Let Me Loiter

Posted by Jen
Filed in City
January 25, 2007

Hanging out has become way underrated. Personally, I'm a big hanger-outer. I like loitering. This is weird, I know. Considering my age, I mean.

Anyway, since I'm grown up now and work full time, I've had to cut way back on my loitering. Weekend mornings are all I can manage anymore. Even worse, I'm finding it harder and harder to find places to chill (without seeming like a weirdo) in this city.

There are a few places I particularly like. For example, the Chapters at Broadway and Granville. (It's cozy, there are lots of ledges to sit on, and lots of people to watch). I also like the library (any will do, but the Main Branch is best). If I'm not feeling booky, I'm partial to Pedro's Organic Coffee on the walk into Granville Island (free Internet, baby!) and if the weather's nice, I'll take any school yard that features an adult-friendly swing set like the one at L'Ecole Bilingue \near Oak and 14th. Alas, that's all I can really think of.

Considering that I only frequent a few places, I'm starting to get worried. I always wonder if I'm annoying anyone, or if I seem creepy or weird. The staff at many of my local bookstores, for example, while they never actually say anything to me, definitely recognize me as the girl who comes in all the time, but only buys something once in awhile. When our eyes meet, I get really self conscious.

If you're a big loiterer like I am, anonymity is a good thing.

Anyway, I write all this because I'm starting to wonder if it's okay that I loiter. What do you think? Is it weird? Not befitting of an adult? Cheap of me to hang out in businesses without buying anything?

And if it's not weird (which I'm hoping it's not), do you have any suggestions for good spots to try? I'm getting bored.

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aside from the library, I only loiter in pubs and art galleries. the VAG is excellent for hanging out if you have a membership, otherwise paying each time would kind of defeat the purpose...

Posted by: degan at January 25, 2007 11:57 AM | Quote Comment

Seriously, though. Sometimes I really do feel like a cheapo freak.

Posted by: Jen at January 25, 2007 12:48 PM | Quote Comment

I hate that we feel we need to buy things in order to belong in a place. I wish there were spaces -- free, clean, warm, dry -- where one could simply duck in and read or write, have a chat, or people-watch. The library is the closest thing, I suppose, but it doesn't exactly stay open late. More often than not, I find myself going into an open-late cafe and duly shelling out for some silly drink, just to avoiding feeling like the cheap sore thumb. Whatever happened to public spaces?

Posted by: luisa irene at January 25, 2007 1:05 PM | Quote Comment

Loitering is cool, but it really sucks when you want to sit down and have a coffee for a few mintes and all the places are taken up by loiterers. Most people are very inconsiderate of actual paying customers.

Starbucks is the worst for this, you can almost never find a place to sit unless it's outside...

Posted by: Peter Stathakos

at January 25, 2007 1:19 PM | Quote Comment

Hi there -- Luisa Irene, I think you will be interested in John's upcoming post on the Vancouver Public Spaces Network. In the meantime, one space happy to entertain loiterers is Spartacus Books on Hastings, just west o' the cambie building (cambie+ hastings) on the second floor. I love Spartacus!

Posted by: shirley at January 25, 2007 1:23 PM | Quote Comment

So where do people fall on the "what's allowed during loitering" scale? Is talking on a cell phone okay, for example?

Posted by: Jen at January 25, 2007 2:12 PM | Quote Comment

huzzah! there are other loiterers out there. i don't understand why there aren't legions upon legions of attractive public spaces (indoor ones) where people can congregate anytime of the day for free.

Posted by: sonnig at January 25, 2007 3:51 PM | Quote Comment

huzzah! there are other loiterers out there! i don't understand why there aren't legions upon legions of attractive public spaces (indoor ones) where people can congregate anytime of the day for free.

Posted by: sonnig at January 25, 2007 3:55 PM | Quote Comment

Shirley -- thanks! I've been meaning to check out Spartacus forever.

Posted by: luisa irene at January 25, 2007 4:09 PM | Quote Comment

i think everyone should start hanging out in the law courts atrium.

Posted by: statusq at January 25, 2007 11:26 PM | Quote Comment

I used to be heavy into loitering. Calhoun's, wicked cafe etc. etc. I figured a drink every other hour was cool. Still not very satisfying though. Decided to make workspace mostly for that reason.

Posted by: Bill at January 25, 2007 11:39 PM | Quote Comment

Yes, you too can intellectualise your loitering!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl�neur

Posted by: A at January 26, 2007 2:43 AM | Quote Comment

I miss loitering.

Maybe next time I'm starting a job with a regular coffee/cigarette break, since I don't really enjoy either drug, I'll just go and loiter some place for 10 mins.

I don't know if you can loiter on a fixed timetable though.

Posted by: Derelicte at January 26, 2007 4:27 PM | Quote Comment

"huzzah! there are other loiterers out there! i don't understand why there aren't legions upon legions of attractive public spaces (indoor ones) where people can congregate anytime of the day for free." ---- Probably because they'd be full of homeless people.

Posted by: jray at January 28, 2007 1:15 AM | Quote Comment