Thursday, July 27, 2006

Soho, what's happened?

One of my favorite establishments in the city, SOhO has been changing and I'm not sure if it's for the best. I've been going there for almost 6 years now, almost religiously. But lately I find myself going there less and less. The atmospere has changed. Maybe it's DC's smoking ban. Maybe it's all the kids with laptops that makes it feel more like a library than the raucous place it used to be. It's been a slow downward evolution, but I'll always have fond memories of the way the West End of Dupont used to be before it "cleaned up."

The website says this of Soho, though I'm not sure it hold true:
In addition to the decor, the atmosphere at Soho is relaxed and friendly. --- Want to sip a tea and read a book? Want to have a Latte and work on your laptop? Want to browse the web over an Italian Soda? Want to pass the time with a friend and critique the walls of art? Then come experience Soho Tea & Coffee. Once you are inside, you become part of the unique Soho experience. As one well-known photographer put it while sipping a bowl of Licorice Ginger Tea, "emotions are out on the table at Soho, people can be themselves, no one passes judgment and every walk of life is welcome."
"Coffeehouses have always been a refuge for people looking for companionship and conversation and Soho Tea & Coffee is no exception. Between dawn and dusk sippers of all ethnic groups, students, politicians, residents and tourists stroll into Soho to sit and think and take their first sip of coffee that engulfs them like good friends sharing good times and they always have another..."

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