An Artist's American Dream

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A Different Sort of American Dream

On my way to enjoying Java Joe's indie coffee shop in Rochester, NY, we passed this house. Every inch of the walls and yard (and I'm willing to bet, the interior) are part of this artist's expression. 

We know that artists have a different sort of American Dream. It's can be about artistic freedom (which goes hand in hand with the individual freedoms we enjoy in the U.S.) Take a look at this:

A tile sculpture next to the driveway.

"Imagine" and "Dream".  Yeah!! And how about those wrought iron gates?

A carousel horse with a weathered Santa. Say, if you like my blog, would you sign up to follow it? Thanks!!

Rochester Indie Coffee Shop II

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Last week in this blog, we visited Java Joe's in Rochester, NY.

I'm not sure what owner Joe Palozzi's American Dream is, but if it's making a great environment for people to meet and mingle on a Saturday morning, his dream is coming true.

Here are a few more scenes from this noteworthy independent coffee shop.

Here's Joe, owner of Java Joe's, loading the coffee roaster.

A player piano -- ever seen one in a Starbuck's?

The milk and sugar bar. Different -- that's what makes an indie coffee shop so cool.

The front door to Java Joe's.

You can take home a pound of coffee from anywhere in the world.

Warning: highly caffeinated!

Java Joe waiting for the beans to roast. How about you? Do you seek out indie coffee shops? Why?

Rochester, NY: Talking about Dreams...

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American Dreams Planned in an Indie Coffee Shop

You know how I am about independent coffee shops. This one is amazing.

Java Joe's in Rochester, NY feels like a party on a Saturday morning. Denizens of Rochester come for their Saturday cup of joe, and the place is abuzz with caffeinated energy. 

Are they talking about going home and working on making their dreams come true? Maybe the dream is to tidy the yard, mow the grass or straighten up the kitchen. 

Here's the owner, Joe Palozzi, operating his coffee roasting machine.

He pulls a sample of the beans out of the machine to see if they're roasted to perfection.

Here's the bar where you place your order. Isn't it neat, how different it is from a Starbucks?

The shop features coffees from around the world. Starbucks only offers blonde, medium and dark these days. 

More coffees to choose from. How about you? Do you seek out indie coffee shops?