Cafe Society

Reading in today's New York Times about MacDonald's asking patrons to leave who stay too long made me grateful all over again for our SF Bay Area cafe culture.  I've been working in a sketchbook this past year, dedicated to images of some of our lovely, quirky, hospitable Berkeley and Oakland establishments.

Cafe Milano on Bancroft Avenue, Berkeley

Espresso Roma, College Avenue, Berkeley

 

Cafe Dejena, Martin Luther King Way, Oakland

Exterior, Cafe Dejena

Actual Cafe, San Pablo Avenue, Oakland

Au Coquelet, Unversity Ave,  Berkeley

Sketching Around the Actual Cafe

Espresso Counter at Actual Cafe, Oakland, ink & watercolor, 6x8"

The Actual Cafe is a bike-friendly, art-friendly neighborhood cafe in North Oakland that we always enjoy visiting for some snacks, espresso and sketching.

Around the Corner from the Actual Cafe, ink & watercolor, 6x8"

When we arrived the light was really nice still so we sketched in the neighborhood first before going inside. While I was sketching the house above, Susan was sketching me and the house (below).

Susan Ford's Sketch of me sketching and the neighborhood

The Actual Cafe Welcomes All

I love the Actual Cafe.  It is truly a community gathering place for all.

Actual Cafe and Saul's Deli

Actual Cafe, Oakland, ink & watercolor 8x5"

We had a great Tuesday sketch night at the Actual Cafe in Oakland. It's an interesting place with a huge mural on the wall, a lending library, bicycles hanging from the ceiling, and regularly scheduled art events. They host bingo games to benefit non-profits and, being a bike-friendly establishment, use an old bike rigged up to spin a bingo cage and send bingo balls down the chute.

Susan sketching in front of cape-wearing, pickle eater

We always enjoy sketch nights at Saul's Deli in Berkeley. There's such a huge variety of things to draw, from the interesting architecture to what's right in front of me.