Archive | 2 Cup RSS feed for this section

NYC Starbucks: 60th & Broadway

22 Jan

60thandbroadway

The Starbucks at Columbus Circle and I have a little bit of history. In fact, you could say it was the early inspiration for this blog.

After graduating from the University of Central Florida in early December of 2011, I decided to reward myself by spending a 5-day streak in NYC with two of my best friends. At some point we ended up at Columbus Circle shortly after midnight lost and searching for a bar that seemed to be evading us. So, we dived into the Starbucks on 60th and Broadway to escape the cold, refuel, and recalculate. Already a regular Starbucks devotee, I had developed a set expectation of what I would find in each location, and the NYC Starbucks locations were dispelling it left and right. At this particular location, after waiting an excruciating amount of time for two lattes, my friend and I started talking about how the NYC Starbucks compared to the locations in Florida.

Just over a year later, I sit here in the same city that I can now call my home — at the same Starbucks that set things in motion.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Columbus Circle area, just know this — it’s busy and beautiful. At the south-west corner of Central Park, the circle has become an iconic landmark — fully equipped with picturesque statuary and shops to keep you busy. It is also a large transportation hub for both buses and subway lines.

So how does all this reflect on the Starbucks on the corner of the circle? — Not well, unfortunately.

Unlike the Starbucks on 34th and 5th that was well equipped to handle the masses, this Starbucks seems to buckle under the pressure. As I walked in this evening, I was greeted by a sea of people waiting around — either waiting to order, waiting to sit, waiting on their drinks, or waiting for the bathroom. Everyone seemed to be placed in a public purgatory — neither coming nor going. The baristas did not seem to move with any sense of urgency brought on by the waiting crowds, and the drinks seemed to be simply tossed onto the bar for the masses to figure out — causing unnecessary confusion. The man directly behind me in line actually commented outloud: “This Starbucks is the worst one.”

Well — I can’t say it’s the worst. After all, I still have 189 to go! But it’s definitely not one you’ll get in-and-out of quickly nor is it suitable for an easy sit-down. Maybe it’s the Starbucks sent to teach New Yorkers patience?

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

NYC Starbucks: John & Water

11 Jan

johnandwater

What can I say, the street name just called out to me.

I decided my next Starbucks would be in the Financial District — home of the 9-to-5. Although this wasn’t my first trip to the Financial District – or FiDi as some have taken to calling it — it was my first opportunity to walk around and really take it in. The biggest distinction is the narrow streets and sidewalks, which are much smaller than anywhere else in the city. Not to mention the office buildings are some of the tallest in the city, making the slender streets seem even more confining. And although I wasn’t there during the early morning rush, I could just imagine the scanty streets cramped with suits & ties trying to get to and fro.

This Starbucks is not in the heart of FiDi, but actually closer to the South Street Seaport, where some travel in and out of the city by means of ferry. When I first walked in I was under the impression that this must be one of Starbucks’s smaller locations – equipped only to get you your coffee then get you on your way. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a stairwell leading to an entirely new level equipped with plenty of seating.

There was just one problem… I couldn’t connect to the internet. When I asked one of the baristas, he explained that they don’t have the AT&T WiFi and that this is common for most locations in the area. He also told me that this location just recently reopened after being flooded with 4-ft of water from Hurricane Sandy. I’ve yet to visit any other locations in the area to test for this lack-of-WiFi, but either way the good folks at Starbucks should probably update their App and remove “Wireless Hotspot” from the list of amenities.

Overall, the decor was nice — especially the high wall with a dozen or so different clocks on it — so come with friends, office buddies, or a good book because a laptop won’t serve you much good.

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

NYC Starbucks: 15th & 9th

10 Jan

15thand9th

Chelsea, oh Chelsea.

I look at Chelsea and I see it as a neighborhood of perfectionists. Art studios, dance studios, designer boutiques, corporate offices, beautiful architecture, distinctive restaurants, and upscale lounges — all filled with perfect looking people. Yes, this is New York and looks are always deceiving, but if you were willing to judge a book by its cover — Chelsea gives you a beautiful cover to look at.

This particular Starbucks on 15th St and 9th Ave sits directly across from the Chelsea Market. Once a Nabisco factory, now a concourse of foods, drinks, retail shops, and art studios, the market attracts quite the crowd. The Starbucks is also nestled into Google’s NYC outpost. And in case you haven’t heard, Google just made news for providing free WiFi to the Chelsea neighborhood. Yay for fiber-optics!

But despite Google’s generosity, I sit using Starbucks WiFi staring out onto 9th Ave watching the beautiful Chelsea-ians walk by. It’s hard to say if this Starbucks is truly representative of Chelsea, because the market scene seems to dominate the room — people coming and going. In fact, if I had to make flash-judgement, I’d say this is a Starbucks of Lines.

You walk in and are immediately confronted with the bathroom line — which a friend and I actually stood in and chatted for 3-5 minutes until we realized where it led. Then you sneak around the corner to the drink line. A high bar lines the window, and there is a line of tables on the far wall. After lining up to order, patrons seem to line up to wait for a seat. Oh the lines, lines, lines!

Okay — once you manage to work your way through the lines and manage to find a seat, you may want to put on a sweater, because it seems to run a bit cold in here. In my experience, this can actually be said about most Starbucks I go to. Several times when doing work at Starbucks, I’ve found myself rubbing my hands together for warmth. Am I alone in this one?

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Newer Entries →