Who hangs out at starbucks?

I've been across the pond for well over four years now at university. Starbucks and other java houses here vary in their clientele, so it is problematic to assume that they are more similar than different when attempting to categorize them into one group.

There is diversity in clientele here among the thousands of establishments in the States, with differences between those coffee houses in central business districts from those that are near or located upon university campuses, for example. There are also sole proprietor java houses that are unique and very unlike the large corporate standardization of Starbucks. One case... Alta Coffee & Tea in Balboa California was built from an old converted two-level house, tends to be a hangout for beach couples, has live music on the weekends, and many a social gatherings during the week, in contrast to your lonely laptop customer referred to in this thread.

I hang out mostly in java houses that are near universities, where you fund a disproportionate number of students and faculty, some sitting at tables alone with their laptops (doing lesson plans, homework, web surfing, email, etc., on free wifi), while others are socializing in groups, chatting up topics ranging from mundane to obscure philosophical questions. You can also meet someone new in these relaxed social settings, without all the silly pick-up behaviours typical of pubs and clubs.