By Joe Sierputowski ’17
Phoenix Coffee, a newish local coffee joint has become a fast favorite of students at Saint Ignatius. With all the ironic hipness of an antique bicycle shop and delicious offerings, it’s a nice place to go to after school to study or just relax. Because of the shop’s formidable offerings and pleasant atmosphere, it has become a gathering place for students who long for a cup of coffee and to escape the constant noisiness which characterizes our school’s gathering areas.
The main attraction drawing students is, predictably, the shop’s delectable coffee, which was praised by several students contacted by your correspondent for comment, including Senior Julio Mirelez-Norena, who said that “[Phoenix is] nice because of the ease of access and the coffee is better than the cafeteria coffee.” Feedback from students on Phoenix’s take on the usual coffee shop drinks was overwhelmingly positive, often being compared favorably with the limited snack fare on offer in our own cafeteria. Students also commented positively on the laidback and relaxing atmosphere inside Phoenix, whose soundtrack features gems like a Big Band cover of Madonna’s Material Girl and which boasts a collection of quirky books to read while enjoying a drink.
The final thing which makes Phoenix stand out, according to regular patrons, is its eclectic décor, with a dizzying array of styles that ranges from antique (like a grand old wooden table) to thoroughly modern (like the steel barstools which line that table). This combination of jarring styles creates a surprisingly welcoming space, one Senior Gavin Cogan, among others, thinks is “a great spot to relax, do homework, and energize.” Even if you share the suburbanite’s innate distaste for all things hipster, it is well worth wading through the irony to taste enjoy some genuinely good coffee while sitting back and relaxing.
