MJ's Coffeehouse

I heard about the theater attached to this coffeehouse before I heard about the coffeehouse itself. For being outside of Harrisburg, it's actually pretty easy to get to from the city, just being a straight shot east on Rt. 422 in Annville. I like traveling eastward sometimes to go to coffeehouses because it gets me off of the I-15 arts corridor, and hence they seem to feel less "urgent" and more relaxed. Fewer hipsters and more people just looking for a decent cup of coffee on a quiet day. The artistic atmosphere of these places is usually more relaxed as well I think. Again, less of a "please oh please, artists come hither" vibe if that makes any sense!

Anyhow, MJ's has been here for a while. It's attached to the Allen Theater (which is old beyond reckoning) and is a real fixture in the community. For some reason, this little theater ranked in the top 16 theaters in the country as voted by Moviefone users, so they're doing something right out here! It's not much of a surprise really; the entire Hershey-Annville-Cleona area is known for the arts, but in a subtle fashion. This is an area that national acts come to before they think about Harrisburg itself. The Hershey notoriety and fountains of money make the area among the classiest places in Central PA. By that I mean it attracts forward-thinking people with ready cash. More power to them.

The coffee here was actually really good. It wasn't my favorite (seemed a tad blandish), but it was far above diner-quality. The atmosphere was really nice. I loved the glowing purple lights leading to the theater proper, and the rest if the decor was classy and understated...as things in the Hershey area often are. The best thing about it is that you can picture yourself sitting there by the big windows on a cold, rainy day and just enjoying your coffee while people-watching. I love when a town is both small and cosmopolitan. The phenomenon is rare, but it does exist. If you live here, go here.

Coffee: Two and a half mugs.
Atmosphere: Three and a half mugs.


Cute.

Cuter.

Not cute at all, but spiffy and fascinating. I like that better than cute.