Earlier this week I was visiting the Starbucks on the southwest corner of 53rd and 6th avenue when I discovered another Starbucks directly across the street and promised to return to do a comparative analysis.
Looks like today is that day.
The Starbucks on the northeast corner of the intersection differs greatly from its sister store. Where that one is bright, this one is dim. Where that one is small, this one is large. Where that one is cramped, this one is — slightly less cramped.
All in all, I’d say this one is “1-Cup” above the other — mostly due to a larger seating area and more fluid crowd. You still have to wait longer than normal to receive your drink then you would a regular Starbucks, but here you have more room to spread out. Both have 1 restroom, a touristy vibe, and statuary directly outside of them (thanks MoMA!).
Now if only I could find an intersection in NYC where there are 3 or 4 Starbucks on the same corner.
The Good:
The Location… Near Museum of Modern Art, CBS HQ and just north of Rockefeller Center and the B/D/F/M trains.
The Crowd… Not as crowded as its counterpart and most of the crowd leaves so there are seats open.
The Bad:
The Line… Long and unruly.
Restroom… Only the one.
Barista Friendliness:
Drink of Choice:
Grande Valencia Orange Refresher… Good enough for me to have another one.
Overall Starbucks Rating:
Slightly better than its sister Starbucks across the way.
Starbucks and the City 
Leave a Reply