We talked in class how a non-place can be a place where people come to obtain something but don’t actually want to be in that place. For my non-place, I chose Starbucks coffee on State Street. The atmosphere is casual and has fairly low-key lighting with many bright lights pointed at the walls to illuminate the many paintings.
Smooth jazz can be heard coming through the speakers along with the greetings, queries, and thanks of the people working there. Person after person enters the business and go up to the counter, first contemplating their coffee choice, then ordering. Most of them leave, but others stick around and chat with friends. I felt as if I had no identity in this place, sinking into a large comfy chair. There was a great deal of hustle and bustle, yet I felt as if everything was merely moving around me. Everywhere there seemed to be tiny, fairly useless, coffee trinkets, even though no one seemed interested in them. Large ventilation pipes are strewn across the ceiling, some ending abruptly in the middle of the room. The smell of coffee beans floated through the air, and the whole calming aura of the place made me want to sink into the chair and fall asleep.
There seemed to be constant movement in this place. As soon as a group left, another seemed to come in and sit down. As soon as a group sat down, another group merely bought their caffeinated goods and left. The bulk of customers seemed to be female. Do women drink more commercial beverages than men? This truly is a rather interesting place. It seems to be a large meeting place, while still being a place for seclusion. Whatever a person’s reason for a visit, this non-place is good for getting your desired beverage and blending into the crowd.
Smooth jazz can be heard coming through the speakers along with the greetings, queries, and thanks of the people working there. Person after person enters the business and go up to the counter, first contemplating their coffee choice, then ordering. Most of them leave, but others stick around and chat with friends. I felt as if I had no identity in this place, sinking into a large comfy chair. There was a great deal of hustle and bustle, yet I felt as if everything was merely moving around me. Everywhere there seemed to be tiny, fairly useless, coffee trinkets, even though no one seemed interested in them. Large ventilation pipes are strewn across the ceiling, some ending abruptly in the middle of the room. The smell of coffee beans floated through the air, and the whole calming aura of the place made me want to sink into the chair and fall asleep. 
There seemed to be constant movement in this place. As soon as a group left, another seemed to come in and sit down. As soon as a group sat down, another group merely bought their caffeinated goods and left. The bulk of customers seemed to be female. Do women drink more commercial beverages than men? This truly is a rather interesting place. It seems to be a large meeting place, while still being a place for seclusion. Whatever a person’s reason for a visit, this non-place is good for getting your desired beverage and blending into the crowd.
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