Dupont Circle 1501 Connecticut Avenue NW - Oct 12, 2005

This Starbucks is one of the busiest in the city. We got there after 9 p.m. on a Wednesday and just about every seat was taken. There were all sorts of folks at this location, young, old, black, white, gay, straight--the works.

This store's central location virtually guarantees that it will always be mobbed. This might not be the best Starbucks to go to if you want to enjoy your coffee in peace or concentrate on your reading, but if people-watching is what you’re in the mood for, then the spot is great. Almost all the walls are windows and the corner of Connecticut and New Hampshire is in a very high-traffic area. The windows don’t just let you see the dozens of people who walk by every minute, they also let you be seen, and Jerry has a sneaking suspicion this is just how some of the kids there like it.

We sat next to a group of young women still in work clothes who were deep in conversation about a conflict one of them was having. The subject was obviously important to at least one of them; she talked in maudlin tones. It was the kind of conversation that makes Jacinda want to go the person and say, "Look. Whatever you're talking about is really not important. Don't you realize your life is meaningless?" Jerry just wanted to give the girls a Starbucks cup with an uplifting quote from Jonah Goldberg printed on it.

Consumed: A half-caf tall one-pump no-whip mocha and a black bottom cupcake (Jacinda); a tall decaf mint mocha (Jerry).

What do you have to say about this Starbucks?