As I crossed through the park on my way to the Starbucks on the corner of 15th and Union Square, I became filled with admiration for New York. It wasn’t the mild and sunny day, beautiful tall buildings, or the statue of George Washington that did it — it was the naked trees.
Growing up in Central Florida, the variety of trees ranged from palm and pine — and let’s face it no one likes pine trees, they’re the green-headed step-child of Mother Nature, and palm trees wear thin after a few weeks of nothing else. New York’s parks, on the other hand, offer a variety of trees that are visually appealing even when bare. And those who feel confined by the skyscrapers and flashing lights need only to walk to Central Park to get their nature-fix.
Of course, I didn’t move to NYC for the trees… I moved for the Starbucks. Obviously!
This location is a mixed bag of sorts. Although it’s a very large store, it is also mere feet from one of the Union Square subway entrances — really bringing in the masses. There are three separate seating areas strategically spread throughout the space, but they’re strictly business — no comfy chairs in sight. The barista bar is placed in the center of it all, with a well-structured line system for tackling the large crowds. Only problem is the registers are a good 10-15 feet from the front of the line, sot the baristas almost have to shout to get the attention of those not acquainted with how a Starbucks line should work.
If I lived in the area this would be a hit & run Starbucks only — but you can always take your coffee to go and sit in the park to admire the trees.
The Good:
The Location… Union Square is one of the larger subway hubs and it’s got a little bit of everything — from shopping to sight-seeing.
The Space… It’s a very large Starbucks with three separate seating areas.
The Bad:
The Crowd… A lot of non-patrons and passerbys.
Restroom… Just one and the line actually began to block the second entrance.
Barista Friendliness:
Their flow was definitely off and after waiting a while they made my drink as a tall not a grande — but then graciously fixed it.
Drink of Choice:
Another Iced Red-Eye — I promise next month I’ll attempt to switch it up a bit.
Overall Starbucks Rating:
Although I was initially impressed, the crowd and the service knocked it down quite a bit.
Starbucks and the City 
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