Coffee on the boulevard

Longtime residents remember when Northwest Boulevard appeared to serve as the “gasoline alley” of the city’s North Side.

Most of the nation’s major oil companies were apparently determined to be represented along the arterial, and service stations seemed to be on every corner.

In recent years, different types of “filling stations” have appeared, these dispensing espresso rather than ethyl.

Commuters traveling the boulevard find getting their regular caffeine jolt not only convenient but almost unavoidable.

Most of the baristas operate in kiosks resembling old-time movie theater ticket booths or brightly painted oversize children’s playhouses. Many are located where gas pumps used to be.

The first espresso opportunity for northwest commuters bound for downtown or North Side jobs is south of the intersection of Wellesley Avenue and Assembly Street just before the latter segues into the boulevard. The Daily Habit is one of the playhouse-type structures on the west side of the street.

After that there’s a dry stretch of several residential blocks before Jitterz Java in the 2100 block, in a gas station kiosk.

(Rumor has it that a building will be remodeled for a coffee shop in the near future to alleviate that “dry stretch.”)

Next chance is the Cielo Bakery in the 1900 block. The bakery is new and has all the apparatus for coffee-making, plenty of seating and fresh breakfast pastry.

There are a couple of convenience stores along the way but, like the bakery, those involve actually getting out of the car.

A few blocks ahead is Robyn’s Common Grounds at the corner of the boulevard and Ash Street, the one-way arterial to the Maple Street Bridge.

At this point, the driver has some decisions to make: Southbound on Ash there are three more coffee opportunities and straight ahead two more, plus the chance to circle onto northbound Maple into the newly remodeled Safeway and its in-store Starbucks.

First, going south, there’s The Bean Stalk, a playhouse tucked at the left on Mansfield behind the Albertsons market. In a few blocks there’s Milliways on the left between Augusta and Spofford.

Finally, shortly before the Maple bridge on-ramp, there’s Hold Your Grounds, specifically built as a coffee shop, at the Boone Avenue intersection.

For those who didn’t make the right turn, Shot of Heaven is on the boulevard near the Adams Street and Mocha Motion just east near Jefferson Street. Both are in former gas stations.

After that, Northwest Boulevard ends at North Monroe Street and the long coffee break is over.