February 12 was, aptly, a bit of a dark and stormy night. Wet snow dripped onto the sidewalks as people in winter coats trudged into Third Place Books in Ravenna. That night, Tacoma-based writer J. Ann Thomas was discussing her newly published novel, The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall, a Gilded Age romance novel, and her first adult novel. 

Past the coffee cup, a thriving coffee shop is filled with satisfied customers having the ability to sit at a table, lounge leisurely, and possibly work on a laptop with free wifi. Seattle shops routinely deliver these modest customer requests.

Here are four coffee shops around the Seattle area that can be ideal for finding your next open seat—and of course local art.   

 I was at the Center to attend the opening reception for the exhibition of Boliglaboratorium: A Danish Housing Lab. As I entered the space carrying the aforementioned mental baggage, I found myself surrounded by action words that were at odds with how I was feeling—words like develop, transform, promote, support, and build. I then found myself embraced by concepts that were contrary to how I felt about our nation’s current political situation—words like diversity, multi-generational, non-profit, mixed housing, social life, synergy, and interaction. I actually relaxed…took a breath…shook off the cold…and immersed myself in the warm world of Scandinavian design.