green bean

The Green Bean coffee house re-opened today on Greenwood near 85th in Seattle, almost facing its old temporary quarters in the Sip 'n Ship coffee house across the street, and around the corner from its original location, which was destroyed in an arson fire last October.

It's big and beautiful inside, full of mis-matched donated furniture, all Salvation Army style, and featuring a big food prep area. The building is an abandoned McDonald's which had been standing unused, neglected, and graffiti'd-upon for several years. So the Bean moving in and reviving the place accomplished two things at once, remediating a neighborhood eyesore and perpetuating the life of one of Greenwood's most important charitable enterprises.

The Bean is owned by a local church, the Sanctuary, and is a for-profit business, but all the profits go to charitable works, such as feeding the hungry and homeless. Both the church and the coffee shop help a lot of people in the neighborhood, and the Bean should prosper in its beautiful and roomy new location.

I thought I would enjoy my first visit there, but I guess I'm turning into an old grouch -- a curmudgeon as we're sometimes called. I was sitting near a couple parents who had five little ones between them, four active and one sleeping infant, but the four active ones started driving me nuts after about 15 minutes. I can't take the noise any more.

I'll just have to make sure to visit my favorite haunt earlier in the day from now on.