Java Hutt

[Gannon]

It must've been a good two and a half to three years.


JL, We've got more than a few folks interested in sharing some of their memories of that joint...including now some of our more notorious alumni.

Michelle Baron-Vachon [[barista extraordinaire) and Mary Lamphier [[ex-contributor to the Phenomenews) have agreed to collect, edit, and arrange these stories as they come in...


...and I've got at least verbal agreement to dig into memory banks and pen a few anecdotes from folks ranging from Jim & Tracy Grant to Audra Kubat to Susan Calloway.

If you've got anything that you feel would contribute to this, it is more than welcome...or if you know anyone from that era, it would be great to include them.


I'm searching for Stephen Grant Wood...and need to contact Mike Dorn [[it's been a few years since I last spoke with him about this)...but until we see the content, we really don't know where this will end up. I DID finally find Jim...in such a weird way I just KNOW the Universe is smiling upon this venture.


I just get a distinct feeling that we'll find a vibe that contains all of our perspectives of this old great joint which had such an impact on so many.


Cheers and more [[sorry Terryh for glomming onto your thread). Coffee houses can be such amazing places...and Gotham City was one such crucible of creativity and exactly the bastion of free speech that Jim intended when he opened it.

[terryh]

No problem Gannon. Put together a collection of stories-memories from the place in a paperback and sell copies in coffee shops. What would be really interesting would be a history of beatnik coffee shops from 1950's and 60's Detroit

[Jimaz]

No problem Gannon. Put together a collection of stories-memories from the place in a paperback and sell copies in coffee shops. What would be really interesting would be a history of beatnik coffee shops from 1950's and 60's Detroit

"Beat." "Beat." "Beatnik" is derogative.

[Johnlodge]

It must've been a good two and a half to three years.


JL, We've got more than a few folks interested in sharing some of their memories of that joint...including now some of our more notorious alumni.

Michelle Baron-Vachon [[barista extraordinaire) and Mary Lamphier [[ex-contributor to the Phenomenews) have agreed to collect, edit, and arrange these stories as they come in...


...and I've got at least verbal agreement to dig into memory banks and pen a few anecdotes from folks ranging from Jim & Tracy Grant to Audra Kubat to Susan Calloway.

If you've got anything that you feel would contribute to this, it is more than welcome...or if you know anyone from that era, it would be great to include them.


I'm searching for Stephen Grant Wood...and need to contact Mike Dorn [[it's been a few years since I last spoke with him about this)...but until we see the content, we really don't know where this will end up. I DID finally find Jim...in such a weird way I just KNOW the Universe is smiling upon this venture.


I just get a distinct feeling that we'll find a vibe that contains all of our perspectives of this old great joint which had such an impact on so many.


Cheers and more [[sorry Terryh for glomming onto your thread). Coffee houses can be such amazing places...and Gotham City was one such crucible of creativity and exactly the bastion of free speech that Jim intended when he opened it.

Have you checked out the Facebook group? Massive collection of photos and memories there. Mike Dorn is a member I am pretty sure. A lot of it may be from after your time, in the Shawn Farley years.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=121153020858&ref=ts

[Ravine]

"...its not unusual to see a patron kicked back with their bare feet on the coffee table..."

Cozy and comfy are nice. Down-to-Earth is nice. Welcoming is nice.
Putting your goddam bare feet on a coffee table in a public place is boorish, and only a jackass would do it.
Civility & manners are nice, too.

[Gannon]

JL,

Found it just after I made that post, and spent a while going through pictures and posts...and you're right, MOST of it is from the second location era. Thanks.


Ravine, damn good point...we don't know where them beatnik feet have been!

[Johnlodge]

JL,

Found it just after I made that post, and spent a while going through pictures and posts...and you're right, MOST of it is from the second location era. Thanks.


Ravine, damn good point...we don't know where them beatnik feet have been!

I don't think most of it was second location era, but it was the Shawn era... Most of my memories of those days were at the Woodward location, but still after your crowd's days there. Place never recovered from the move, I always blamed it on too much light. Weakened all the vampires.

Man, those Elks next door really hated us back then. To paraphrase Martin Blank in Grosse Pointe Blank... You can't go home again... but you can get a damn tasty crawfish bisque there.

[Joseph C. Krause]

I attended Gotham City Cafe during its latter days on 9 Mile. My old improv comedy troupe "Mr. Rogers' Sweatshop" played at least one major show there. The owner mocked me relentlessly. Also, I was 18.

Where was its original Woodward location?

I spent most of my time in cafes at Trixie's in Roseville during its 8-year run.

Here's my documentation of its last open mic night:

http://www.vimeo.com/7350733

[Johnlodge]

Where was its original Woodward location?

From earlier up the thread:

Had to be at the original location [[Howe's Bayou) for the real "character".

Woodward, where Howe's Bayou is now located.

[Stosh]

JL,

Found it just after I made that post, and spent a while going through pictures and posts...and you're right, MOST of it is from the second location era. Thanks.


Ravine, damn good point...we don't know where them beatnik feet have been!

Hmmm. I wonder.

[Gannon]

LOL, those feet had JUST come out of those shoes at the bottom of the table! Food was already put away, it was time to finally kick up those feet and relax with a few really cool people.


Got a fetish, Stosh?!

[Gannon]

Joe,

You bring up a curious point...in my analysis of decent coffeeshops, there are NEVER mocking owners in the successful ones. Even the one slightly critical one at 1923 can bring the place to a screeching halt with his negative energy.


Jim founded the original location of Gotham City specifically to allow free speech in all its forms, and when it operated under THAT intent, it was an amazing place. I have the recordings to prove the Open Mics were simply amazing, and James Clay's poetry nights were stellar. Even the artwork...damn, those memories are churnin' now.

Dovetails with my understanding that any operation always shows the attitude and character of the person[[s) at the top. It is just more obvious with coffeeshops, since the free-flow of creativity muses can be so affected by any welcome or specific lack thereof.


Cheers

[Stosh]

LOL, those feet had JUST come out of those shoes at the bottom of the table! Food was already put away, it was time to finally kick up those feet and relax with a few really cool people.


Got a fetish, Stosh?!

Funny you should ask, I was beginning to wonder the same thing about you, given the shoe/foot concentration of post ratio these days coming from you.
And if I did, perchance, have a foot fetish, it certainly wouldn't be for YOUR feet.