I’m moving to the Upper West Side. It’s settled.
Well, not really — or at least not yet — but I keep finding all the best Starbucks in this neighborhood. Over the summer, I royally impressed by the large and expansive Starbucks on 86th and Columbus, and now just a few blocks away I’ve come across another Starbucks deserving of a 5-Cup rating. And for very similar reasons!
Take Broadway north 6 miles from yesterday’s Starbucks on Thames and you’ll arrive at the Starbucks on 86th & Broadway. What difference does 6 miles make? A whole lot of room. In fact, this Starbucks has an entire floor dedicated to nothing but lounging about and sipping coffee. There’s two sets of padded comfy chairs, tons of smaller tables, a long sofa and tons of power outlets for New Yorkers in need of a recharge. But aren’t we all?
The ground level of this Starbucks only has a small patch of seating, but that also works to its advantage. This way the crowd and service area of this Starbucks is completely separated from the seating. So your coffee talk with a friend isn’t constantly interrupted by a constantly flowing line of espresso deprived strangers. Even the restroom is downstairs. Perfecto.
The Good:
The Location… Directly on Broadway and just north of the 1, B, and C trains.
The Size… A two-story Starbucks with tons of seating on the 2nd floor balcony.
The Seating… Some small tables on the 1st floor, tons of varied seating on the 2nd floor, and there’s even some comfy chairs and a table on the staircase. Gotta love it.
The Power Outlets… Plenty available on the 2nd floor, which really isn’t common due to the squatter effect of New Yorkers.
The Bad:
The WiFi… Not up to par with the typical Starbucks.
The Restroom… Just the one.
Barista Friendliness:
Drink of Choice:
Grande Iced Coffee.
Overall Starbucks Rating:
Another standout Upper West Side Starbucks.
Starbucks and the City 
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