Reflections on cafe culture

European cafes or pubs are so great at establishing a leisurely culture where you feel welcome to hang out and stay a while. Bars and restaurants in America feel like a transaction. Get in, consume, pay and leave so we can cash in on the next customer. At no point in either Paris or Amsterdam did I feel the need to rush through that experience. It was nice. America has a well-documented unhealthy relationship with food and alcohol. And also a growing loneliness problem. Our continued descent into a faster paced, transactional culture undermines the true reason for doing just about anything—including sitting at a bar or cafe. Thoughts provoked by this article and the following images:

Amsterdam, 2024

Paris, 2024