Bridge Street
Phoenixville, PA
This town has a pretty cool vibe that reminds me of Jim Thorpe. It's filled with record shops, book stores, tattoo parlors, bars, cafes, and restaurants, none of which were part of a chain. There were also quite a few folks from the area who were out walking their dogs. I'd like to come back here someday when I have more time to explore.
My first stop when I got to town was a little coffee shop called the Soltane Cafe. It's a very cool place that is run by a Chester County nonprofit called Camphill Soltane, which is an inclusive community space for adults with and without intellectual disabilities to join together in creative classes, social gatherings, clinical therapy, and vocational training. They also make a damn good raspberry mocha.
These two photos were taken on the morning of Super Bowl Sunday. My sleep cycle has been thrown completely out of whack, so I woke up pretty early before most of the businesses has opened for the day. We just had an ice storm the night before, so there weren't too many people on the street at the time.
There is a very large and impressive mural on the side of the Steel City Coffee House and Brewery, however the plaque with the story that it tells was frozen over.
Thankfully, the doors to the place were not frozen over, so I stopped in for a coffee and an egg sandwich before hitting the road to head back home.
The cool artwork continues on the inside of this establishment. They've also got a small stage for live music and comedy performances. Seems like the kind of place where I would be a regular if they were closer to home.
