Lawrenceville’s Happenstance Cafe provides a home for creatives, neighbors and inclusive gatherings.
Happenstance Cafe in Lawrenceville Supports Creativity and Community
Twice a week, a group of writers convenes in the cozy, second-level space of Lawrenceville’s Happenstance Cafe.
They grab a coffee or snack downstairs first — in a bright space marked by green walls, vibrant wallpaper and welcoming signage (“we love our immigrant neighbors”) — then head upstairs and dive into their worlds of words. Writers come here for different reasons — to work on poetry, nonfiction, technical pieces, journal entries or even letters to friends. The goal for all, however, is plain from the series’ name: “Shut Up & Write.”
Dror Yaron, a leadership coach who used to write for a living, leads the “Shut Up & Write Lawrenceville” group on Friday mornings. On Wednesdays, another “Shut Up & Write” gathering follows a slightly different model (and attracts only a few crossover attendees). While the Wednesday crew does talk about what they write (beforehand) and how it went (after), Fridays typically prove more of an open writing session — with optional conversation.
Yaron started his group in August 2022. “One of the main benefits is establishing routine and accountability,” he reflects, “as well as shared space and time. It also makes writing less solitary.”
The group first met at the TRYP by Wyndham hotel after hotel staff offered a free space. In January 2025, they moved to Happenstance, which has become a “home,” Yaron says. “They are warm, welcoming, and having us is meaningful for them,” he says.
The Vision Behind Happenstance Cafe
When Happenstance owner Jill Boldin opened her cafe in August 2024, she set out to create community through folks meeting over drinks. (Food was secondary.) Since then, she’s simply leaned into the natural evolution of what patrons want. “I’ve been in the business of saying yes,” she says. “It’s amazing all the connective tissue you discover.”
The venue was opened as a third space — with an intentionally low barrier to entry. Early on, the cafe’s notice board sat empty; soon, however, it became jam-packed with announcements and bids for connection. “It was evident at that point that our community actually needed it,” Boldin says.
Comedy Nights, Games, and Creative Programming
These days, on the last Tuesday of every month, Ronnie Fleming hosts eight comedians who have completed a challenge: writing five to seven minutes of new material. The audience decides the winner (voting with sugar packets tossed into cups), and the champion takes home $100 and a golden pen. Other events range from kid-centric story hours to competitive puzzle evenings; every Thursday, Happenstance hosts games of Magic: the Gathering. Boldin plans to soon add monthly singer-songwriter nights.
“I try to lead with love,” Boldin says; each month, the cafe partners with a different local nonprofit. “That’s why inclusion is so important to me.”
This building has gone through many iterations; when Boldin first saw it, she knew it had soul. Prior to opening her business, the space housed an Italian restaurant and wine cellar owned by the Talarico family. Happenstance keeps wines on draft, along with the cafe’s signature assortment of coffee drinks and six local beers. This summer, Boldin promises wine cocktails will be “the new thing” when the beautiful back garden, with one fruiting peach and two fruiting apple trees, becomes a magnet for blissed-out patio patrons.
Challenges, Community, and the Future of Happenstance Cafe
Boldin admits that being a business owner comes with constant challenges, and construction and snow obstacles this winter didn’t help. Yet she remains grateful for steady support and hopeful about the future. As a mom to two young boys and a resident of this neighborhood since 2017, she continually asks, “What can I add to this community?
“There is a lot of divisiveness put upon us,” Boldin says. “The Pittsburgh I know is the ‘Mister Rogers’ Pittsburgh, where we all help our neighbors.”
Boldin believes that in this “small town,” we’re all connected. And she’s continually amazed by how much evolves when we simply open our mouths and talk to the person next to us — or, in some cases, write alongside a new friend.
Story by Corinne Whiting
Photos By Chris Uhren