ThirstyFish

Almost without exception, friends and family who visit me in New York City tell me how sad, lonely or tired New Yorkers look. Especially those who ride the NYC Subway think this place is gloomy. It's hard to disagree with them.

The photo above depicts a typical Izmir weekend. Almost everyone is outside, shopping outdoor markets, meeting friends, and enjoying their coffee in narrow alleys lined up with coffeehouses. For centuries, Coffee Culture has defined social life in most of Europe. Coffeehouses have been a meeting place for artists, writers, intellectuals, philosophers, scientists, and friends. Here in the U.S., we have coffeehouses, but for the most part, lack the Coffee Culture. Instead, we have the dreaded Mall Culture. But sadly, the mall culture epidemic is rapidly spreading all over the world.