coffee shops become a warm security blanket in which students can shed a little stress and delight in some delectable caffeine fixes and subtly sweet chocolate.
They provide the grown up version of milk and cookies for students in search of comfort.
The motto displayed on sweatshirt hanging above the bar in the Bourgeois Pig sums up the mantra of an increasing number of caffeine-loving: Life's too short to drink cheap coffee.
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