Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to all my coffee lovers out there. And a shout out to all you hard working baristas who just happen to rock the color green each and every day.
Although I have a strong Irish last name — McCourt — my identification with the culture stops at potato pancakes and the occasional Guinness. Regardless, today in NYC everybody is a little Irish. The Starbucks I’m currently sitting at on 67th & Columbus Avenue is greener than Kermit the Frog with a stomach flu.
Just a few blocks north of Columbus Circle and Lincoln Center, this location is immediately impressive because of it’s large size. In fact, everything at this location is bigger. From the barista bar to the seating area, everything seems to have been stretched. Even the hallway to the bathroom is much longer than most. There are two entrances (one on the street/one on the avenue) and tons of seating for anyone to enjoy.
Unfortunately, this Upper West Side Starbucks is clearly the target of many, because those seats are all filled up. In fact, I can see at least three separate individuals prowling for an open spot at this very moment. Luckily, no matter how crowded a location may be, I have a tendency to find an open seat within minutes.
Maybe it’s the city of New York opening the door for this blog to continue — and so it does.
The Good:
The Size… A very large location with two entrances and plenty of space to spread out.
The Seating… A variety of seating of every kind spans the lounge — from cushioned benches and intimate tables to a raised community table.
Outlet Availability… Outlets have been added everywhere. Unless you’re sitting in the center of the lounge, you’re practically guaranteed one — maybe even two!
The Bad:
The Crowd… A beautiful location such as this one attracts quite the crowd.
The Temperature… I sat in the opposite corner of both entrances and still had to keep my sweater on.
Barista Friendliness:
Very pleasant.
Drink of Choice:
Grande Hot Coffee.
Overall Starbucks Rating:
A grande space to spread out and work.
Starbucks and the City 
When I was here last Monday, the wifi connection was slower than molasses going uphill in January. It took several minutes just to log into my blog. I was thinking I was going to have to do all my writing that day in MS Word and then post it later in the day when I got home, when finally things moved a bit. But still the weakest Internet connection I have encountered at a Starbucks thus far.