Co-conspirator Jana and I found Housing Works Bookstore Cafe by semi-accident. We had just had brunch in the Soho/Nolita area (we don't really know Manhattan geography yet) and weren't having much luck trying to find a place with coffee, open tables, and wi-fi. That's a lie. We found plenty of places along the way, but they were all missing that x-factor. And that's just a way of saying we were being picky and indecisive. I had read good things on Yelp about Housing Works, so we ventured toward Crosby St. Eventually, after asking a Friendly-Looking Local where the heck to go, we happened upon it. We walked in, and wowza. It's a two-story-tall place with books lining the walls and a balcony along the perimeter for shorties like Jana who can't reach the higher books. And there were plenty of tables available when we got there. So we sat, we wrote, we drank coffee, we eyed others' knishes and soup with no small amount of envy, we perused the extensive and eclectic offering of books, and we felt good about ourselves... not only because we had found the place without anyone's help, but because the money we spent there went towards combatting both AIDS and homelessness. Since that happy discovery, I've been back twice. Once I couldn't find a table but did find Darren Aronofsky just outside, and the second time I was able to score a seat. It's a bit of a commute for us uptown folk, but the ambience alone keeps us coming back... especially now that we're a bit more conversant with how to get there. (Hint: it's at 126 Crosby St.)
