The 1st Perfect

I FOUND IT! That perfect hangout spot for this artist vagabond. My last blog was about the beginning of the search and lamenting the task of finding that diamond among all the cubic zirconium. I wasn’t asking for much (See my Perfect Place Criteria below). Here is that diamond, followed by the runners up (I told you I am the indecisive type).

THE PERFECT PLACE CRITERIA
I. Distance from me II. Mid-volume Chatter; III. London Experience IV. Caffeine V. Comfort VI. Art Access VII. Artist-Vagrant Threshold
(BONUS. Wi-Fi)

1st Place - LEON - 7/7
(Just behind the Tate Modern)
It’s an entangled meandering road I took to arrive at the perfect place next door. Every morning when I fall out of bed I passed and ignored it. The thought of venturing far from my own front door in order to find the London Experience was and still is difficult to set aside. Here is the thing that escaped me for so long: I am not at my front door, I am in Central London, I live behind the Tate Modern one of the best museums in the world. Van Gough painted his most memorable works from inside a hospital. How could I be so blind? The overriding reason I conquered this blatant disregard for reality is the Perfect Place Criteria. Leon fulfills the Wi-Fi Bonus, hits the mark on 3 of my 7 criteria, and goes beyond expectation on the others. There artist vagrant threshold is astronomical, I have spent literally all day there. Leon traffics people from all walks of life business professionals, tourist, locals and students. As far as art access there is an arts academy near by, 4 galleries and the free Tate Modern. And of course it is directly next door to me, I love it! So, if you are in Central London and see a some odd artist hunched over a drawing, through the large pane window of a large restaurant café’ with a mixture of the hard wood seating and comfortable couch chairs. That place Leon, and that American Artist In London is me.

2nd - CIAO - 6 ½/7
(Off Charing Cross)
Only problem: Busy so they like to make room for customers

2nd - OLD POLICE STATION STUDIOS & CAFE - 6 ½/7
(Deptford, next to New Cross Station)
Only problem: Distance (but right next to a tube stop)

2nd - Café above FOYLES bookshop - 6 ½/7
(Off Charing Cross)
Only problem: Distance (but right next to a tube stop)

3rd - BENUGO 6/7
(Next to the National Theater)
Only problem: Pushy about sales