Brew'd Awakening Coffeehaus

At around noon time on a brisk Sunday in early November, I took the Riverhawk Roadster shuttle to the Kennedy Center Station. My girlfriend caught the commuter rail from North Station earlier in the morning, as we had made plans to explore the streets of downtown Lowell together. After several trips for various classes and a night out for dinner with my family, I was intrigued as to what else there was to a city with such a diverse and rich history. Being from south of Boston, there was no prior familiarity with me and Lowell before coming to school at UMass, besides learning about the textile mills in middle school.

My girlfriend and I took the shuttle from the station to the ICC and from there our adventure began. We walked north Central Street and took a left turn onto Market as we headed to the Bew’d Awakening Coffeehaus. My best friend’s dad is an avid supporter of the coffee shop, and every time he comes up to visit he reminds us to stop by one day during our free time. Once I realized I finally had an opportunity to check it out, I took advantage of it. My girlfriend and I passed a few elderly people sitting at the tables outside and walked into a wall of coffee flavored aroma. The tables of the coffeehaus were painted with bright and vivid colors that matched the pleasant atmosphere within them. Paintings and photographs by local artists decorated every wall and corner of the shop, each with a price tag under them. The color and lighting of the place was welcoming and set a happy mood from the moment we walked in.

Unfortunately, and this remains a regret in my mind, we ordered hot chocolate...at a coffee shop known for its brilliant coffee. The hot cocoa served to us in the homestyle mugs was certainly delicious, but I wish we had tasted what all the hype was about. I’ll have to go back there again soon, with my mind focused only on trying their coffee.

We left Brew’d Awakening, and found ourselves walking down Palmer street. With the cobble stone road and the large brick buildings on either side, it wouldn’t be hard to forget if one was in the late 1800s or early 2000s. The old street signs dating back to who knows when are still engraved into the bricks of the buildings on each street corner. I’m always fascinated by places like Lowell, such as Boston, Portland, ME and Portsmouth, NH (just to name a few). The beauties of their histories are all laid out for us to marvel at, and I highly recommend that anyone take an opportunity to walk down streets like Palmer Street. During a time when technology has replaced much of our past, we must enjoy hidden gems in our communities such as this street in Lowell.

As we continued to wander the historical streets of downtown Lowell, our eyes were opened to how wonderful the city really is. We ended up at the Kerouac Commemorative Park without any intention of doing so. We walked around the pillars and read the quotes from his various stories. From there we followed the old trolley tracks. After walking by a few, less known mills, we found ourselves in front of the Boott Cotton Mill. We walked into the courtyard and tried to imagine what it would have been like 150 years ago when it was packed with laborers. From the Boott Mill we headed back towards UMass Lowell’s East campus.

Wandering through the streets of downtown Lowell gave me a true appreciation of what surrounds the school I go to. The smokestacks that can be seen from any corner of the city, the Merrimack river that gracefully winds through the trees, and the old cobblestone roads and brick buildings all exemplify the city of Lowell’s rich and enduring history. The restaurants, the parks, and the historical sites are turning Lowell around after so many years of struggle. The city has certainly made a turn for the better, and I find it remarkable that with so much change going on it has been able to maintain the history that is so rare in today’s American societies.