Culture Rapide

Just across the street you'll find a funny little "place" bordered on two sides by streets and on the other two sides by graffiti- and street art-covered walls. You've already seen what it looks like at night. Part of the allure of the place is the bar/café that claims a decent chunk of its square footage with small tables and chairs. In fact, based on the signage, the place and the café are indissociable.

I'm talking about Culture Rapide, which not only satisfies basic requirements for a corner bar/café but is also a concert venue, hosting lots of spoken word, blues, and slam poetry performances. I only just got around to checking out the inside last weekend, when I convinced a few college friends to meet me there (right across the street = easiest meet-up ever). The verdict? Based on the décor, Culture Rapide is one of the hipster-est, grungiest, grittiest bobo hangouts around.

While we were there, a raconteur got up on the tiny stage in the corner and started storytelling. We didn't really understand, but that didn't matter. Culture Rapide is a cool space, its food/drink offerings are excellent, and it's 500 ft. from your favorite people - clearly worth checking out.