The Starbucks on 42nd and 2nd avenue is on the border of 3 distinct Manhattan neighborhoods: Turtle Bay, Murray Hill, and Tudor City. Each of these are residential (Tudor City is actually one giant apartment complex) and seem to mostly be separated by geography and not so much attributes.
I rode to this Starbucks on a Citi Bike once the rain died down. Taking the train to 2nd avenue is always a pain, and I still believe that NYC busses are simply mythological lies. But Citi Bike is definitely a way to explore the residential neighborhoods without relying on public transportation.
One interesting thing about this Starbucks is that it is attached to a Capitol One bank. Literally, they are one in the same. The barista bar is only a few yards away from the bank tellers. When the bank closes, they simply pull down a security gate to cut the giant room in half. The decor in here is decent, and the lighting is bright and florescent (that of a bank).
Today I tried one of Starbucks’ new iced beverages: the Orange Spice Iced Coffee. It’s quite an interesting drink. They take iced coffee and shake it with orange rind and cinnamon so it comes in your cup with a frothy layer over top. Although the cinnamon is the more powerful taste (reminding me of Christmas coffee), the hints of orange definitely compliment the cool beverage. It’s not something I’d get daily, but it’s certainly a new take on coffee.
Starbucks and the City 