The Best Places to Read in Colorado Springs
By Guest Writer, A.J. Glage.
A.J. Glage moved to Colorado Springs in 2017. He is a writer of short stories, and has published works in such literary magazines as The Georgia Review, Litmag, Santa Monica Review, and various other periodicals. A frequent patron of cafes, he often can be found downtown reading and sipping on a cappuccino.
It’s probably safe to say that most people who still read books—and I count myself among that sadly diminishing number—have had to confront, at one time or other, the following inconvenient reality: Sometimes the most distracting place in the world, and the worst place for getting any reading done, is your home. Whether it be the bustle of family members, or the constant allure of television or the internet, or just the siren’s hum of the refrigerator, the distractions at home are often just too much. So what’s the solution? The library is always a possibility, of course, though if you’re like me you might find too much silence to be distracting in its own right. If this is in fact the case for you, then probably you’ve already reached the inevitable conclusion: Sometimes the best place to get some reading done is none other than that tried and true institution, found in virtually every nation on the earth: the coffee shop.
In this first installment in what will hopefully be a series of entries for About the Springs, I will make my recommendations for the best coffee shops and cafes for readers in Colorado Springs. We shall start with the downtown area.
The algorithm I’ve used to determine the best places relies upon several factors, but the following three considerations are probably the most significant:
Presence and quality of outdoor seating (admittedly this is a subjective factor, but for me, the best reading, like the best thinking, is almost always done outdoors; therefore the presence of outdoor seating, and even more importantly the provision of shade, whether by umbrellas or other structures, will be key factors);
Comfortable chairs (there is surely nothing more distracting for a reader than a literal pain in the back);
Noise level (obviously a coffee shop is not a library, and no one expects perfect silence, but loud obtrusive music or boisterous conversations make good reading difficult; the best cafes for reading must have a reasonably low noise level).
Here, then, are the places in downtown Colorado Springs that I most recommend if you want to get some reading done.
The Perk
Top honors go to The Perk for its lesser-known, upstairs patio. After getting your coffee or tea at the counter of this downtown institution, proceed to the stairs and up to the second floor, where you will find a door to a small and quaint outdoor patio. In the mornings there is plenty of shade (at least for some of the tables), and the chairs are very comfortable. It’s quiet, and not heavily trafficked. I recommend getting there early in the A.M. for a lovely, peaceful reading experience.
Solar Roast
Time was, there were two obnoxious Starbucks within a 5 minutes’ walk of each other on Tejon Street. Thankfully, both of those loathsome establishments have vanished, with the one on Tejon and Bijou having been replaced by the far-more-interesting Solar Roast. This coffee shop boasts some sidewalk seating (three tables, to be exact), with comfortable chairs and umbrellas for blocking the sun. Though it is located at a fairly bustling intersection, it is surprisingly quiet; in fact, I would say that the vaguely urban feel of it actually improves the atmosphere. It’s an excellent place to make some headway in whatever book you’re reading. As always, it’s probably best to get there early in the A.M. to ensure you get a good seat.
The Wild Goose Meeting House
Another fixture in the downtown area, The Goose boasts an abundance of outdoor seating, and comfortable chairs and umbrellas. While music is often playing inside the establishment (sometimes loudly), it’s typically not a factor if you’re sitting outside. I myself have gotten a good deal of reading done here.
Honorable Mention: Switchbacks
A bit off the beaten path, but still near enough downtown to warrant mention on this list, is the well-known café Switchbacks. Notable for its good coffee and excellent breakfast sandwich, Switchbacks also has quite a large outdoor patio with umbrellas and trees for shade. And while the music is very loud inside the café, it generally can’t be heard outside. The reason Switchbacks only gets an honorable mention here, and not top billing, is its chairs. The chairs outside are distinctly uncomfortable; they almost seem designed to discourage anyone from sitting there for very long. I can usually bear them for about an hour, then I have to get up and leave. Still, it’s worth a try if you haven’t been there yet: the atmosphere is indeed lovely, and even with the bad chairs it’s conducive to good reading.
