FAVORITE COFFEE SHOPS #4--TULLY'S COFFEE AT UNION STATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT

Tully's Coffee at Union Station in the International District

(This and subsequent images are Hawaiian Odysseus photos.)

A STAND OF BAMBOO TREES separates this Tully's Coffee shop from its competitor, Starbucks, which is located diagonally to the northwest in the busy Union Square of the Emerald City's International District.

While competition is said to be healthy in a democratic society, it's more than just a Bamboo Curtain that sets Tully's apart--not necessarily vertically, but definitely horizontally--from Starbucks.

For starters, I like the presence of more furniture (and, in some areas of the room, more comfortable furniture) at Tully's.  As you enter the shop, there's a variety of seating arrangements that meet the eye. To the left, if you're fortunate enough to arrive there early or when the area is vacant, you'll find an ideal writer's or student's table.  This is where I plopped down for a few hours today to write the previous post and do some prep work for the one you are reading right now.

(I am laughing inside because I am actually finishing this piece while seated at the handicapped table at the aforementioned Starbucks shop.  Hey, it's a free world, right?)

Anyway, I was served by two very personable young men, Tobin and David.  

David is sporting a handsome Van Dyke these days, and I complimented him on doing such a good job growing and grooming it.  David immediately called out my drink by rote, and that impressed me to no end since it's been months since I last saw him in the shop.

Tobin, whom I have featured in a rather complimentary Yelp post I wrote about a year ago for this same coffee shop, has a very sincere and winning way about him.  Often, I see him sporting a dapper derby hat.  He is probably older than his youthful appearance belies.  

Between the writing and photographing, I got a refill of their drip coffee and ordered a savory tomato and basil roll, heated to draw out its wonderful flavor.

Another feature of Tully's Coffee is the presence of a large, attractive table adjacent to where I was seated.  I've observed many a friendly, familial, and/or serious business meeting occur at this table.

The sign on the table kindly asks patrons to reserve the table for large groups.  For the most part, customers politely honor this request.

The atmosphere is laid back in direct contrast to the competitor shop.  While this is not necessarily viewed as a business plus at the corporate level, it is--from the customer's perspective--a tranquil alternative that encourages the flowing of creative juices, the catalyst for pheromone chemistry, the suitable arena for finals cramming, and the fostering of business and political liaisons.

Who frequents the shop?  Well, Hawaiian Odysseus, for one.  Many a blog post has been written in this Tully's, several of which were born in a mind severely fatigued from having just emerged from a one-hour bus ride immediately following a graveyard shift at the bagel sweat shop.  Oh, did I just write sweat?  How purposely Freudian of me!

There is a corporate Amazon presence close by, and many of its employees enjoy a nice caffeinated brew here.  Police officers, security guards, transit authorities, and--no doubt--plainclothes cops and detectives stroll in at times.  On the other end of the spectrum, there is an occasional homeless person who just scored on some coffee money handout.  In between are the yuppies, attorneys, public transportation (Amtrak, Sounder, Link Light /Rail, and Metro and Sound Transit bus) commuters, janitors, and backpackers (a loosely defined group of which I am a proud cardholder).

I digress at this point with a SECRET moment...

I AM BACKPACKING AND BLOGGING MY WAY TO A VERY SUCCESSFUL BESTSELLING NOVEL!

There, I manifested my secret by daring to boldly proclaim it in a public forum.  The seeds are taking root in a very fertile universe.

Thank you, Tully's Coffee at Union Square in the International District, for being a groomsman (or maid of honor...one needs to be especially politically correct in trendy and super liberal Seattle) in my wedding to SUCCESS.

Ah, my narcissism rears its swell head when fueled by the java jolts of not just one, but TWO coffee competitors.

It's time I draw this to its illogical conclusion.

Tomorrow, I will ride an Amtrak train for the very first time in my 6-decade life from Seattle to Portland.  

The occasion?

For the first time in 33 years, I will be reunited with my father.  So, as much as I know you enjoyed this current post, do me a favor, won't you? and help me pay tribute to dear old Dad by revisiting the last entry.

For your convenience, here is the link:

http://hawaiianodysseus.blogspot.com/2011/06/forgotten-legend.html  

You'll hear from me again when I'm crabbing with my loved ones on the Oregon coast.

ALOHA!

FAVORITE COFFEE SHOPS #2--TULLY'S AT THE CHINATOWN/INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT

Tully's at the Chinatown/International District
(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

An overcast day in Seattle, an anomaly for this late in the calendar in past years but a common occurrence this year.  

I seek comfort from the ashen morning sky in the familiar and homey ambience of Tully's at 625 5th Avenue S. in the Chinatown/International District.  

Starbucks may be the reigning coffee champ, but Tully's--a very close second, in my opinion--appeals to me with its willingness to invest in very comfortable and utilitarian chairs and tables.  Forget the tiny circular tables that leave no room for the laptop to rest easily for fear of pushing the coffee cup off of the table...or, worse yet, spilling the java onto the electronic device, thus ensuring the early demise of both.  Tully's may very well replace the coffee, but the burial of the laptop is imminent at dusk.

After my graveyard shift at the bagel shop, I caught the Sound Transit 545 bus from Redmond at 6:26 AM across the street from my favorite all-stop grocery/department store, Fred Meyer, and--almost an hour later--arrived at a bus stop on the northeast corner of the block where this Tully's takes up residence on the southeast corner.  Across the street--due east--is the world-acclaimed Uwajimaya store where I shop for Asian/Pacific Islander items I can't find anywhere else in this city as well as enjoy an occasional local boy's meal.  After finishing this post, in fact, I plan to go over to Uwajimaya and purchase my favorite pastry as of late, SWEET RED BEAN BUN, only $1.35 per generous-sized piece, at the YUMMY HOUSE BAKERY.

For now, I am enjoying my window seat at Tully's, nursing a tall cup of their morning brew.  My earlier caffeinated drink had been the Americano with coconut syrup.  As long as a customer remains in the shop, subsequent drinks are free.  FREE is a decent four letter word.  I like FREE.

I AM free.  Free to make decisions like coming here this morning to work on my eBay marketing and accounting.  I thankfully recorded five more sales of fishing hooks.  

http://stores.ebay.com/Lords-of-the-Fly

You've been with me long enough, dear reader, to know that the above link was coming as soon as I mentioned fishing hooks.

That's how I ride.

After all, at almost 59 years of age, and after working almost five years at the bagel shop in the Microsoft capital of the world, Redmond, Washington, I am transitioning back home to Walla Walla County next month.  A lot of changes and adjustments are in store for me, not the least of which is an earnest attempt to re-create myself.  Much of that will be critically riding on two things, each of which I passionately invest a great deal of time and energy in--my business on eBay and my writing.

Soon, very soon, so soon that I can taste the delicious liberation of it, I will no longer have to commute almost four hours each day and tear my body up in the process of baking 10,000 bagels each night and living/sleeping a vampire's hours.  

Soon, very soon, so soon that I can taste the delicious involvement of it, I will be able to pursue my self-imposed writing assignments and explore entrepreneurial interests for longer periods each day. This will be crucial to my goal of developing a viable source of income that approaches and, hopefully, gradually surpasses what I earned as a bagel baker.

Right here, at this very moment, I am thinking and declaring powerful affirmations for my Odyssean success.  

Indeed, while enjoying valuable alone time at one of my favorite coffee shops, Tully's, at the Chinatown/International District, I celebrate my upcoming return home to my Ithaca (College Place) and my Queen Penelope (Rita).

FAVORITE COFFEE SHOPS #1--INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT STARBUCKS

Starbucks

505 5th Avenue S

Seattle, WA 98104

I am not certain what other cities around the country are like (with the exception of Kapaa and Lihue on the island of Kauai, of course), but I am so grateful for the coffee shops in the Emerald City and other towns and cities nearby that offer its customers free Wi-Fi.  

My blogging would have been so limited if accessibility to the internet had not included these exceptional services at the big chains as well as independents.

Today, I am beginning a series of introducing you to just a handful of the coffee shops--mostly Starbucks, Tully's, and Seattle's Best, but also, hopefully, some of the independents as well.

I arrived here at the Starbucks just a few minutes ago and enjoyed an enchilada pie I'd picked up earlier at the Othello Safeway, a little over a half mile from the house I'm renting and conveniently located near the Sound Transit Link Light Rail Station.

A short 16-minute train ride found me arriving at the International District/Chinatown Station.  An escalator ride up to the street level and a very short walk later, I was at the coffee shop.

As I write this at 2:36 PM on Earth Day Friday, there are approximately 40+ people in this shop. Because it is located in the midst of light rail, bus, Sounder train, and Amtrak stations, this is without a doubt one of the busiest Starbucks shops in the greater Seattle area.  

Here, one will find an eclectic mix--students, senior citizens, young parents with their children, streetwise teenagers, yuppies, businessmen in suits, policemen, firemen, security guards, the homeless, the disenfranchised (ex-felons, drug users, those trying to kick drugs except for caffeine), writers, photographers, artists, and one Hawaiian Odysseus.

From my vantage point in the southwest corner of the store, I can see the attractive courtyard through which the above-mentioned bus, link light rail, and train passengers hurriedly pass through en route to and from their jobs, businesses, schools, or shopping activities.

It is a surprisingly beautiful sunny day.  We are, after all, two-thirds into April already, but the stubborn winter has refused to let go...not unlike the way I am with my adult children.

Nevertheless, I'll take it--this respite gift of pleasant and comfortable weather--and exercise my mind and soul as I utilize the energy within this particular coffee shop and share it vicariously with you.

What impresses me most about this shop are the baristas (any employee who operates an expresso machine) and partners (other employees, so-called because they all own Starbucks stock as a perk of working for the internationally acclaimed company)--usually all female and predominantly Asian or Asian-mixed, even a Pacific Islander from my home state--who have to be experiencing a great deal of stress due to the immense crowds that pass through this shop.  But like surfers who see past the dangerous waves and adeptly ride them in an unspoken alliance, these young adults and their personable Japanese male managers casually flow with the ebb and tide of customer surges throughout the day.  

My Hawaiian friend who works here just passed by as I finished the last paragraph.  She called out as she headed down the hallway that she had checked out my blog.

"Oh, that's nice, Uncle!  That's so nice!"  she exclaimed.

"I'm glad you like it, 'Drea!"  I responded.  

And therein is the spirit that prevails within this Starbucks shop.  These busy employess make it a point--and I attribute this to excellent corporate training and great management on Ken's part--to honor and uplift their patrons.

We can only begin to wonder at how this bit of ALOHA SPIRIT affects each customer's day and,  God-willing--permeates the city with atmospheric warm fuzzies.

                                             

GRAVEYARD SHIFT HAS ITS PERKS

Okay, you got me dead to rights.


I have been known to whine and complain and rant about having to work the graveyard shift, especially when I have a 1-1/2 to 2 hour commute by train and bus each way.  


But I must admit--there are some perks.


For example, I get to experience firsthand the beautiful Emerald City lights.


On nights that I work, I get up at 7 PM from--more often than not--a three-hour fitful sleep, take a shower, maybe have something small to eat, and straighten up my room.  


After saying goodbye to a photo of my wife and adult children and petitioning a blessing for each of them, I leave the house and walk about six tenths of a mile to the Othello Link Light Rail Station.  


I remember feeling scared the first few weeks after moving into this neighborhood two years ago. Rainier Valley has long had a reputation for being a high crime area in Seattle.


But the tremendous grassroots efforts of the locals to urge the Seattle politicians to allocate more resources to this area, the resulting surge in affordable home construction, the remodeling of a Safeway grocery store in the Othello neighborhood, and the introduction of the Sound Transit Link Light Rail have all contributed to a welcome transition from what truly was once perceived as a ghetto into a respectable middle-class borough in southeast Seattle.


And, in my humble opinion, it truly does appear as if the crime rate has gone down.


Anyway, I remain vigilant while walking through this neighborhood at night, but I am not paranoid about what awaits me around each hedge or other blind spot.


After leaving the Othello Station, the train ride lasts about 16 minutes and travels through five stations--Columbia City, Mt. Baker, Beacon Hill, SODO (short for south of downtown), and Stadium--before arriving at my destination--the Chinatown/International District Station.


I ride an escalator to the street level and turn left, or in a westward direction, to 4th Avenue S. and S. Jackson where I will catch the 545 Sound Transit Bus to Redmond.


Last night, I paused and took a picture of the street level of this station.  I wanted to capture the Chinese lantern illusion created by the multitude of lamps.

Street Level of Chinatown/International District Station
(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

Proceeding along, I pass this huge building with a clock at the top.  There is a huge auditorium within, and I have often seen huge crowds gathered here for proms, pep rallies, and other gala events.


Here is a night view of the north facade of this building.

Building at 4th Avenue S. and S. Jackson Street
(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

Looking west, I can see an even larger building.  This is the King Street Station, once called the Union Station, that serves passengers traveling on both Amtrak and Sounder trains.  Looking much like a Northwest version of Big Ben, this architectural wonder--a throwback to 19th century America--makes my heart skip a beat (of course, having atrial fibrillation facilitates that phenomenon).  

The King Street Station

(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

If you look in a southwesterly direction, you can see the majestic Qwest Stadium, home of the Seattle Seahawks.  The Seattle Sounders also play their home games here.  

The open stadium is a magnificent sight during the day but is even more picturesque at night.  It is bordered on each side by gargantuan arcs looking very much like bejeweled jade rainbows.  Certainly, it accentuates in both literal and figurative ways Seattle's clever nickname--the Emerald City.  

Qwest Stadium

(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

Looking to the right, or in a northerly direction, you can see some of the city skyscape.

Seattle at Night

(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

Another perk of working the graveyard shift is the ability to leave work early enough to catch a bus and get back to Seattle, a little sleepy-eyed but with enough wherewithal to photograph some interesting urban scenery.  Case in point:  Here is a link to a post I created in Hawaiian Odysseus 2 just before working on the one you're currently reading.

http://hawaiianodysseus2.blogspot.com/2011/04/cinderellas-riding-in-style.html

Anyway, here are some interesting shots I was fortunate enough to get before the sidewalks got too congested.

Church on Fifth Avenue

(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

Or how about this next building?  Three quarters of it looks very much like a regular skyscraper, but its bottom one-fourth defies the law of gravity.  In my perception, it looks very much like one of those large graphite pencils they gave us in grade school standing on point.  Check this out!

Top Three Fourths of Architectural Phenomenon

(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

Bottom Fourth of Building

An Impressive Architectural Feat!

(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

Anyway, I'm sure you see what I mean.  I definitely have more passion and drive to take photographs and post on my two blogs than I do working the mundane graveyard shift in the bagel factory.

Hawaiian Odysseus addresses the restlessness of Everyman who hungers for the realization of his potential while being stuck in a dead end situation.

Even so, I recognize and truly do appreciate--even when it seems like I don't--every pebble, rock, or boulder in my path.  

The difference is, I know when it's time to move on.

Okay, just for grins--here's a reprise of the one shot I took this morning when I knew exactly where I was going to post it and what message I was going to convey.

Looking VERY Smart in Seattle!

(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

Yours in good humor!

Hawaiian Odysseus