Coffee and Thrifting

Have I mentioned that college kids are cheap? Yes, this is a known fact. Therefore, one of our favored weekend activities, whether it’s out to gab with a friend, a first date, or simply grabbing some alone time, I will share with you some of the best options around for coffee and thrifting. It won’t blow your budget and you’ll score a fantastic retro sweater to rock on Monday.

Whether needing tasty latte and pastry options to help spark conversations, aesthetic coffee shop décor that will inspire any dorm room, or small business shops to feed your closet, the coffee and thrifting scenes around Asbury will not leave you empty-handed.

IMAGINE YOURSELF…

Waking up bright and early on a Saturday morning. You have a date today! New to the area and thinking there are only horses in Kentucky, you frantically research the surrounding areas for ideas and note that he needs to plan the next one. What will you do?

Lucky for you, I know my coffee and thrifting itineraries and am happy to share them with you. Whatever aesthetic feel you desire from the different selections, each coffee establishment will fit perfectly into your preferences.

Coffee shops are all over, a quick one-minute walk from campus or into the city of Lexington. You can choose from more local establishments such as Drinklings, Coffee at Oak and Main, or Mono’s Coffee Crafters, or make a slightly longer drive to multiple Starbucks locations, The Human Bean, A Cup of Common Wealth, Brevede, McLeod’s, and other cute cafés and shops to get your caffeine fix!

At Mono’s, you can choose from a wide selection of drinks along with homemade treats, such as pop tarts, oatmeal cream pies, or chocolate chip cookies. The coffee shop has a shelf filled with board games, along with my personal favorite, Scrabble, which I constantly beg my friends to play with me. Drinklings offers a quiet, comfy atmosphere that plays off of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis’s literary club, The Inklings, and has a Lewis and Tolkien society book club and fellowship time in the evenings.

My favorite coffee shop is called Coffee Times in Lexington. The atmosphere and coffee are wonderful, and the shop also owns a small business that sells coffee beans, teas, coffee brewing devices, mugs, and cute kitchen décor!

Another reason why Coffee Times is a go-to place for me is because it’s attached to Street Scene, a high-end vintage store that sells groovy clothes, jewelry, accessories, magazines, and houseware. This shop blend vintage 50’s-90’s aesthetics with modern thrift trends so locals can be in-style.

Other thrift stores include a large amount of Goodwill stores spread all over the surrounding cities. Other places include Salvation Army stores, Plato’s Closet, and locally owned shops anywhere in Wilmore, Nicholasville and Lexington. Most of my professional or laid-back, vintage wardrobe is from these thrift stores. Buying secondhand does not disappoint. See if you can find a new favorite itinerary when you’re at student at Asbury!