Barista at the shop on 9th called my laptop corner "the sad table" and now I can't unsee it
Was chatting with her while she wiped down the bar and she said the corner spot by the window is where people go to hide, not to work, because you can't see anyone walk in. Sitting there 4 days a week for 6 months and I never noticed I picked the seat where nobody ever says hi to me. Where do you all park yourselves if you actually want to meet people?
I had the same thing happen at my old coffee spot, I always grabbed the back corner by the bathroom because it felt private, and after a year I realized I knew zero regulars. The fix for me was sitting at the long counter or the big shared table facing the door, which felt weird and exposed at first. Now I actually get nods and small talk, and it turns out people are way friendlier when you're not tucked away like a hermit.
Not sure knowing the regulars at a coffee shop is the big life upgrade people make it out to be. You go there for coffee, not to build a social club. If sitting in the corner works for @jamiew53 then it works, friendly nods from strangers is not exactly a fix for anything.