Author: Zoe Zaneteas

If you’re like me, you’ve probably frequented the stretch of College Avenue that houses Insomnia Cookies, Starbucks, and Stella’s a little more often than “healthy eating” typically allows. Yet, though we’re all familiar with Collegetown’s late night food options and could probably get ourselves there in any state of intoxication, we are less sure about that ambiguous space called Popshop that we pass every night we’re out. We at Slope Media were curious about just what Popshop entailed – so I sat down with Sam Langer ‘16, a frequent visitor, to find out what really goes on at 325 College Avenue.

As I was talking to Sam, I quickly realized that there’s a common misconception about the purpose of Popshop. In the past, it provided a space for startups to, well, start up, but this is no longer the case. It is now an interdisciplinary and collaborative space for engineers, artists, writers, and essentially any person in any study (see what I did there?) to come and create. What began as a one-month experiment has been sustained for three years, its success attributed to the fact that the concept of Popshop is unique on this campus. But what exactly does a visit entail?

Popright.in

The hardest thing about going to Popshop is just the trip to Collegetown, which every Cornell student should be well-acquainted with by now. According to Sam, you just walk in, say hi, hang out, and the ideas start flowing. Popshop boasts comfy bean bag chairs, art on the walls, and the freedom for anyone to do anything. In addition, professors informally come through to share their ideas and interact with students on a more personal level. In this way, Popshop acts as a bridge for a community of creatives to leave their respective comfort zones and be inspired by alternate ways of creation.

“Cornell’s Creative Home,” as Langer calls it, is a “confluence of random people leading to something really cool,” as it unites our community of bright minds. What’s more, Popshop will soon be open from noon to midnight each day, and they want anyone and everyone dropping by. With Friday tea time, potlucks, jam sessions, and chats with professors studying creativity, there’s something for everyone.

Popright.in

Popshop is located at 325 College Avenue.