I’ve been monitoring the arrival of the Starbucks on the corner of 63rd & Lexington as a botanist would study the budding of a new exotic plant.
The first signs of life appeared when the ever-popular “STARBUCKS COFFEE” lettering appeared over top the vacant shop. Then the windows were covered with construction paper as the inside of this building began to transform from whatever it once held into the most well-known coffee house in the world. I must admit, it took longer than I thought it would. You hear of Starbucks “popping” up here and there, but this was much more of a slow growth. Then, just a few days ago, the doors finally opened for business.
I knew I had to visit this location within a week of its opening. Would it be different than the others? More modern? Technologically advanced? Would there be any kinks to work out? What goes into designing one Starbucks from the next?
Now that I’m here, it’s obvious that no great changes have been initiated for Starbucks’ latest fleet of openings. They’re not trying to reinvent a fully functional wheel here on 63rd and Lex. While the decor is nice (grey wood tones accented with silver chairs and stools) and the whole building seems to glisten with newness, it’s not another generation of Starbucks. Pretty soon, I’d imagine it will look similar to all the others in the city.
The one unique feature that I’ve yet to see at another location is its window seating. Most locations have a short bar attached to the windows accompanied by raised stools. This Starbucks has two padded seating cubbies nearly the size of a mattress. These are raised about 2 ft above the floor and are on either corner of the entrance. I’m sitting cross-legged in one now, and I must admit it’s quiet comfortable and comes with a childlike sense of amusement. I’d love to see more of these at other Starbucks.
The Good:
The Decor… Beautifully decorated. We’ve got red accent walls, a wall of hanging mirrors, and a giant framed painting of people enjoying coffee in the park (Central Park, I assume).
Seating… Not much (a large community table and a few stools at the bar), but there’s also these cute padded seating areas that run along the windows (almost like little cubby holes to sit up on).
The Location… On top of the F-train and close to Central Park.
The Bad:
The Size… Smaller than I had hoped it would be.
The Restroom… Just the one. And the newness of this location does not reflect on the cleanliness of the restroom.
Barista Friendliness:
Drink of Choice:
Grande Iced Coffee
Overall Starbucks Rating:
The latest Starbucks to grace the island of Manhattan.
Starbucks and the City 
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