But good things are hard to kill, especially when they are vital parts of a community that desperately needs them. I doubt we'll see the Someday again because Somerville and Cambridge have so many other great local shops. But State College? State College is impoverished without a space that functions the way Webster's did.
Did I say "did"? I mean does.
Hard work, connections, and dedication have paid off and Webster's is back, bigger and better than ever. The store opened a week ago yesterday, and already it feels like a lived space. The reopening was a huge success; in spite of the shop's new location -- only a block away from its old location, but just outside the grand flow of foot traffic -- business is steady and growing. There are faces familiar and new, and the astonished gasps, the pleased murmurs as people discover or rediscover Webster's are more than comforting: they are a kind of homecoming.
A good coffee shop is more than just a coffee shop. And the convergence of people and good will in this last week proves that Webster's is far more than a bookstore/cafe. It's a community.
Welcome back, Webster's.
