Reading period: Not a cubicle left in the library, and the line for Starbucks runs well beyond the WEL. If campus just isn't conducive to getting your work done, try venturing off campus to one of these local joints, where the coffee will keep you awake and the original art will jump start those creative juices. These spots prove a coffeeshop isn't just about the coffee - what hangs on the walls can make or break that 'A' on your Art History paper.
Blue Coffee Company - Durham
If the sight of its sea-blue decor, light wood tables and stools, and plush green couches doesn't soothe your final-exam nerves, take a few more steps inside the Blue Coffee Company to get a whiff of the aroma of fresh grounds and pastries. Located in downtown Durham across from the courthouse, this java stop sells food, art and the best drug of all - caffeine!
The coffeehouse design creates a stark contrast between dark maroon walls and rows of black and white photography of Europe, as presented by UNC student Nat Harry. It provides an antique feel to the relatively young coffee house. Co-owners Denise and Lori moved from Seattle to Durham just eight months ago because they thought Durham lacked a traditional coffee house that stressed quality drinks and atmosphere. They found their niche at 202 Corcoran St. Their hours may be odd (see below), but then again, during finals period, so is your sleep schedule.
- Kim Roller
Blue Coffee Company is located at 202 Corcoran St. in Durham. It's open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Strong's Coffee Roastery--Chapel Hill
Ninth Street may have International Delights, but Franklin Street's got something Ninth doesn't. Well, actually, they've got a lot we don't have, but here's a place to start: a really good coffee joint. Open only a year, Strong's Coffee Roastery has already built a reputation as the funky collegiate spot for meetings, studying, cheap eats, live music and local art. There are always three artists' works on display and for sale, some at quite reasonable prices for students. Brooks Firth, barista and former arts editor of the Daily Tar Heel, said Strong's doesn't pursue--but rather attracts--a particular style of art to grace its walls. Typical of trendy college coffeeshops, Strong's artists are generally young illustration majors with large-scale, colorful works. Going up this weekend are the paintings of Yvette Peters and Kimberly Bardill. They are sure to be perfect eye-openers to match Strong's coffee for a late night study session.
--Vicki Kaplan
Strong's Coffee sits at 161 E Franklin St., Chapel Hill. Its hours are 6:30 a.m. to midnight everyday.
Caffe Driade--Chapel Hill
Attempting to stagger across the unlit gravel driveway in stiletto boots, I was positive we had taken a wrong turn on our way to Caffe Driade and were about to fling open the door of someone's home. It turns out, though, that the tiny white house was the Caffe. Potentially charming during the day, it was just creepy at night (the glowing red urn on the roof gives it that "Church of Satan" feel). Inside, the Caffe changed from creepy to cool. The mesh-covered ceiling hangs low over the patrons, most of whom wear black turtlenecks and sip loose teas out of tiny glass carafes. I immediately felt hip by proximity. The menu is extensive, the plethoras of pastries are to die for. And they serve wine and beer. As promised by a fellow patron, the Driade Shake, a mix of ice cream and espresso, is addictive and worth every carb. The only disappointment was the art exhibition, "Art for the Heart," which looked like it had been ripped directly off the wall of the local Chili's. Fortunately, their exhibits rotate monthly. While the tiny tables are not conducive to studying, and the obscure location might be too difficult to find the night before a final, Driade makes for a fabulous date spot.
--Gillian Barnhard
Caffe Driade is located at 1215 E. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill. It's open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Cup-A-Joe--Raleigh
Across from N.C. State's campus, down Hillsborough Street (no, not the familiar Hillsborough Road) is a large blue and white building on a corner. Cup-A -Joe, the sign outside reads. Walk in the door, and you can choose from an assortment of super-strong coffees, teas, smoothies and pastries at the counter, where harried cashiers pace beneath posters of Frank Zappa. But choose something, or you can't stay.
You can sit on the non-smoking side, in antique theater seats that fold down from the wall, or in a private booth under the ever-changing local artwork, but the smoking side is cooler. You have to be 18 to get in. Sit at the counter that runs along the big picture window and enjoy the view of the tattoo parlor across the street. Sip your drink slowly, it has more caffeine than you realize. --Macy Parker
Cup-A-Joe is located at 3100 Hillsborough St., Raleigh. Its hours are 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. everyday.
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