By Nadia Martinez
Pulse Staff Reporter
With many new coffee shops in the area, morning pick me ups and amazing vibes are all within 10 miles of Palo Alto College.
Whether it is to hang out with friends, do homework or get a quick drink, a coffee shop that will suit you is just around the corner.
Many students tend to play it safe and stick to what they know, like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts; however, great, affordable coffee shops are now on the South Side.
Jorje Razo graduated from Palo Alto in 2013. He remembers when there used to be nothing in the area, so he would hang out at Halcyon in Blue Star. Now he and his wife, Brenda Leal, own Poetic Republic Coffee Company, located at 2330 S. Presa Street. Poetic is 10 miles from PAC. The owners are friendly and have created unique, homemade drinks, such as The Optimistic, a refreshing coffee made with lavender.
“I love everything that happens around coffee, like the people,” Leal said.
Razo described many events the coffee shop hosts, like foreign film nights, poetry readings and more. They offer a 10% student discount.
Coffeecionado, 7.3 miles from school at 502 W. Mitchell Street, serves all your Colombian coffee wants and needs and also offers a 10% student discount. This coffee shop has a variety of coffees and teas to choose from while offering CBD oil, a product derived from cannabis.
“It’s super comfy, like somewhere to just relax,” said San Antonio local, Brianna Guevara.
Guevara said she is always going to different coffee shops based on her vibe and whether she wants to be super productive, read a book or just relax.
Patricia Butler, the owner of Coffeecionado, spoke about their great coffee and friendly atmosphere. Although they close at 3:30 p.m., you can always stop by before then and enjoy the place with a creative drink, like the Puff Coffee which features Nutella, whipped cream and crushed Oreos.
“People should go to local coffee shops because it helps local businesses…it helps the community,” said Joseph Losoya, PAC graduate.
Folklores Coffee House, located at 5009 S. Flores Street, opens at 8 a.m. during the week. It is 6.1 miles from PAC. One minute away from Coffeecionado, Folklores Coffee House does it all. With a ton of drinks and munchies, they also offer CBD and a keto drink. Folklores also serve limited-time drinks, like the Samoas Drink, which is their take on the Girl Scout cookie.
This coffee house also loves to host a variety of events, like art expos, readings and more.
This hangout spot has a Little Free Library book drop off and pick up outside. The welcoming coffee house includes artwork throughout. They also have a mural on the side of the building of Anthony Bourdain and Julia Charles.
Next time you need a pick-me-up, check out one of these South Side spots:
pacpulse.com 