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NYC Starbucks: 49th & 9th

9 Jun

49th and 9th Starbucks

If I had to choose right now, then I would say this location is my “Go-To” Starbucks. Perhaps the purpose of this entire blog is to find my Go-To Starbucks in NYC?

Having a Go-To Starbucks is an important thing. Back in Orlando, my go-to was in a little nook of Downtown Orlando called Thornton Park. It was biking distance from my house and had an inviting inside as well as a splash of outdoor seating that overlooked the cobblestone road. I spent countless hours there doing coursework, studying for the GREs, meeting with friends, reading on astrology, or even just people watching. A good friend and I actually coined the term “Go-To Starbucks” when we new that was where we needed to go to either catch up or talk about something a little more serious.

This Starbucks is actually directly between 8th and 9th avenues, but since there is another Starbucks on 49th & 8th, I figured this one can occupy the 9th avenue side for clarity’s sake. By distance alone, this is the closest Starbucks to my apartment. Proximity is very important when determining your Go-To. Also, since this Starbucks is not directly on an avenue, it gets less of a crowd than most, so seating is never hard to find (another important factor). But this Starbucks’ greatest asset is the amazing outdoor plaza that cuts between 49th and 50th streets. Equipped with public seating, a gorgeous fountain, and plenty of greenery, it makes for a perfect sunny afternoon hangout. If only the Starbucks WiFi reached there!

There is one threat to this Starbucks’ grand status, and that is the fact that tour buses tend to line up on 49th right outside the courtyard. Weekends or weekdays, they don’t discriminate. When there’s a tour bus outside, the tourists invade this Starbucks like a scene from Mars Attacks. Lengthening all the lines and consuming all the seating.  Luckily, if a tour bus is outside I know to go to one of the 3 other locations within a 2-block radius.

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NYC Starbucks: 17th & 1st

6 Jun

17th and 1st

Sometimes  I need to remind myself that when I conceived the idea for this blog, I didn’t imagine a relentless race through the 200+ Starbucks of Manhattan just to say “I did it!”. The reason I am doing this is so that I can explore this daunting and monstrous island through a familiar setting. If I take a train to a Starbucks in an yet-to-be discovered neighborhood, walk directly into the place and leave 30 minutes to an hour later… what did I discover?

The balance between quality and quantity is hard to achieve. Especially since I can feel my time constrained tighter than a 17th century corset (not that I know what one of those feels like). Sure a lot of the Midtown locations are monotonous and tend to repeat, and I’ve probably tromped through every inch of Chelsea by now. But I need to remind myself to slow down and explore when I come to a neighborhood that’s a little off my beaten path. Like today…

I’m in one of the most unique neighborhoods in Manhattan — if you can even call it a neighborhood. I sit at a Starbucks on the border of Stuyvesant Town, aka Stuytown. This neighborhood is actually a giant private housing community that spans from 14th – 20th street on the east side and holds over 8000 apartment units. It’s privacy is debatable though, considering I was free to roam around at my own leisure. Nevertheless — it’s beautiful, and full of large trees and fenced off grass. Just above Stuytown is Peter Cooper Village, which is basically a continuation of the development, consisting of the same architecture and greenery. Taking a few moments to walk through this neighborhood (even as rain threatened overhead) gave me a pinch more of appreciation of the diversity that NYC offers.

And those Stuytown residents are very fortunate to have an excellent Starbucks on the border of their neighborhood. The Starbucks on the corner of 17th and 1st is both spacious and unique. Hanging on one wall (and pictured above) are spring themed drawings from the 2nd grade students at PS 40. I love seeing such a local presence in a huge corporation like Starbucks. Other features include a long comfy bench (polka-dotted, in fact), window seating, a code-access restroom (sorry passers-by), and an expansive wall mural consisting of coffee cups, a guitar, a globe, and other randomness.

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NYC Starbucks: 34th & Park

4 Jun

34th and Park

The Starbucks on 34th & Park Avenue is massive and defintely has 5-cup potential, unfortunately there are just a few factors holding it back.

One of those factors is that when standing on the street corner, you can barely tell it is there. Not only is it well removed from the street (tucked into what I believe to be an office building) but it is also completely surrounded by construction webbing. I may have passed it up completely if it weren’t for my trusty Starbucks app reassuring me that it was there. Also, when entering the location, you immediately see a blocked off staircase to what would be a really cute balcony — I think it’s a break room now.

But all that negativity aside, this really is an impressive Starbucks. There’s enough seating to warrant 2 restrooms, and there are three divided seating areas to choose from. Outlets are also strategically placed near most seats, so those doing computer work (or with a dying cell phone) can rest assured.

Oh — and I tried the Starbucks cheesecake brownie (a moment of weakness!) during my visit. Delicious!

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NYC Starbucks: 63rd & Broadway

30 May

63rd and Broadway

I used to live at 63rd street on the Upper West Side when I first arrived in NYC, yet I never came across this Starbucks before this week. Just a block away from Lincoln Center (and all the theatrics that come with it), this Starbucks is definitely in a prime location. It’s also only two blocks away from Central Park and just north of Columbus Circle.

Location – of course – isn’t everything. This Starbucks happens to have a very accommodating interior as well, with a long, expansive lounge and multiple arrangements of seating. You can grab a seat at the window, sit at the cushioned bench bordering one wall, plant yourself at the communal table in the center of the store, or even find a spot in a little seating nook that is pushed off to one side of the building.

Today – however – I chose to make Central Park my ultimate destination. And can you blame me? Temperatures soared to 90s this afternoon – so far the year’s high. Also, I had the advantage of having this weekday off while most are cooped up in offices under florescent lighting. Because of this, Sheep’s Meadow (the largest and greenest area in the park) was barely occupied. So I was spared the hundreds of frolicking children and fellow sun-bathers. It was just me, the sun, and an iced coffee.

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NYC Starbucks: 63rd & Lexington

23 May

63rd and Lexington

I’ve been monitoring the arrival of the Starbucks on the corner of 63rd & Lexington as a botanist would study the budding of a new exotic plant.

The first signs of life appeared when the ever-popular “STARBUCKS COFFEE” lettering appeared over top the vacant shop. Then the windows were covered with construction paper as the inside of this building began to transform from whatever it once held into the most well-known coffee house in the world. I must admit, it took longer than I thought it would. You hear of Starbucks “popping” up here and there, but this was much more of a slow growth. Then, just a few days ago, the doors finally opened for business.

I knew I had to visit this location within a week of its opening. Would it be different than the others? More modern? Technologically advanced? Would there be any kinks to work out? What goes into designing one Starbucks from the next?

Now that I’m here, it’s obvious that no great changes have been initiated for Starbucks’ latest fleet of openings. They’re not trying to reinvent a fully functional wheel here on 63rd and Lex. While the decor is nice (grey wood tones accented with silver chairs and stools) and the whole building seems to glisten with newness, it’s not another generation of Starbucks. Pretty soon, I’d imagine it will look similar to all the others in the city.

The one unique feature that I’ve yet to see at another location is its window seating. Most locations have a short bar attached to the windows accompanied by raised stools. This Starbucks has two padded seating cubbies nearly the size of a mattress. These are raised about 2 ft above the floor and are on either corner of the entrance. I’m sitting cross-legged in one now, and I must admit it’s quiet comfortable and comes with a childlike sense of amusement. I’d love to see more of these at other Starbucks.

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NYC Starbucks: 51st & Broadway

21 May

51st and Broadway

Finding a large Starbucks, equipped with plenty of seating and space to spread out, in Manhattan is rare. But finding one in Midtown, Manhattan can seem like playing the lottery and winning the jackpot. Anyone else go in for the 600 mill last week? This guy did! I bought my first lottery ticket ever, and no numbers matched in any of the positions. It was like I drew the inverse of the winning ticket, and it made it seem like I should owe money instead of win any.

I digress.

This Starbucks on 51st & Broadway is unique not only in its large size, but it also has a faded red awning that surrounds the building instead of the typical green or black ones. Inside, there are two seating areas, two bathrooms, and a barista bar equipped with the Clover — for those of you who like their coffee freshly pressed. While it is not in the heart of Times Square, it is only four blocks north and is still surrounded by theaters and congesting groups of tourists. Lots of hotels also exist in this area just north of the Square.

This location may not be the best in the city. But when it comes to the Theatre District, it’s certainly the best I’ve seen so far.

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NYC Starbucks: Charlton & Hudson

14 May

Starbucks on Charlton and Houston

Today I felt like trekking on down to the West Village. One of my favorite neighborhoods and former residence — briefly, but still.

I walked from Washington Square Park and cut southwest through the trendy portion and touristy areas. Where I ended up was the Starbucks on Hudson Street near Charlton. This portion of the Village is sometimes referred to as the Far West Village, and is a small business enclave within the neighborhood. If I couldn’t tell that by the well-sized business buildings, strategically placed lunch stops,  and rushed footsteps hurrying the opposite direction from where I headed, it was made apparent by this location’s business hours.

It’s closes at 8pm each weeknight and is not open at all on Saturdays and Sundays. I was shocked at first. I mean, this location is large and beautiful. But who would be here to enjoy it on the weekends? Practically no body is here to enjoy it right now. Just like the Starbucks in the Financial District, there’s nobody that wants to stick around after working a full day’s work. If they need a pick-me-up after work, they’ll run in, but staying open past 8pm would be a poor business decision.

So here I thought I’d discovered my new weekend get-away to come and work on my computer in a large, vacant Starbucks, when all I really found was a tease. Still, its size, outlet availability, and the fact that it has two restrooms makes this a better location then most.

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NYC Starbucks: 73rd & Columbus

12 May

Starbucks on 73rd and Columbus

If the neighborhoods of Manhattan were competing in a beauty pageant, I feel the Upper West Side would take it by a landslide. Not only does it border Central Park, but it has some of the prettiest buildings and unique architecture (take note of some of the street art and statuary I captured above). It’s less congested, and you can take your time to walk slowly and window shop without becoming a barrier to the go-getters of NYC.

As a gay man, I often tend to look at the city through a rainbow colored lens. The “gay scene” in Manhattan has been on a steady migration ever since the days of Stonewall (1969). Over the past 40 some odd years, the gays have been slowly working their way up the west side of the island. From the West Village to Chelsea to Hell’s Kitchen. You can see the remnants of this slow migration in slug-like trail of stereotypes: The Village houses the “old gays” while Chelsea is for the “muscle daddies” and HK is for “the youngins.”

Always being a forward thinking person, this train of thought has driven me to the conclusion that the Upper West Side will be the next big gay neighborhood within the next 20 years. The proof is in the past and present. As Chelsea bars begin to close and reemerge in HK, the same thing is bound to happen as rent in HK continue to rise. Also since the city was built up — with the northern neighborhoods being newer than the south — there is more room to spread out here.

Building on this stereotype even further, this inevitable migration of gay men with their expendable incomes will certainly lead to more Upper West Side Starbucks. I really hope you can read the jest in my voice here, people!

This Starbucks on 73rd & Columbus is a good example of why I have not grown bored of visiting Starbucks after Starbucks here in Manhattan. Every now and then I stumble upon one that is distinctive enough to keep me pushing forward on my coffee-colored journey.

This location is small but brewing with charm. It’s angled, glass-paneled walls and dark espresso decor attracted me immediately. Then I saw the little seating area separated by a mirrored half-wall and the adorableness factor of this location increased considerably. I believe this to be the first open mirror I’ve seen at any Starbucks so far. Although the restroom line runs long, I still recommend this as a homey and brightly lit Starbucks to spend some time in while on the Upper West Side.

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NYC Starbucks: 33rd & 5th

2 May

33rdand5th

Everyone’s heard of Chinatown, but what about Koreatown?

Koreatown is a small Manhattan neighborhood in Midtown. It is just south of the giant Macy’s at Herald Square. This ethnic enclave is only three streets long, but it is simply brimming with culture. Last year I was led to this neighborhood blindly and told to expect one of the best meals of my life. That’s when I was introduced to Korean BBQ and was certainly not disappointed. Traditional Korean BBQ involves a charcoal grill built into your table as fresh meats and veggies are prepared for you table-side. Hibachi is child’s play compared to Korean BBQ. I highly recommend trying it.

But anyway, this blog is about Starbucks, right?

The Koreatown location at 33rd and 5th is a sizable location with just enough seating to quell the masses that pass through its doors. The decor is fairly simplistic and the furnishings are basic, but seating accommodations alone make this an above average location. I’d say come with a friend, a few friends, or just solo. You’ll be able to find a seat within minutes of entering.

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NYC Starbucks: 47th & 5th

23 Apr

47thand5th

I spent the weekend in Washington DC. I think I visited three different Starbucks over the course of my trip, and I must admit I was still shocked at how large and spacious non-NYC Starbucks tend to be. They have space that goes on for days, and seating a-plenty. Not to mention two-gender specific bathrooms. But still — no city in the world can boast as many locations as good ol’ New York, New York.

Everybody that lives or has lived in NYC is aware that space is gold. Space cannot go wasted. And wasted space will only be discovered and then eaten up by something-or-other. But there are some indoor ‘spaces’ in the city that are actually meant to cater to a crowd that means to linger — and no I’m actually not talking about Starbucks.

Scattered throughout the city, exist a few “Public Seating” areas for the general public. Usually filling the bottom floors of large office buildings, these public seating areas are filled with tables and chairs and function as indoor parks, no nature or swing sets required.

This Starbucks on the corner of 47th & 5th is actually directly attached to one of these public seating areas. It has a street entrance as well as an entrance into the seating area. Therefore, one can get there coffee (or whatever) and take it just a few steps to this climate-controlled area. Large groups can meet here with ease without worrying about the limited seating of the over-crowded lounge areas that exist in most Starbucks.

The seating area alone makes this a unique and accommodating Midtown treat.

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