Coffee Drinks and Cool Diversions at Farley’s East
Coffee Date meets Play Date 
While most independent coffee shops seem to cater to a bookish, adult clientele, Farley’s is focused on creating a place “where everyone is comfortable and welcome.” Farley’s second café (their first opened in Potrero Hill in 1989) is in the up-and-coming Uptown neighborhood of Oakland, and the particularly family-friendly java stop has been appropriately dubbed Farley’s East. Head to this airy two-story space where you can order and savor the aroma of Farley’s special espresso blend (the beans are hand roasted especially for Farley’s by the local artisan roaster Sunrise Coffee in San Leandro). Order yourself a cappuccino and a freshly-squeezed orange juice for your child, then take your tyke and the drinks upstairs. Farley’s has created a kid’s play area with a small table and benches to accommodate little ones and a variety of toys and books that will keep them busy while you sip your drink and marvel at a hip, family-run coffee shop without any attitude. You might even be able to steal a moment to read a magazine from the great selection they have on sale downstairs.
Hungry for more? Farley’s also serves breakfast and lunch–so feel free to stay awhile. Try the roasted mushroom panini with thyme and provolone, or the nutella and strawberry panini if you want to satisfy a sweet tooth. Farley’s East would make a perfect lunch spot after some activities with the kids at the Downtown YMCA, only two blocks away. With a parking lot right across the street, there is no reason not to visit soon!
–Sarah K. Choi
