One thing I’m learning about New Yorkers is that they absolutely love abbreviations. Which — after all — makes sense, since every second and syllable is of value here. Why waste your time saying South of Houston Street when you can slam it all together into SoHo. And then of course if you have a SoHo you need a NoHo. And joining these two sister neighborhoods are other riddles of abbreviation such as FiDi, TriBeCa, NoLIta, and SpaHa – which we’ll visit at a later time.
Until then, I sit in NoHo. And — Yes, you guessed it! — NoHo is simply North of Houston Street. Although NoHo is a much smaller neighborhood than its southern sister, it has very similar characteristics: expensive lofts and pricey shops — and a Starbucks!
This Starbucks separates itself from the others I’ve visited in one very cool way — the paintings on the walls are both real and for sale. This reminds me of a cafe my friends and I used to frequent throughout high school — believe it or not I once refused the idea of monopolizing chain coffee. The Sun Shoppe was our cafe of choice. The drinks tasted different each visit, and they were always closed on Sundays, but somehow that place holds a special place in my heart. Before new management took over, they used to sell the decor right off their walls.
Another factor working in favor of this location is the larger than normal seating area near the entrance. People are chatting, studying, texting, or gazing into computer screens. It’s an eclectic group, and this Starbucks can hold plenty of them. Also, this Starbucks seems to be on top of it with their choice in music. So far, I’ve heard Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Ellie Goulding. Keep it up!
The Good:
The Seating… Spaced out and plenty of it — although there’s no comfy seating, the plentiful supply of wooden chairs puts this in the plus column.
The Decor… The walls are adorned with authentic paintings — and they’re for sale!
The Bad:
The WiFi… Seems to run slower than your typical Starbucks.
Power Outlets… Only one wall in the seating area comes with outlets.
Barista Friendliness:
Very friendly and informative.
Drink of Choice:
Grande Caffe Misto — I’ve heard that drink ordered time and time again, so I finally had to ask “What the hell is it?!” Turns out: 1/2 coffee and 1/2 steamed milk. Also turns out: Delicious!
Overall Starbucks Rating:
Wins the award for Most Authentic to Cafe Environment — and bonus points for playing Amy Winehouse!
Starbucks and the City 
I had a producer who turned me on to cafe mistos last year. They are now my second favorite Starbucks drink, after the chai tea frap. Great post!