Life has a natural symmetry… a way of balancing things out. Yesterday, I visited one of the worst Starbucks in Manhattan and today I’m sitting at what is arguably one of the best.
The Upper West Side Starbucks on the corner of 86th & Columbus is roughly the size of three regular NYC Starbucks. I actually passed by the entrance on my way to grab lunch and as I kept walking I noticed that I was still passing by windows that belonged to the Starbucks. It just goes on and on.
The neighborhood surrounding this Starbucks consists of nice restaurants with outdoor seating, coffee shops (other than Starbucks, that is), a few delis and, of course, Central Park to the east.
Inside, the Starbucks has two seating areas equipped with sofas, comfy chairs, tables-for-two and a few larger tables as well. The decor is nice; including a curving mural wall, hanging mirrors, pictures and even some white pillars on display in the window. The lighting is a little dim but not too bad. But, what I think is most impressive about this Starbucks is the lack of a crowd. I’ve been here for quite some time, and there has always been a few seats available — comfy seats at that! There’s even open outlets.
I could go on and on about how much I like this Starbucks. But I’d rather spend a little more time enjoying it instead of writing about it.
The Good:
The Size… Quiet possibly the largest Starbucks I’ve seen in NYC — at least the longest.
The Location… Up against Central Park on the Upper West Side and near B, C and 1 trains.
The Seating… Two distinct seating areas separated by the barista bar, and there’s even comfy chairs as you can see pictured above.
The Crowd… A short line and only a light crowd occupying all this seating.
The Bad:
The Lighting… It’s a little dim, but I may just be picky here.
The Restroom… Just the one.
Barista Friendliness:
Drink of Choice:
Grande Iced Coffee.
Overall Starbucks Rating:
The best Upper West Side Starbucks I’ve seen so far.
Starbucks and the City 
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