On March 11, 2020, the seriousness of the novel coronavirus—once a vague, faraway threat—started to become clearer. On that day, the World Health Organization officially declared Covid-19 a global pandemic, the NCAA announced that it would host its annual basketball tournament without fans, the NBA canceled the remainder of its season, the United States announced a travel ban from Europe, and actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson revealed they had tested positive for the virus.
As these announcements came pouring in, I was sitting on a barstool in my usual nook at Brash Coffee on the Westside, watching—over the course of hours—as customers and staff became increasingly anxious.
Having worked as a freelance writer for more than a decade, I have turned to coffee shops as my second home, both temporary office space and community gathering place. I’ve met an editor to discuss new assignments at a nondescript coffee shop on the Lower East Side in Manhattan, filed stories straight off a plane at the Ace Hotel’s Stumptown in New Orleans, and made lifelong friends of strangers at a sidewalk cafe in Amsterdam. But at home, Brash is my go-to spot.
Photography: Ben Rollins