Once upon a time, I spent 72 hours straight at a school library that had been open around-the-clock. It was only open around-the-clock because it was finals week.
I was writing around 30 pages on a topic that I really liked. I decided that if I'd gone home, I would never get anything done. The only logical thing to do was to put in 72 hours straight at a library.
It wasn't 72 hours focused just on studying. There was lots of going to the restroom, moments of chowing down on apples, oranges, and carne asada. Lots of politics with who deserved the opportunity to plug their computers into the limited number of power outlets. Additionally, I learned to adapt new ways of sleeping: legs up and squished into a square shaped couch. Back down on a revolving couch.
I was not the only one who spent that much time at the library. Lots of students had moved in: air mattresses, bedding, toiletries, coffee makers --- all at the 24-hour library.
It was some of the most productive time I'd had all semester, those 72 hours at the library. Lots of time to read, write, ruminate. Emphasis on rumination.
On the computer, I might've done lots of cycling through Facebook, literatures from the community college, math classrooms, college math classrooms, adult students, gmail, realgm, but I was able to pull it off and contribute my part to society, albeit indirectly.
I love 24-hour libraries. I love 24-hour spaces.
If they existed.
What I loved was just having time and space to think.
I'd always talked about there being a need for a free public space at night for people. Emphasis "free" and "public space." "People" meaning "poor people." Poor people like me who don't give a flying eff about being at the bar/club. People who would rather be reading and doing geeky things that didn't require consumption, except that of knowledge. The meaning of the free and the public space is partly about helping to foster a community as well as just giving us spaces to do something other than party.
I made a stink about having CicLAvia at night time, mostly because I motherfuckin' hate how the night world in LA/LB is so dominated by shady, impersonal, private space of the club and bar scene, all of which demand you fork over some of your economic capital to be in proximity with tons of motherfuckers you won't give a shit about. I don't like how we like to be all bullshittily sunshiny only during the day time, but become all shady and disconnected when the cold is has got its arm around your neck, the gelled hair and popped collared douches are occupying certain streets, while avoiding others. My call is just for a call for a space where you don't have to be social, but where you're allowed to think.
I know that in China they've got CyberCafes full of gamers, sleeping and paying rent there. I wonder why they don't have at the very least something like that here.
All over Los Angeles, I've been hardpressed to find anything that was open 24-hours. Yes, there's Hodori, but that's mainly a restaurant. Denny's is for after the club. Donut shops have too little room.
A cafe is OK to a point, and I only know LA Cafe at that, but haven't actually done anything there.
A thread on Yelp confirms that 24-hour spaces are difficult to come by in LA. Someone in the thread mentioned that perhaps the 24-hour spot could be made viable in a city, town with lots of students.
I'm just looking for a place to do "thinking" because we just don't have it.
We need more of that. Thinking and 24-hour places in which to do it.
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