Two of my mental map-makers made recommendations specifically related to public space. One asked for more public parks, and the other for more paid street musicians. This demonstrates a demand for more culturally vibrant and engaging spaces. While there is a lot of green space in Portland, much of it is in inconvenient or uninviting places. One recommendation I am adamant about is modifying existing spaces to make them feel less desolate. There are many clear modes of improvement (more of which will be discussed in Post #7). There should also be more cultural programs in public spaces, promoting local business and the arts and engaging a diverse crowd. The Artwalk is a great example of how public space is already being utilized well for this purpose.

The café ethnography made me recognize the diverse patronage of a business that may appear to cater to only one type of person. Bard Coffee in itself acted as a semi-public space, inviting different groups for meetings and socializing. It served as a model for what a productive indoor public space in Portland would look like. It would be great to have an indoor lounge area with businesses like Bard Coffee surrounding it, but not necessarily requiring a purchase to spend time in it. The atrium could have public wifi and other amenities for people to work and meet. Indoor public spaces are important for continuing community engagement throughout the winter.

Cafe Ethnography:

Start: 4:20pm, Friday October 3^rd. Bard Coffee.

• Two baristas and approximately 16 people in the café. The weather outside is sunny and cool. A barista, mid-20s male with moustache and red hat serves a drink in a white tea cup to a 20-something man with an afro, large glasses and a suit, the man then resumes using his iPhone. Two mid 30s women talk loudly by a column, presumably about money. The barista with the red hat carries a large canister from behind the bar. A man in a blue cycling uniform walks across the front.
• A man in a black long sleeve shirt sits on a couch, presumably doing nothing. Three blond women of varying ages stand by the water jug talking and leaning on the bar, presumably waiting for drinks. A woman in a blue rain jacket with a grey helmet waits at the counter. One of the middle-aged women is talking on the phone and reaching into her bag. A man in a striped button down shirt sits in a low chair and types on a mac laptop, writing emails, he has grey hair and appears to be about 40.
• Man in striped button down comments to us about how man in black long sleeve was creeping him out and trying to look at his computer. Man in red flannel with rolled sleeves and Macklemore haircut walks past. Old man with young man in blazer discuss drink options and order. Blazer man is very indecisive. Other barista, mid-20s woman with very short hair and large black glasses, is unexpressive. Red cap barista asks glasses barista to get the dishes in the back and she obliges. Older man with glasses and beard is talking with a young college aged woman, I suspect they are related.
• I just returned from a trip to the bathroom, there is a sign that says “If you don’t have the key someone will walk in on you and it will be awkward,” funny. Bathroom décor is an unusual juxtaposition between Starbucks-style stock photos of coffee and graffiti. A family of two grade school aged children and their mother walk in. The girl is in athletic clothes and the boy drinks water, the girl orders a hot chocolate for here. The mother pulls her wallet out of a tote bag. The old man and blazer man are now sitting at a table drinking coffee out of cups, the old man hands the younger man a small black book to look at.
• Potential father daughter pair hand the phone to each other to talk to a third party. A young man with headphones lounges on a chair, his headphones propped on his head to talk to a young woman with curly hair and glasses as she works on a laptop. The mother addresses the children by name and call them to the window. Two college-aged girls wait for the bathroom, they are both wearing tight pants under baggy sweaters and large bucket bags, they are typing on their phone. A middle-aged women in orange leaves the bathroom, hands them the key and smiles, they walk in together.
• One of the college aged girls leaves, while the blonde waits by the water jug, on her iPhone. Another bathroom key exchange between two older women wearing youthful clothing, one with polkadot blue pants, and the other with as shorter flowy skirt. Three 30 year olds discuss weekend plans, saying they always forget to make Friday plans, they laugh about something about a stripper. Young head phones man has taken off his headphones and resumes talking to the girl.
• Mother walks to bathroom with key, it’s attached to a whisk. Another mother, son and daughter group walk in, the girl is wearing a sparkly item from Pink, and the boy athletic clothes, the mother is wearing a jean jacket with a Coach bag. A headphones guy appears to be dancing around/stretching, unclear, while in line, and peers in the pastry case, red cap barista takes his order and counts change, flannel man inquires about what the different pastries are and buys one.
• A couple walks in, the woman is pregnant and the man is very beardy and has spiral gauge earrings, they have a child in a stroller, and wait for the drinks. A man with a backpack and sneakers, bald with sunglasses on his head, sits at the bar on a stool. A father has joined the first mother and children group and the daughter sits on his lap while the mother talks to her and she stretches around.
• Man at bar still sits, unmoved. Glasses barista talks to customer who is reading across the bar with a bun about the Artwalk. Bald 30-something man drinks iced coffee out of a tall mason jar while using a non-iPhone. The three 30 year olds, Suit guy with afro, woman with short hair and a bandana, and a beardy bald guy, are talking about watching Premiere League soccer.
• Old man in khakis and blue button down gets change. Two middle-aged women, one in scrubs pants and rain boots, the other with a striped sweater, approach the register and one orders a latte as the other gets water. Old man sits down on lounge chair. Glasses barista walks to the back, gets red cap barista to assist in making drinks. Three 30-somethings are still talking, about some man’s post about a man’s face, presumably an art piece.
• The three 30-somethings get up and leave. Man in red and black checkered jacket, ponytail and cap orders and sits at bar. Man with blond ponytail and gauges orders, woman in pink blazer and pencil skirt waits in line, woman in blue flannel and ripped jeans waits for drink, blond woman sits at table. The two ponytailed men sit next to each other at the bar, red flannel pulls out some photo prints, or possibly a vinyl.
• Pink blazer girl hugs a tattooed man with dreads that walks in and he asks about her day. They sit at a table and start leafing through big piles of yellow loose-leaf paper, he’s writing something and she’s typing what appears to be calculations into her phone. She says “for the 3^rd, it’s $87.82” continues to rattle off calculations. Heart Skipped a Beat by the XX is playing on the speakers. It smells like coffee. There is a hiss, possibly from the speakers, possibly from a coffeemaker. A man in a poncho and a woman in camo enter.
• Really big family walks in, two young children, a tween boy, a blonde woman, a 30 something woman and a 50 something woman. I believe this is the second time Mouthful of Diamonds by Phantogram has played. Little boy sits on a stool, glasses barista pulls pastries out of the glass case for the big family. Blazer and dreads have put the papers back in a big accordion folder and are drinking coffee and talking.
• Man in pink t-shirt spills a lot of coffee and gets a napkin. Large family sits with pastries and teacups at a low table. The Dirty Projectors are playing again. Pink-tshirt waits in line. Middle-aged couple orders two large decafs. Ponytails are still talking at the bar. Old man is sitting with computer in chair next to big family.
• Middle-aged couple are now at the table next to us, man reads a newspaper the “Portland Phoenix.” Glasses barista pours hot water out of a shiny kettle into a shy tea cup, this may be a way of brewing the coffee? Older woman in the family shows photos on a camera to little girl and blonde woman, mother calls a place for reservations. Blue flannel leaves. Bun girl keeps talking to glasses barista.

Mental Maps:

Map 1:  Female, 21, Graphic Designer (MECA Student), lived in Portland 2 years, lives on Preble Streets, thing she would like to change about Portland is no more beggars.

Map 2: Female, 36, Artist, lived in Portland 2 years, lives in Arts District, wants more affordable rentals in Portland.

Map 3: Male, 26, Food Truck Server, lived in Maine 14 years, lives in Westbrook, ME (commuter), wishes Portland had more public parks.

Map 4: Male, 32, Admissions Counselor at MECA, lives in Portland 3 years, lives in West End (Parkside), wishes there were more paid street musicians (i.e. bucket drums) and better grocery stores closer to West End.