They weren’t drinking coffee which made this moment so appealing. But, they were in the circumference of it.  Left to right, meet Taylor, Jiovanni and Jillian. They were just hanging out after getting out of school - the newly formed Millenium BK, at John Jay. 

I watched them giggle and huddle into one another for a while before I stepped outside and  asked permission to take their pictures. The giggles abounded more and now I could hear their voices, “oh my god, my hair” , “we’re getting our picture taken”, “this is so cool.”  So cool, they were, indeed!

Who knew an elbow could spark all of this. This is Marty. Or, Martin. He explains, “I’m either or, depending on the day.”  Today, he’s speaking to his ex-girlfriend. I call him Marty, with a girlfriend. C’mon, look at that smile!

Coffee Shop : SouthSide Coffee

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn

I thought that I was going to take a photo of a bowing mane. But, when I greeted her from the front, her bangs sashayed with a “hello” through the bars. I bent low, responded with a hello, hold please.  This is Mercy.

Coffee Shop : Deluxe BK

Location : Park Slope, Brooklyn

Even baristas need a coffee break. When she opted to have her’s curbside, this moment happened. Meet Amy. She said, I made her day. But, she had already added joy to mine when she welcomed me with her smile, a necessary ray of sun on an otherwise sun-less day.

Coffee Shop : Joe Coffee

Location : Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY

I never know who I’ll meet and thats the best part of this.   I thought I was just going to have an espresso by my lonesome at the window seat. Low and behold, he was almost about to do the same.  Meet Richard. He nestled in the pocket of the entrance as the rain joined him.   He was in the area working on the IND to the IRT (subway construction talk). Not that I understood all that when he explained it the first or second time. But, I did understand that as we sipped, it felt like we were kindred ‘spro spirits.

Coffee Shop: Gasoline Alley Co

Location: Noho, Manhattan,

Have you ever seen a person waiting, waiting for a puppet show to start? No? Neither have I. Meet Mia. As cool as she wanted to be, here she was, midday, with the height of the sun in front of her waiting that puppet show to start. Coffee all of a sudden seemed so un-interesting. Then my single origin espresso was ready. Interesting!

Coffee Shop : SweetLeaf, II

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Always, there is a trigger. Something that pulls me to a frame. Meet Damon. In reality he was behind me and in front of me. When I looked through the mirror, the brim of his cap gave way to a covered chin by one curly beard. I snapped on trigger.

Coffee Shop : Hungry Ghost

Location : Prospect Heights/Park Slope, Brooklyn

He’s so Marcus Garvey, smart looking to me. I loved his glasses, close cropped hair and salmon pants. This is Tommy. You can also see him here, without the sun in his eyes.

Coffee Shop: Toby’s Brooklyn

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Can you believe this moment occurred in the middle of a sunny day? Meet Ron. There was no possible way, I could let all these cascading layers of hair falling out of place, yet in place, go undocumented. He was conducting a bit of business - he’s an entrepreneur -  so I asked him to conduct on, while I conducted myself to this photo.

Coffee Shop : House of Small Wonder

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Sometimes, a bench with a view is all one needs. This is Maya. Her floral stem printed shirt gave me the feeling that she was looking beyond the urban jungle to a far more spacious, flowering land, the great coffee escape.

Coffee Shop : Toby’s Estate

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn