How many *bucks do you have?

It has finally happened, a *bucks is moving into my n'hood. It is "coming soon" right near the metro. I think my neighbors are about to get some serious caffination. A Mayorga Coffee (which apparently roasts locally) opened a few weeks ago, too. I haven't been yet...mostly cause I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but I might need to go in and show some support. The *bucks will do just fine without me.

In my investigation of when my *bucks would be open, I discovered the Delocator. It finds independent coffee shops, bookstores and movie theaters near whatever zip code you type in. For my zip code, it found 76 independent places within 5 miles. (Might be good for finding a new knitting home for you Sunday-goers). Some of these seem to be restaurants that serve coffee more than regular old coffee shops, though. It also gives you a comparable list of the starbucks within 5 miles....56. But the *bucks site says I've got 86 starbucks within 5 miles of me, so I think the delocator probably missed some. Oddly enough, I only have 84 within 5 miles of my downtown work location. Maybe the Potomac cuts out some valuable real estate.

Did I just say/write "only 84?" So, a five mile radius covers an area of about 78.5 square miles. Area=pi times r-squared, right? So, there are 86 starbucks in the 78.5 square miles surrouding my house. So, just over 1 starbucks per square mile. Not quite one on every street corner, but still....if they were perfectly spaced, you've never have to go more than 1/2 mile to get your triple grande skinny extra hot latte. Yikes!

How about you? I tried a manhattan zip code for fun and got 199. How many *bucks are you surrounded by?