Los Angeles coffee find

A year ago, I decided to be a freelancer instead of a full-time worker. I knew it would be hard, but it’s significantly harder. However, it at least has the benefit of freedom to hustle from wherever, whenever.  

The freedom has included extended time in Sydney, Australia. London on a whim. Costa Rica and Greece simply because I was invited. And many days sitting with my laptop by the firepit on the roof of my Brooklyn bouldering gym.  

One October week, my new freelancing life led me to Los Angeles. During the week I sat poolside at The Thompson Hotel in Los Angeles. I wrapped up a project for a marketing agency in a chaise lounge at the hotel pool. I ordered a cold brew coffee and edited a few campaign documents. All while doing my best to appear LA pretty. Poolside was all part of the freedom I told my friend who joined me on the deck. She had decided to swing through LA on her way back from Mexico, for an opportunity to catch up and get some remote work done too.  

Earlier in the week I flew to LAX to attend a marketing conference in Marina Del Rey with a different client of mine. She is the first client I signed when I started this freedom journey. After the conference, I wanted to stay in town for a couple nights in Culver City to avoid returning home to New York. Maybe to prove I was in fact free.  

The morning after my successful pool meeting, I searched out local coffee shops. As a licensed non-driver from New York, I appreciated that Culver City had a few spots within walking distance from the hotel. 

I walked along a highway before turning down a residential side street. Barely noticing the shop set back from the road. It felt camouflaged, flanked by beige buildings on either side.  But it opened via glass garage doors revealing an open-air space of concrete and industrial roasting machines tucked in the back. It felt cultivated to appear like an old warehouse but with the smells of espresso machines spurting and sounds of people shuffling at tables. There were stadium style metal bleachers lining the far wall of the large room for additional seating. The sight of them instantly transported me back to the awkward and freezing high school football games with a watery Swiss Miss hot chocolate in hand from the concession stand. Hopefully this will be better. 

The barista bobbed and weaved behind a massive circular wood counter with multiple taps and pour over rigs. He was handsome with a slight beard. I stumbled through some small talk and ordered the pour over with Ethiopian beans, no room for milk and the banana bread. Even with a handful of customers in a room seemingly designed to bounce sound, the shop had a quiet ambience. 

I knew with the first sip. This was the best coffee I’ve ever tasted. Why was it so unbelievable? As a coffee drinker who prefers it black, no sugar, no milk. I can taste any hint of bitterness, weakness, dullness or any other personality traits we don’t seek in a coffee or a partner. It was perfect. I’ve had coffee everyday my whole life. This was the smoothest and most delicious. I wanted a second one. It would be another $6 for a black coffee though. There’s freedom in freelancing and then there’s income in freelancing. The freelancing wasn’t quite the job for $12 coffees…yet. For the moment I decided to settle on a slow sip and giggle at the knowledge that no one was looking for me on a Thursday morning.

Location: Bar Nine, Culver City location now closed but open in El Segundo.