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NYC Starbucks: 55th & 7th

12 Mar

55thand7th

After giving us three beautiful days in a row, it seems the weather gods of NYC decided to curse us with a miserable rainy day. Most people stay in on days like these — I put on my rain boots and head to Starbucks. You’re practically guaranteed a seat at any location since so few are willing to venture out into the rain.

Not wanting to venture too far — there’s only so much rain one can take — I settled on a Starbucks in Midtown. This Starbucks on 55th and 7th may be on the same block as the 54th and Broadway location, but their resemblance stops at the drinks they serve. This location is large and inviting. Its neighbor could not even squeeze in a restroom.

Pictured above is a piece of a wall mural consisting of inspiring words. Although I’ve seen some of these word murals at Starbucks locations before — and usually find mass produced wall art to be as inspiring as cob webs — I found this particular quote to be relatable. It reads:

“Does it taste like berries? Does it taste like chocolate? Does it taste like wood? Does it taste like cinnamon?” She questioned.

“It tastes like home.” He replied.

We all have scents, sounds, and tastes that bring back memories. I taste home whenever I have plain hot coffee with cream and sugar. I started drinking coffee at a very young age. It was my Grandmother that first introduced showed me the light. I remember how she would leave one cup in the carafe for me. She’d do it despite my mother’s insistence that I was too young for coffee and that it would stunt my growth.

Luckily, I survived to be a well-rounded 5’10.

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NYC Starbucks: 16th & 8th

11 Mar

16thand8th

It is another beautiful day out in New York City. So I decided to pay a visit to the neighborhood that has become my favorite area to go shopping, have lunch, or just simply walk around. You guessed it — welcome back to Chelsea.

The Starbucks on 16th Street and 8th Avenue was designed with NASCAR fans in mind. It functions like a racetrack, and is the perfect pit stop on your way to and fro. You walk in and steer to the left wear you order at the barista bar. Progress forward and pick up your drink at the end of the row. Need to use the restroom? Merge right. If not, then make a U-turn and face the creamer station. From there your back where you started and a few steps from the door.

The good thing about Starbucks such as these is that they are perfect for grabbing a quick cup on the go. The downside is that they don’t make the best sitting locations. Yes — there are stools lining walls here, but they’re condensed and highly populated. Since this one is directly on top of a subway terminal, it is clear who Starbucks was catering to when they opened this location.

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NYC Starbucks: 38th & 7th

4 Mar

38thand7th

I would be curious to see the ratio of hot coffee vs. iced coffee based on geography and season. When I lived in Florida I only drank iced coffees. Well, that’s not entirely true. I also drank iced lattes, iced mochas, iced teas, and the occasional frapuccino. In-fact, I was never a “big coffee drinker” until I discovered it over ice. Now, I find myself cringing at the thought of adding any unnecessary ice to my life. I’ve become accustomed to my hot coffee to fight the morning chill. I would suppose the percent of iced beverages in a Canadian Starbucks is significantly less than a Southern California location.

Such are the things a true Starbucks addict is able to ponder.

I’m currently sipping my hot coffee at a Starbucks in Midtown. Technically, this Starbucks is in the Garment District, but since it is so close to the intersection of Broadway and 7th Ave it mostly resembles the Times Square and Theatre District locations. Space is tight. The lines are long. And the morning rush never seems to end. But this Starbucks does have one added perk. Directly beyond the barista bar is a staircase leading to a small seating area that looks over the ruckus of Midtown coffee-traffic.

Little perks such as these are an excellent reminder that Starbucks is just as much a cafe as it is a fast-food chain.

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NYC Starbucks: 92nd & 3rd

2 Mar

92ndand3rd

The Starbucks on 92nd street and 3rd avenue is only the third Starbucks I’ve visited on the Upper East Side, but I am already seeing a pattern. If the Starbucks of NYC were a clothing line, the Upper East Side locations would be the formal wear. These Starbucks dress to impress.

Being up in the 90s, this location actually boarders on East Harlem, which may also explain the communal atmosphere I picked up on while sitting here. Several older patrons seem to frequent the location. They don’t bring laptops or iPads. They come with newspapers and paperback novels. They chat with each other and are on a first name basis with the baristas. Simply adorable — to say the least.

But all Starbucks come with their flaws. Yes this Starbucks may be beautifully decorated and clean — almost sterile, in-fact — it falls short in the practicality department. The small seating lounge is just a bit too snug. Causing people to shift around to let others pass in and out of seats or to the creamer station.

Also, this Starbucks doesn’t appear to have any public power outlets. Unfortunately this too is becoming a pattern I’m noticing. In-fact, I did a bit of research on the matter. Check out this article I discovered from 2011 that talks about the need for Starbucks to eliminate squatters in”extreme cases.” Now I’ve often been quoted saying that Starbucks is my “office” but apparently there are some that have taken that statement to the next level, turning Starbucks into their 9 to 5 workroom.

This begs the question: Is Starbucks cutting off New York’s power supply?

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NYC Starbucks: 32nd & 2nd

25 Feb

32ndand2nd

Today I sit in the neighborhood of Kips Bay. Just east of the mob scene known as Herald Square, Kips Bay could not differ more. Honestly, when I think of Kips Bay a yawn usually escapes my mouth.

This is a residential neighborhood with few transportation options. The easiest way in and out of Kips Bay is the bus system, and if you’ve ever attempted to take an MTA bus in NYC you know that “easy” isn’t the best word to describe the experience. Personally I prefer walking — which is usually what happens anyway after waiting 10-15 minutes for a bus that never shows up.

The neighborhood’s lack of train transportation may be what allows it to be a relatively peaceful and easygoing part of New York. Of course if the 2nd Avenue subway ever arrives — a work in progress since 1929 that has earned the nickname “The Line That Time Forgot” — then maybe Kips Bay will begin to resemble its neighbors to the west.

The Kips Bay Starbucks on 32nd and 2nd resembles its surroundings in the fact that it has a light crowd. A decent amount of seating lines the long windowed wall, and there is at least one or two free seats at any given moment. The crowd is subdued. Everyone has a book, laptop, or smart phone in front of them. And neither the coffee line or restroom line draws attention.

Unfortunately there is no comfy seating. In fact, it’s wood all around. Whether you’re seating on one of the wooden chairs or the wooden bench that lines the wall. Or you can lean against the wooden barista bar while you admire the large wooden plaque on the wall that speaks to Starbucks’s environmental good doings.

All in all, this Starbucks provides a great environment — it’s just transportation that it’s lacking.

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NYC Starbucks: 41st & Broadway

29 Jan

41standbroadway

Today I received a special package from the Regional Vice President of the NYC Starbucks: a Starbucks Coffee Passport.

This tiny booklet is designed to allow those with a passion for Starbucks coffee to get an in-depth view of how their brew is created, differentiate between the different types of roasts,  as well as record their thoughts and opinions in the Coffee Tasting Guide. I must admit, I’m very honored to have the support of Starbucks as an organization when it comes to what I’m doing here on this blog. Although I won’t allow this to dictate my opinions of the Starbucks I encounter here in NYC, it’s a good feeling none-the-less.

Speaking of — I’m currently squatting at another Times Square location. This is a location I’ve been to many times before, since it’s placement to the Times Square subway line is so convenient. It is probably the most cramped location in the city, but at the same time,  the space is filled with plenty of seats for those looking to rest their feet a bit — so it’s useful clutter, at least. In fact, I’ve never really needed to wait for a seat; waiting for the restroom on the other hand, well that’s a different story.

The doors are open til 12am nightly, so come and see for yourself.

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NYC Starbucks: 42nd & 6th

28 Jan

42ndand6th

Yes, two in one day — And if you’re judging me, so be it, because I know I’m not the only New Yorker out there who measures their days by the cups of coffee they drink. Also, I’m on a deadline!

In actuality, I simply found myself in the Starbucks located on 42nd & 6th and couldn’t resist writing and reviewing it tonight. This location is unique to me for several reasons. It is the smallest Starbucks I’ve ever entered. It has no seating. It has no restroom. And — for some reason — I can’t hold any of those things against it, because it is one of the fastest locations when it comes to service.

In all honesty, this Starbucks reminds me of my first NYC apartment in the Upper West Side. All there was to it was a small triangular living-room/kitchen combo that we were able to squeeze a futon and a table into. This Starbucks contains a barista bar and a station to fix your drinks at, and that is all. You exit where you entered, so the crowd shuffles in an acute circular motion before being thrust back into the streets.

The closest Starbucks in proximity to Bryant Park (and the B/D/F/M trains), this location receives quite the crowd. Very close-by are other landmarks such as Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and the New York Public Library. Also, here’s a piece of trivia for you: the icon of this blog  is the Starbucks logo from this location, and the building in the background is the NYC headquarters to Bank of America.

I like this location because it gives no misconceptions. If this Starbucks could talk, it’d say the following: “No, you’re not sitting. No, you can’t use the restroom. Get your coffee, and go sit in the park or ice-skate or something. Oh, and have a nice day!”

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NYC Starbucks: 66th & 3rd

28 Jan

66thand3rd

It’s snowing!!!

Yeah, I know I probably shouldn’t lead with that statement, since its relativity to this blog is reaching at best, but the fact remains: It is indeed snowing. This being my first winter up north, I have yet to inherit a prejudice toward this white substance that falls from above. When a seasoned New Yorker says “It’s snowing,” the statement comes out a guttural growl of disdain; coming out of my mouth, the words crack the edges of my mouth into a smile and turn my eyes into saucers of glee. In a year or so, I’ll probably assimilate with the masses and learn to despise the snow, but until then I’ll allow my Floridian instincts to fill me with wonder at the sight of this strange-white phenomena.

Shielding me from this Winter Wonderland today is the Starbucks on the corner of 66th and 3rd. Back in the Upper East Side again, this Starbucks is starkly different then the location on 69th and 1st that I visited previously. Whereas the other location was an excellent spot to sit and read or write, this store seems to be strictly business. Those walking in aren’t really looking for a cafe, they’re looking for their coffees, their lattes, their sugary pastries, and they’re looking for them fast.

This Starbucks is literally designed like a drive-through:

Enter in Front: Order: Move Forward: Pick Up Drink: Proceed to Add Cream/Sugar: Exit in Rear

No fuss, no muss. Get in, get out. But of course IF you were looking to sit down for a spell, there are a few tables toward the back as well as bar seating lining the windows. Of course, it’s my personal goal it sit and observe all the Starbucks in Manhattan, but if you’re not me (which I’m assuming you’re not…) you might be best finding another location that has a little less traffic and a little more seating.

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NYC Starbucks: 13th & 1st

15 Jan

13thand1st

Leave it to the East Village to put an unconventional spin on something as conventional as Starbucks.

The East Village is known throughout Manhattan for it’s artistic and avant-garde edge. Individualists and creative types flock to the East Village to live the bohemian lifestyle. In fact, I can practically feel the neighborhood’s disapproval as I write these categorizations into existence. The East Villagers — and by proxy the village itself — defies categorization. So don’t even try. Kay?

However — in all seriousness — the eclectic culture of the East Village is one of my favorite things about Manhattan. Even those that don’t want to fit in, in fact,  do have a  place they fit in.

So how does Starbucks — the typical corporate coffee house — blend in such an individualistic neighborhood?

As I walked in to the location on 13th and 1st, one of the first things I noticed was the lack of chairs. Instead, lining the window of their long wall is this tall-bench/short table contraption that the patrons were sitting on, legs crossed beneath them. In fact, that’s exactly what I am doing right now. And besides my paranoia that I may drop my laptop or kick over my coffee it ain’t half bad. But for those of you that like to stick to the straight and narrow — not very East Village of you, BTW — there are a couple of chairs lining the barista-bar and the the tiny window in the front.

Best served as a quick pit stop for your morning coffee, but it’ll work as a place to sit — Indian-style that is — as long as okay with your feet falling asleep.

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NYC Starbucks: 47th & 9th

13 Jan

47thand9th

My first week in the city was spent apartment hunting with a ferocity that can only be described as turbulent.

While on the hunt, I was speaking to a potential roommate who gave me the urban-layout of the typical NYC gay boy. He said that the West Village belonged to the “Older Gays”, the “Hipster Gays” lived in East Village or Williamsburg, the “Rich Gays” were all over Chelsea, and the “Young Gays” lived in Hell’s Kitchen. How fascinating, I thought.

So after 3 short months of apartment hopping, I conceded to the stereotype and moved to Hell’s Kitchen. No longer the neighborhood of a West Side Story, HK is now brimming with restaurants, gay bars, and you guessed it — Starbucks. I walk out of my apartment building and need only walk one block in any direction to get my daily caffeine fix.

The Starbucks on 47th and 9th is not my “go-to” Starbucks, but it will do in a pinch. Although it’s small size seems to work against it, the environment is very quiet and most patrons adorn laptops or books. The woman in front of me in line even commented today: “It’s like a library in here.” And she called it.

A crowded library… Only offering up 20 seats — give or take — getting one seat can be a challenge. Getting a  seat with a friend would be sheer luck. But aesthetically, it’s a nice looking seating area, with a long-cushioned bench and high bar seating. Today, I was fortunate enough to get a seat and was even able to spend some time with a good book: More Tales of the City, by Armistead Maupin.

So come check it out but be prepared to get your coffee to-go if you can’t find a seat.

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