I cannot recall a time where I have sat in one place for almost 3 hours and just observed life go on around me. The café ethnography was an extremely interesting activity and really spurred some creative thinking. It was interesting for me to observe interactions and make assumptions about the people I was watching. The café that I was in, Bard Coffee, attracts a wide variety of people. Some students doing work, some people socializing, some business meetings, and some people grabbing a coffee after work. All of this simultaneously happening in one space was a very interesting dynamic to sit and observe. Although I don’t think that it can be classified as a purely public space since most everybody, including myself, purchased something before sitting down in the café, it is a great example of what keeps Portland public life thriving and engaged.

The mental maps also were all extremely different and really reflected the images that people have of the city. The commuter’s map that I got was very abstract and only included the places that he frequents, including a few bars and the food truck. The Meca student’s map was much more detailed but also included the few things that are most important to him in his daily life. Most of the recommendations I received included an improvement in the Parks Department, improvement in public transportation, and more public trash bins. All three of these suggestions seem to be a theme and often when people were asked for an improvement they had too much to say to even write down a few notes.

Cafe Ethnography Notes: Bard Coffee

Start: 4:20pm, Friday, October 3^rd

• A lot of people; many doing work with lap tops; some socializing; smells like good food and feels homey; music playing; people listening to their headphones; man at the table next to us is editing a paper with his feet up on a chair; person behind in a suit using his phone with a cup of coffee; everyone using real cups no plastic/paper/disposable cups; area to the left has comfy chairs/couch/table – other area has more tables; bar stools are old fashioned looking and comfy; outlets under the bar – presumably for people to use electronics/laptops
• Man in black just walked in and sat on the couch – nothing on him to do. Man at cash register is wearing a tie and a vest; Women just walked in socializing – look mom age but are friends; woman wearing a helmet just walked in with a messenger bag; Man in the suit still on his phone behind us; Man on his laptop to the left is now writing an email and no longer has his feet on the chair next to him; most people are still on their laptops etc doing what they did before; street outside is sunny and more people are walking around; students near the window are doing homework together – perhaps a project
• Couple just sat down next to us – woman is holding an iced drink and is wearing gloves, man has a china cup of presumably coffee; older man is at the cash register ordering a cookie and a drink, he is with a younger guy in a suite – probably in his late 20s; woman at the bar is still working on her ppt presentation; other woman at the bar is still on her phone/tablet with headphones in; man in black on the coach has left; man to the left with his laptop is still on his emails – probably in his 40s, he talked to us when the man in black left and said he was freaked out by him – we agreed;
• Man to the left on his laptop is now on Facebook and looks serious – wearing a button down. Couple behind us may not actually be a couple – she could be his daughter/niece, they are talking about doing yard work this weekend in the vegetable garden; mom and two kids just walked in – one boy and one girl – the mom looks like she is from Asia, the daughter is having fun on the chairs at the bar; man to the left just stood up to put his coat on; woman at the bar is still working on her presentation; other woman at the bar is still on her phone
• Man and woman behind us are on the phone with someone; man in the suit behind is now sitting with a woman and they are looking at something on their phones; woman at the bar who was working on her presentation is now packing up to leave; mom-friends just walked out with coffees; young man just walked in to the cashier in a neon shirt; kids with mom are named Sophia and Ben – their mom just called them and they moved from the bar to a table near the window; older man with younger guy in suit are still talking and drinking; two young girls (students?) walked in with bags and are waiting for the bathroom
• Two girls with bags just left the bathroom together (…weird) and are waiting for their drinks; man sat down at the bar with a huge camera and a large backpack – looks like he has been walking the city and observing others/taking pictures; older man and young guy in suit are still talking and currently observing the younger man’s watch; man and woman behind (non-couple) have left; the man in the suit sitting with the woman was just joined by another man in a flannel shirt; younger lady maybe a student just walked in a sat at the corner of the bar; woman at bar is still on her phone/tablet with headphones in; two people on their laptops are still there and have started socializing
• Students who were sitting near the window left; man on the coach just filled up a bag with water – looks like the backpack with water in it and a tube to your mouth; man with the large backpack at the bar is still there; less people are walking on the streets; another mom with a son and daughter walked in – look very Maine; woman on her tablet at the counter just put her sweater on but still has her headphones in; getting darker outside and the lights are getting brighter inside; Asian mom just walked out of the bathroom; old man with guy and suit are still talking
• Boy who got the water bag just walked out and left his friend with the laptop on the couch – he was holding the water bag so maybe wasn’t for the backpack; woman and man with a stroller just walked in – man has gages and woman doesn’t fit that profile at all; new man sitting at the bar between the woman with her tablet and the student; female student seems to know the barista – they are talking about pants with each other; older man and guy with a suit left; man with big backpack is still sitting at the bar with his back towards us; someone outside is putting advertisements on the windshields of all of the cars
• Café has emptied out a lot – girl on the couch with her lap top left and she looks a lot older than I thought she was; woman on her tablet has left; the three people behind us are still there and engaged in a lively conversation; the music seems louder but probably because there are less people here; man with the big backpack at the counter is still there – seems to be on his lap top but his back is to us, he is still wearing his backpack even though he is sitting down
• Older man walked in – probably mid 60s, with a brief case and in a button down, presumably just got out of work, he bought an apple and sat down on the couch with a briefcase, is starting to set up his laptop; two woman walked in together – one looks like she is wearing scrub bottoms; man at the counter is reading something and is still sitting next to the female student; female student is reading a book and sometimes talks to the female barista; the trio behind us are still talking and are very lively
• Two men walked in – look very Maine, one is wearing a flannel, one has gages, they both have long hair, one is carrying a brown paper bag and the other is carrying a bag and a bike helmet, they ordered something and are sitting at the bar where the man with the big back pack was sitting but has left; a woman in corporate clothes just walked in, she must have just gotten out of work; old man on the couch just got off the phone which he plugged into the wall – it is a flip phone; woman waiting for her coffee is wearing a flannel, ripped jeans, and has a nose ring; female student at the bar is still studying and man at the bar next to her is looking distracted from his reading
• Old man at the couch has started cutting his apple and eating it – he pulled a napkin out from underneath his mug really quickly it was actually quite cool; corporate woman who got her coffee sat down at the table behind us (where the trio was previously) with a man with sleeve tattoos and dreadlocks – a very odd match, it looks like they are doing work and some sort of finance? Not sure if they are paying each other back or if they are figuring out something; a boy and girl walked in and are figuring out what to order; two men at bar are drinking coffee and talking; female student and male are still at the bar studying/reading
• Got a lot busier! A family walked in with two little kids, two older kids, and what looks like two moms; an older man in a suit is now here; the couple that were deciding what to buy are now sitting together on the couch but are getting up to leave; a man sat to the left (where the laptop man was earlier) and is on his phone – looks like he is in his 30s; the two guys at the bar are still there with their backs to us; the female student is still reading and the male is still at the bar reading again
• Man in the short-sleeve shirt to the left just spilled his hot coffee on himself/the ground and is now cleaning it up; the family with a lot of kids sat at the couch and are all drinking big cappichino-esque drinks, the kids have chocolate chip cookies; the old man is sitting in the couch area still in a big chair on his laptop with a red mouse on the arm of the chair; a couple just walked in and ordered coffee – look like tourists maybe coming from the art walk? They are both wearing sneakers; there are a few people sitting on their own on the other side of the café; everyone at the bar is still there
• The kids from the family are livening the place up a bit; the student and man at the bar are still silently studying; the potential-tourist couple have sat at the table behind us where the tattoo guy and corporate woman have left; the two men at the bar with their back to us are in a very serious-looking conversation; the potentially grandmother from the family is taking pictures of them all on the couch but they don’t like it; the old man is still on his lap top; the woman with the nose ring has just appeared from around the corner and has put her mug away in the bin; the female student is talking to the barista again – definitely friends

Mental Maps

1. Jessica Tomlinson. Female, age 43. Arts Administrator at Meca. Has lived in Portland for 20 years in the West End. Improvement: re-instate a fully funded Parks Department.

Would like to hear more about the study: [email protected]

2. Nick Gonthier. Male, Age 21. Artist/Flatbread Employee – senior at Meca. Has lived in Portland for 4 years.

Would like to hear more about the study: [email protected]

3. Female, 49. Accountant at Meca. Has live in Portland for 9 years downtown.

4. Bill Leavy. Male, 42. Food truck employee in Congress Square Park. Has lived in Maine for 10 years – commutes from Scarborough. Improvement: more trash bins and better public transportation.