July, 2024

The Elysian is a truly unique microcosm within the Los Angeles cultural landscape.

You don’t wind up living here by chance. My own conversation with management began in 2017 and I didn’t move in until 2021. The flow of people transitioning in and out of the structure and surrounding areas is at times inspiring, diverse, and unexpected.

And many of these people need coffee to fuel their daily experiences. A moment of reflection, a burst of energy, a time to reconnect with our greater purpose.


But here is no truly inspiring coffee close by. And with all of this intentionality, why leave such a crucial aspect of daily life and opportunity for inspiration to chance?

By ‘coffee close by,’ we mean that grabbing a cup is as close to effortless as possible. As pleasurable as it felt when Clark Street was set up in the café on the ground floor. And by ‘inspiring,’ we mean coffee that takes itself and its role seriously, created from the best ingredients with care that translates into an experience.

And just to clarify, when these are the options:

Stereoscope – Long lines, decent coffee. But not close and hard to park.
Eightfold – Loud interior. Decent coffee. Crossing Sunset and walking uphill is an obstacle.
Heavy Water – Not good. Close but absolutely no atmosphere. Also exclusively vegan.
Canyon – Good, even very good. But crowded and a bit of a trek.

you’re generally left to fend for yourself or to settle.

Let’s not settle.

So we have the opportunity to create a viable coffee source close and accessible enough to make Elysian residents happy, approachable enough to draw some local traffic, and inspiring enough to catalyze and fuel everyone’s dreams for a better Los Angeles.

And just maybe, to give the resident connections and conversations that happen in the elevators and hallways a little more space. We’re an incredible bunch—I really feel that way—and I’m envisioning human connection being made over a few moments of quiet reflection with a stellar cup of coffee.

I’m being ambitious, but I’m a believer: coffee can do wonders.

To follow, some ideas about what we could create together.