This is the fifth in a monthly series about “third places” — those places other than work and home where people go for fun and fellowship.

        Canisters of hot coffee stand ready for consumption. Ethiopian Yergachefe. French Roast Colombian. Highlander Grog. Pecan Creme.

        But this spring afternoon is too warm for java, and 22-year-old Michele Magnus knows it.

Joe Foti prepares a drink for District 5 officer William Springer at the Buzz Coffeeshop in Corryville. At far left is Steve Boyd, who works upstairs at CD-o-Rama. (Steven M. Herppich photos) | ZOOM |

        “I want a shake, but I want a new, original, fun shake I haven't had before,” the University of Cincinnati second-year law student tells Joe Foti, the man on duty this Tuesday at Buzz Coffeeshop & CD-o-Rama.

        Creamy shakes entice some to the Buzz, as do the freshly brewed coffees, homemade cookies and espresso brownies. It's possible some people even come for the Pop Tarts.

        But the Buzz offers more. It's a haven for the harried and as comfortable as a favorite old pair of jeans. Or as Miss Magnus, who has been frequenting the coffee shop since it opened six years ago, explains:

        “It's one of those places where, if I don't want to sit at home in my little apartment by myself, and I don't want to sit at school, and I don't want to go to work, I just come here. I don't have to call friends. They'll just be here.

        “When the riots happened, and none of us had a clue what was going on, we just came here. And when the World Trade Center fell down, we all came here, too.

        “This is just a place you go when you have no idea where to go,” she says with a laugh.

Katie Freeman, 15 (left), and Cari Scherer, 16, enjoy hanging out after school at the Buzz. | ZOOM |

        Then she brings her lips to the frothy concoction Mr. Foti has made from ice cream, milk and coconut and pineapple syrups.

        “Mmmm. This is pretty good,” she says.

        The Buzz occupies a well-worn brick building at the corner of East University and Jefferson avenues in Corryville. Four large plate glass windows face the UC campus across the street, from which the shop draws much of its business. A fair number of high school students have discovered the place, too.

Buzz Coffeeshop provides a haven for a game of chess and for UC student Erin Steffens, 25, to work on her philosophy paper. | ZOOM |

        By staying open until 2 a.m. every day, the coffee shop accommodates young people with strange schedules and little cash. A basic cup of joe is a buck; refills, 50 cents.

        On springtime afternoons, people come to play cards or chess. Or to talk. Some study against the backdrop of music emanating from the upstairs CD-o-Rama, where Manager Michael W. Riley plays an eclectic mix of tunes, most of which you'll never hear on the radio.

        Miss Magnus has joined two UC friends at a table in the center of the coffee shop. Brent Shadwell is a first-year law student, and Brett Runyon is a third-year undergraduate majoring in political science.

        Mr. Shadwell, who is 22 and lives in Clifton, says he can be more productive studying at the Buzz than at home. “I don't get distracted by my stuff — my guitars, my TV, my PlayStation. My video games suck me in if I'm at home.”

        The Buzz offers no such diversions. Some artwork hangs on the brick walls, which are framed by a wooden floor and exposed beam ceiling. The hodgepodge of not-so-gently-used furniture — think garage-sale castoffs — includes a dryer chair from a beauty salon.

Jeffrey Palun (right), of Norwood, plays a game of chess with Andy Mackowiak (not pictured), of Clifton. | ZOOM |

        One might, however, be drawn into some extended conversations.

        “One minute you'll be talking about IT networking,” Ms. Runyon says, “the next, the politics of revolution, the next, how drunk you got last weekend.”

        Mr. Foti, the man serving up hot and cold beverages, isn't privy to those conversations. But the 23-year-old Clifton resident, a recent graduate of Antioch College in Yellow Springs, understands the Buzz's appeal. His mussed hair and unshaven face seem right at home here.

        “It's a pretty youth-friendly place,” he says. “A lot of coffee shops turn into bars after 9. This is one of the few places in the city that doesn't.”

        The following afternoon, cold drinks are again in demand as overhead fans stir sultry air.

        An empty bottle of cherries and cream soda sits on the table by 27-year-old David Desembly of Kennedy Heights. He works days as a valet at the Millennium Hotel, downtown, and at night takes classes toward a degree in economics and political science.

        “I was at the library one day. It closed, and I needed somewhere to study. This was open, so I just came on in.”

        And he kept coming back. He has met members of the UC chess club here, and he's thinking of joining.

        Nearby, a half dozen high school students from Anderson Township sip ice coffees and cola while playing a game of Spades.

        “I don't think there's any place in Anderson to hang out besides Dunkin' Donuts,” says Andie Walla, who is 17. “It's nice and relaxing. We can listen to music, play cards and just chill.”

Katie Freeman, 15, wrestles with her friend Cari Scherer. | ZOOM |

        “We tend to have some pretty deep conversations here,” says 16-year-old Kyle Maschinot. “We've talked about religion, school and life itself.”

        “We come every Wednesday,” says Missy Liu, the only one of the group not enrolled at Anderson High; she attends Seven Hills.

        “It's sort of like our makeshift weekend in the middle of the week,” Kyle says. “You come here and you chill and talk and get away from everything at school.”

        A getaway. Even if it's only for an hour, everyone needs that.

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