Write Around Tampa

Capital One Cafe
Hyde Park
Tampa

I visited this one shortly after Buddy Brew; what a surprise. Bigger, with reserved tables and people everywhere. I did find a table, though, a four-seater. A young man approached and asked if I was leaving or had just arrived. I told him I just arrived but invited him to join me; I was only taking up one-fourth of the table and in this environment it’s important to share.

Quality and pricing of food and drink:
The usual scant menu, with a few eats and drinks. The 12 ounce smoothie ran me $9 but it is DELICIOUS.

Are there enough outlets?
Not enough for the kind of volume of patrons they support; truly I am one of at least fifty. Come fully charged.

How’s the wifi?
Fast, open network.

Will my muse come out?
Yes. With the atmosphere she can also pretend she’s many places. An airport lounge (there are private glassed-in rooms called “nooks”). A library minus the books. A college lounge. It feels more like this one for me. I felt like I was back at Temple University in the lounge area of SAC, waiting for my next class. However she sees it, she’ll feel right at home here.

How long can I park it?
They close at 8pm and you might just want to stay that long if you have a seat. The chairs are comfy, the room is spacious and full of community.

Final rating: 5 out of 5 laptops

Rachel Remick’s fiction and non-fiction stories have appeared in various magazines, among them Rosebud, Bluestem and ellipsis . . . literature and art. A frequent contributor to women’s magazine Sasee, her writing has also been published in several volumes of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books. She lives in Tampa, Florida.