I walked in and was struck with deja vu — I’ve been here before! — I suddenly realized.
Back in my NYC infancy I found myself at this Chelsea Starbucks while apartment hunting throughout the city. I remember sitting in the lounge area while a homeless person came in and slowly and discreetly made his way through the patrons asking for money. It took about 2-3 minutes before the baristas realized and had to ask him to leave.
Now, nearly 6 months later, I find myself sitting in the same exact spot — and at the same time, in a very different position. Then I had no idea that I was sitting in Chelsea — or what Chelsea really was — for that matter. Neighborhoods? Boroughs? 1,2,3? A,C,E? Moving to New York can feel like learning a new language, and in fact I’m still learning to this day. And although I dropped out of German III in high school, the language of the city is one I plan to follow through to its completion.
The more I sit here, the more this Starbucks begins to remind me of the stereotypical grandma’s house — without the plastic-wrap on the furniture, that is. The dim lighting, dark accenting walls, and floral patterned sofa just scream old lady to me. Don’t let that deter you though; just like grandma’s house, this Starbucks has plenty of room for you to come and take a load off.
The Good:
The Seating… Plenty to go around.
The Location… Chelsea — I do adore Chelsea.
The Bad:
The Lighting… Personally, I’m not a fan of dim lighting.
The Non-Patron Crowd… The seating area is directly by the door, so people tend to wander in for free Wi-Fi and a seat, taking up space for those actually buying something. Just one of my many NYC Starbucks pet peeves.
Barista Friendliness:
Four Cups for helping with the homeless guy last time.
Drink of Choice:
Venti-Iced Latte… Believe it or not, but this was my first time trying Starbucks’s iced latte. It was good, but a little heavy — think I’ll try it skinny next time.
Overall Starbucks Rating:
Come on in! Unless you’re just asking for money…
Starbucks and the City 
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