Whatever happened to the serenity of a coffee house?

Whatever happened to the serenity of coffee shops? There was a time when it wasn't quite as mainstream to hang out at a coffee shop. I used to be able to walk into the neighborhood local shop and grab a quiet table by the window, book in hand. Around me were others who were studying, reading the paper, or listening to something on their laptop through their ear buds. The music overhead was relaxing music by unknown artists, played at a nice soothing low volume.

As I sit here now, it's as loud as a bar on a Friday night. There's loud music blasting overhead and people everywhere. The conversations are so loud, because people are competing to be heard over the music and the non-stop running blenders mixing up frozen coffee drinks. There are people here with their cranky, irritable toddlers, who are screaming and running around the tables throughout the shop. It's no longer a relaxing place to hang out; it's just a mashup of different loud, annoying noises.

Yep, I used to come here to do homework and write poems. I would come here to get away from it all into the peace. Maybe all the bars are empty now? Maybe I should start going there, instead.