Ive just finished an early lunch at Chamblin's Book Mine (Hummous Wrap with feta and 8 vanilla buckshots of espresso) and what a wonderful part of the community this place has become.
Its not yet the official lunch break (remember that in Downtown the captains of industry have reduced the traditional lunch hour to a mere 20 minutes.) but already the quaint little cafe is packed and humming with the business and gossip of the day.
I am a strong subscriber to the philosophy and idea of the Third Place, I think they make up so much of the character and milieu of any given society, and Chamblin's has definitely become that place.
The Politicians and the attorneys are mingling in the line, and the artists and downtown bohemians are sipping coffee on the patio.
Since the closings of all the rest of the coffee shops downtown, this place has become the nerve center of downtown. If you want to know anything happening in the city, sit in the cafe for an hour.
I love this place. One stop here and you have a sense of the city, its hopes, its frustrations, its intrigues and the taste and flavor of its educated, dreamy and intellectuals as well as its officious pricks, stentorian disciplinarians and mindlessly obtuse.
There are all kinds of families here, i suppose spilling over from the Library (since the closing of Shelby's) very well begaved children (I guess the type of parents that take their kids to bookstores are also the kind of parents that would have polite and interesting children).
Chamblin's today is a true taste of the City.
Last week shopping for a book online I thought to check Chamblins since it's close and I had found good prices there before. I called the Hemming plaza location who located the book at the Roosevelt store and then had the book transferred. I picked it up the following day for 1/2 the price I could find online. I stayed for lunch and enjoyed an hour of the afternoon on the front patio. Thumbs up for Chamblins.
Quote from: stephendare on November 09, 2009, 11:58:53 AM
Ive just finished an early lunch at Chamblin's Book Mine (Hummous Wrap with feta and 8 vanilla buckshots of espresso) and what a wonderful part of the community this place has become.
Its not yet the official lunch break (remember that in Downtown the captains of industry have reduced the traditional lunch hour to a mere 20 minutes.) but already the quaint little cafe is packed and humming with the business and gossip of the day.
I am a strong subscriber to the philosophy and idea of the Third Place, I think they make up so much of the character and milieu of any given society, and Chamblin's has definitely become that place.
The Politicians and the attorneys are mingling in the line, and the artists and downtown bohemians are sipping coffee on the patio.
Since the closings of all the rest of the coffee shops downtown, this place has become the nerve center of downtown. If you want to know anything happening in the city, sit in the cafe for an hour.
I love this place. One stop here and you have a sense of the city, its hopes, its frustrations, its intrigues and the taste and flavor of its educated, dreamy and intellectuals as well as its officious pricks, stentorian disciplinarians and mindlessly obtuse.
There are all kinds of families here, i suppose spilling over from the Library (since the closing of Shelby's) very well begaved children (I guess the type of parents that take their kids to bookstores are also the kind of parents that would have polite and interesting children).
Chamblin's today is a true taste of the City.
Nice write up, but with such heady prose, methinks I would fail to mix well.
Great thread...as you know I'm a Chamblins Uptown regular, and advocate. Really love the ambiance and great customer service. It just feels like a true independent coffee house, none of that fake, perky (starbucks) crap. lol ;D
I've been there twice. Both times looking for a specific book about Jacksonville, both times they had it, both times the customer service was great. I'll be back every time I'm in town.