I happened to be in the neighborhood, saw this place and decided to check it out. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was a warm baked-goods smell. This is both wonderful and inexplicable, because they don' t seem to bake anything on the premises.
The vibe is surprisingly good, although a little on the tranquil/restrained side. There's a gorgeous gleaming espresso machine, rows of lovely cups and packages of Lavazza coffee behind the counter. Jazz music plays. Good black and white photos of street scenes decorate the walls. A color photo series is scattered about the room: various people pose with coffee cups and spoons as decoration. In one photo, a woman is surrounded by water, reminding me of a modern Venus de Milo. Spoons serve as her armlets and as a bikini covering. In another photo, a man wears a collar (one of those Zulu warrior ones) of spoons. Coffee cups are on his shoulders. Although this isn't my taste, I appreciate the effort to say something that is tied in to the coffee theme.
A downside is that the baked good are packaged. But on the other hand, all the baked goods have little signs next to them listing all the ingredients. As corn syrup seems to be found everywhere these days, that is a good thing.
I ordered an espresso and a madeleine. I guess I was in a Remembrance of Things Past mood. It was a cheap indulgence, as it only set me back $1.78. What a value! I settled down in the small loft-like space that overlooks the cafe, accessible by a set of stairs at the back. It feels like a club house or rec room. A box marked "Dominos" is on a ledge. The bookcase has a variety of classics and tabloid magazines. It was a little warm, but I turned on the fans and was cooled off quickly.
Staff from Los Angeles Community College (LACC) and other local businesses seem to patronize this cafe. There are probably a lot of students when school is in session.
It's a charming place and there's Wi-Fi. Street parking is easy to find but be careful of the meters. They seem to ticket pretty readily.
'When will I ever be at Melrose and Heliotrope," you ask? Well, maybe you're on your way downtown. Or you have business at LACC. Or maybe you need to be stimulated by changing your environment and want to see the Ukranian Culture Center building.
Or perhaps you've just visited the good lingerie shop around the corner on Melrose and want refreshment after your purchases. Click here for details about Jenette Bras.
City College Cafe
710 N. Heliotrope Dr.
Los Angeles, CA
323/664-0600
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Posted by: Jordan Shoes | June 28, 2010 at 12:56 AM
Thanks so much for reading the post and for your good wishes. I'll be posting about new places soon, so please keep checking in!
Posted by: Darcine Thomas | June 28, 2010 at 08:44 PM
This cafe seems to be a nice place. I think I should check it out :)
Thanks for this info. Looking forward to your new posts!
Posted by: professional research paper writers | January 04, 2011 at 04:28 PM
Yeah, I enjoyed it there.
Thanks for reading and thanks for the comment!
Posted by: Darcine Thomas | January 04, 2011 at 11:23 PM