A Life Wasted in Cafes: My Rapid Review of Ostcafe in the East Village

I spend most of my time away from work and home in cafes, since I discovered them in the mid-'80s.  I get the most work done in them.  They are my second living rooms (since I've never in my life lived in a space with a big living room).  They are the sites of my highest levels of productivity.  I know that's the worst sentence ever, but it's true!   I've always chosen places to live for their proximity to cafes.  In other words, I have to be able to walk to one.  Even when I lived in Utah, this was a central criterion for signing a lease.  Just sayin', it is one of the weird and potentially difficult things about me, but also one of the potentially fun things, too!

This photo was taken at Ostcafe on Monday:

Ost Pros:

Coffee:  Black Cat. I always order the green tea, which comes in a generous cup with saucer.
Look and feel:  Great ambience, a wall of windows and super high ceilings.
Outlets:  Plenty
Internet:  One hour log-in with purchase.  Good for getting non-internet work done.
Seating:  Ample and cute!
Friends:  Always saying hello to someone.  Has a real neighborhood feel.
Bathroom:  Good!
Fashion and legwear:  Often fun!

Ost Cons:

Internet:  The one-hour log-in can feel quite prohibitive for getting internet-based work done.
Eats:  Nothing baked on the premise and nothing to eat during the day but croissants and pastries, although everything's imported from Balthazar Bakery.
Friends:   Sometimes too many and that's distracting!

On an non-Ost note, this is the second day of my youngest kid's big field trip to Washington DC.  It supplements their yearlong study of American government and manifest destiny.  I'm so excited for my kid, I can hardly stand it, living vicariously through her.  Tonight, she and her classmates take a cruise on the Potomac River!