Long Beach digs

You know, we have complained a lot in the past (in conversation, not in this blog) that there is nothing to do in Long Beach, but we failed to mention that there are many cool places to go and do nothing.

Caffeination:

Viento y Agua: Abundant seating; wonderful organic bagels, muffins, and cookies; unusual and highly addictive drinks, friendly baristas, and an evolving collection of 3-dimensional art.
recommended: the killer tomato bagel sandwich and the oatmeal horchata. However the matte latte with soy is our favorite.

Portfolio: The original L.B. slacker coffee house. Once the main place to go, now one of many. Located on 4th street across from several vintage shops. The coffee is adequate, the pastries are fine, and the soups and sandwiches sound good on paper.
recommended: buy your coffee and get the fuck out to avoid being mistaken for a poser.

Aroma di Roma: The best coffee in town (if you're an Italophile), great gelato and panini offerings, and Italian futbol on satellite. For the coffee purist.
recommended: the chicken peperonato panini, anything coffee, and the pistachio gelato.

Creama: If you live downtown, this may be the only place to get a passable coffee and good wireless internet. The coffees are good, but their sweets are the best.
recommended: If you like your chocolate chip and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies chunky, theirs are hard to beat.

Hot Java: The denizens of this cafe are probably the most loyal of all of Long Beach. A large part of the gay and lesbian population frequents this cafe, being situated on broadway and junipero, just a couple blocks from Portfolio. The coffee is adequate, and the pastries are pretty good. The baristas are very nice, especially to the regulars. Once a month they have a comedy night that is pretty hilarious. And the couches are comfy, a nice place to study... and with none of the posers from Portfolio.

The Library: Another Broadway spot with friendly baristas, books, and nice fruit salads. Movie nights on Monday.
recommended: The iced latte is a perfect jolt before working one of my Broadway waitressing jobs. And I've always wanted to try one of those cake slices. . .