Coffee House: Old And The New

"Notun coffee house e gechis?" (Have you been to the new coffee house?). I think I have received three or four such messages from my friends in the last few days. "Na, ekhono jawa hoyni. Kintu jaabo." (No, I have not yet. But, I will). That has been my standard reply.
Most of you must have understood the context of the conversation. For those who have not, a new Coffee House has come up in Kolkata, in New Town to be precise. As I mentioned above, I have still not been able to visit the place but I have seen quite a few photos and videos. My Facebook timeline, after all, is crowded with such pictures and updates of friends checking in there.
For someone whose inward eye automatically flashes the images of that place off College Street whenever Coffee House is mentioned or discussed, the pictures surprised me quite a bit. It looks swanky and fashionable from the outside. The interior is equally fancy and trendy and it seems to me that there has been a nice attempt to bring out the feel of the Coffee House, which will probably be referred to as the old Coffee House from now on.
The inside look, the long-hanging ceiling fans, the stairs going up to the balcony, and the way the chairs and tables are arranged, there is a reference point in my opinion. I also read Ali's (https://www.facebook.com/MALI2013) cartoons adorn the walls inside. That is definitely a huge attraction for me as I follow his work quite passionately and appreciate him for the meaningfulness and the sensitivity he depicts through his cartoons.
I am actually quite eager to visit the place and soak in the ambiance. But, probably a few days later...when this hype dies down. I saw a few pictures that were shared online recently where even the pavement in front of the building looked chock-a-block. Provided those pictures were not fake or photo-shopped, it looked quite scary in times of the pandemic. I am not sure if it was a weekend or if the place is teeming with people on all days of the week, I will ideally play it safe for a while.
When I eventually go, I will share my experience.
Meanwhile, the hype and fanfare over the 'new' Coffee House are not very unexpected to me. For quite a few generations who have grown up in this city, Coffee House has touched their lives at some point or the other. The ill-lit stairs, the buzz that welcomes you, trying to identify an empty table and when there is none, asking the attendant which table to zoom in on, not placing the entire order at one go and having your coffee slowly so that the adda could be stretched for long with the least expenditure...those moments have a special place in our memories. Isn't it?
No wonder something bearing that name and certain resemblances will evoke great interest.
I have seen many people expressing their opinion about the 'new' Coffee House on social media and how they compare it with the 'old' one. While it is nice to read and understand the different views, I somehow find the tendency to instantly rival one against the other a bit problematic. There seems an automatic affinity towards either branding the new as unnecessary or consigning the old to an unwanted status.
We are all obviously entitled to have our own  preferences, likes and dislikes but that doesn't mean the two can't co-exist.
I am not well aware of the people who conceptualized or developed the Coffee House at New Town. I am sure they knew comparisons would abound but I sincerely doubt whether the thought of rivaling or trumping the Coffee House even crossed their mind.
The Coffee House at College Street has been a reflection and embodiment of this city. The vast history, legacy, old-world charm, memories, and stories and anecdotes that are associated with the place are all precious and invaluable at the same time.
But, there is absolutely every room for a new one --- reflecting similitude to certain degree --- to come up. 

For me personally, the 'old' Coffee House is irreplaceable but I am quite pleased that there is a new place to go to. Nostalgia and love for the place and its surroundings will surely draw me to College Street time and again but I will carry no biases when I visit the new address in town, or rather New Town.