The name of the café in “Basement Café” from 
Cafe Chronicles is actually Webster’s Bookstore Cafe in State College, PA. Located in a basement along Beaver Avenue, it dedicates three-fourths of its space to books and the final fourth to the coffee shop. The space is big but not particularly inviting. It is an acquired taste yet a local treasure.
The decor is an eclectic mix of things probably picked up at the nearby university salvage. What they do offer, aside from a large array of used books, is a space for local artists, musicians, and dancers to enjoy. The walls of the café area feature works by local artists. There is a small stage for performers and speakers of all sorts. And on Tuesday night, there is tango.
There are a few downsides. The coffee is nothing spectacular, you do get the sense you are in a basement, and they have a ridiculous system for wifi that involves entering an impossibly long code that only lasts 90 minutes. I guess back when they had a smaller, brighter space, people would go and just hang out all day without buying anything, but the ninety-minute rule is problematic.
“The Basement Café was written one night when I went down, and they had the tango group in an adjoining room. The atmosphere in the main café area was quiet and rather depressing, but through the door, I could see the dancers. The music was low, so it was hard to hear from where I was sitting, which made the sites even more incongruous. Nevertheless, I wanted to be with them, and since then, I’ve taken a few Tango lessons. I haven’t gone very far, but I may be able to pick it up again one of these days. Maybe tomorrow.
Henry James Morello 