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Place #4: Saint’s Café

For this week’s blog post, I’m going to be talking about a café that fills me with a unique feeling of nostalgia every time I enter the door.

Last semester, in early September, I called my mother to tell her about my day, just like usual. I told her I did well on my French exam, performed my violin solo in studio class, and then studied at Saint’s Café for a little bit. When I mentioned the name of that café, she gasped. She told me that she used to go there all the time when she was a student here at PSU. And that’s when it was my turn to gasp. I did not know she had attended PSU as a student. I found out that Saint’s Café has been in State College since 1999, which is the year my mother—a student at the University of Amsterdam—interned for a short three weeks here at PSU during the spring semester. She never told me she had studied at PSU before I was accepted as a student here, and I think that’s pretty cool.

Every time step into Saint’s Café, every time I look at the bakery display, every time I manage to get a window seat, and every time I get out my notebooks to do some work, I think about how my mother did the exact same thing 19 years ago. It’s crazy to think that I am walking in my mother’s shoes, and that the only difference is the time period. I often wonder what my mother’s go-to order was or where she usually sat in the café. I feel a certain connection with this café, and I don’t quite know how to describe it. Sounds insane, but it’s almost as if I am travelling in time. I’ve never felt that with any location ever. I feel nostalgic when I’m in Saint’s Café, even though I haven’t made any real memories there myself.

I’m sure the menu has changed since my mother frequented the café. Even though I’m not a huge coffee drinker myself, my favorite drink to order is the Black Cat Espresso. They also have a delicious bakery display with muffins, quiches, macarons, and more. Even though I’ve only ever ordered a lemon poppy seed muffin, I can tell you it was delicious. Oh, and in case you haven’t been there yet, Saint’s Café is located near Panera Bread downtown, on 123 W Beaver Ave.

One downside about Saint’s Café, however, is that it is very small. Most people go there alone or with one friend, so it’s definitely not ideal for group study sessions. It’s usually relatively quiet, but you must know that not everyone goes there solely to study. Personally, I can study and do work with a lot of noise in the background, but if you need your environment to be quieter, Saint’s Café might not be the best place for you. If I’m lucky enough to get a window seat, I can stay there for hours at a time. I’m actually writing this post in Saint’s Café right now in front of the window.

Although Saint’s Café most likely will not bring you the same nostalgia as if does to me, I still encourage you to try it out this week!