NYC Starbucks: 39th & Park

8 Aug

39th and Park Starbucks

The perfectly placed Starbucks would be one directly on the way from your home to work in the morning. In NYC, thousands of people commute in through Grand Central Terminal each day and walk to their place of business — usually somewhere in Midtown. Therefore, the Starbucks on 39th and Park Ave is probably the go-to Starbucks to hundreds of people each day.

This Starbucks is far enough from the terminal to likely avoid being swarmed but close enough to not be out of anyone’s way. And if it is… luckily this is Midtown, so there’s bound to be another Starbucks in any other direction. It’s also conveniently surrounded by three banks: Capital One, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

Inside, the Starbucks is L-shaped with an elevated ceiling and various hanging light fixtures. Most seats are elevated barstools facing the windows, but there is also a cushioned sofa equipped with power outlets on one interior wall.

While most Midtown Starbucks are only bearable enough to get your drink and go, this one I could actually spend some time in.

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NYC Starbucks: Walker & Broadway

7 Aug

Walker and Broadway Starbucks

Time was I would go to Starbucks and do a variety of different activities: read, write, type, talk, etc…

During my undergrad, I took an entire online course in a Starbucks sitting area. After graduating, I took up astrology and bought and read several books on the subject in my favorite cafe. I studied for my GREs there and used it as a meeting place for several social engagements.

Now, it seems I go for the sole purpose of this blog. Sometimes I’m able to squeeze in some work — or heaven forbid, read a book — but mostly I’m scoping out the place/neighborhood. If this sounds like a complaint, it’s because it is. Luckily, I still have plenty of time to change my way and go back to why I fell in love with Starbucks in the first place.

The Starbucks I’m currently occupying is just south of Canal Street in a cross-section of Chinatown and TriBeCa; although characteristically, this neighborhood (and the Starbucks within) resembles SoHo much more than TriBeCa.

On the outside, the Starbucks on Walker and Broadway is covered in construction sheeting and swarming with crowds. On this inside, it is still pretty much swarming with crowds but much more visually appealing. Although dimly lit, this Starbucks has its perks, like exposed brick walls, tons of seating, and plenty of power outlets available for power hungry New Yorkers. Thankfully, this Starbucks is quite large because there are plenty of tourists beating down the door — even though most seem to come just to use the restroom.

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NYC Starbucks: 59th & 9th

6 Aug

59th and 9th Starbucks

So far the month of August has truly been a beautiful month here in New York City. The temperature has dropped just enough for midday walks through the city to be bearable , and I no longer break into a perfusive sweat after riding a Citi Bike. Luckily, I have been avoiding the subway as much as possible because I’m sure the underground tunnels are still as scorching as ever.

Today I actually walked directly across the island from 1st avenue, through Central Park, and into the Starbucks on 59th and 9th Avenue. This Starbucks is actually on the corner where 9th Ave becomes Columbus Ave and Hell’s Kitchen turns into the Upper West Side. But if I were to peg this location based on its environment, I’d say it feels much more like an UWS Starbucks. It is a few short blocks south of Lincoln Center and directly underneath Fordham University — a private, Jesuit college here in NYC.

It’s a fairly large and decently crowded Starbucks. It has plenty of seats for patrons (although no padded chairs) and lots of power outlets for those wanting to stay awhile. The walls are painted an olive green color and accented with natural wood pillars that help break up the inside and give it the impression of being even bigger than it actually is. A lot of people seem to come here to read or write, and I can see why; the large paneled windows, surrounding brownstone buildings and overlooking trees on Columbus Ave make this Starbucks’ environment a little more serene than most in the city.

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NYC Starbucks: 76th & 2nd

5 Aug

76th and 2nd Starbucks

By now, I’ve seen my fair share of Upper East Side Starbucks. And while most tend to be a little larger and cleaner than Starbucks in other neighborhoods, the location on 76th and 2nd avenue failed to live up to my expectations. No it’s not particularly dirty, but perhaps it’s the dim shadow-casting lighting that gives off that impression.

All in all, this Starbucks can be described in three words: small, dark and old.

If you pass by on 2nd avenue, you can take in the Starbucks in its entirety in one quick glance. The decor, walls and seating are all stained dark, and the ceiling lights seem to be only turned half on. And something about this location gives me a vintage vibe. Not that intentional vintage look, but I genuinely feel like this location is straight from the 80s. Perhaps it’s the half-paneled walls and plain wooden chairs.

The crowd in here is small at this time, but then again, I doubt most Upper East Side residents are feeding their caffeine cravings this late at night. Some come and go, but the crowd inside stays light. However, the Gristedes directly across the street seems to be a happening place. I would say this would be an excellent place to come study or read a book, but you’ll just need to bare with the slightly uncomfortable seating.

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Reflection: July

1 Aug

NYC Starbucks_July

 

July was a doozy of a month. And by ‘doozy’ I mean hot, sweaty, sultry and drippy kind of month. At times, Manhattan felt like a concrete oven, but it wasn’t the smell of cookies that was emanating from the streets.

I visited more Starbucks this month than any other before it, rating 23 individual locations. I also surpassed 100 different Starbucks this month, and bringing my total so far to 113. One could say that July was the month of odd, oblique and randomly placed Starbucks. One thing I learned this month: they’ll squeeze a Starbucks anywhere they can in this city. I visited Starbucks inside banks, office buildings, train stations, bus stations, shopping malls and retail stores. I’m sure I’ll continue to find randomly placed Starbucks locations as my journey continues, and I’m excited to see where else a Starbucks can fit.

The end of July also signifies a personal triumph for me. As of today, I’ve been living in NYC for one complete year. On the morning of August 1st of last year, I boarded a plane to JFK with only a suitcase, a carry-on and a laptop bag. I had sold my car, my bike, all my furniture and 80 percent of my personal items; I had said goodbye to all my friends and family; and I had absolutely no idea what would be in-store for me. One year later, and I’ve made New York my home. I can barely believe that a year has already come and gone. I once heard that 1 year spent in NYC is the equivalent of 3 years spent anywhere else. And maybe that’s why time has flown by so fast; I’ve been busy!

And Starbucks is only part of that. Check out the gallery of the 23 Starbucks locations I rated in July and stay tuned to see how many I can rack up in the month of August.

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NYC Starbucks: 9th & 2nd

31 Jul

9th and 2nd Starbucks

Wow, it’s early.

This may be the earliest I’ve visited a Starbucks for this blog. But there’s something motivating about waking up at sunrise and starting the day with coffee and writing before work. No, I don’t do this often; the real reason I’m up this early is that I have Beyonce tickets tonight and there just isn’t enough hours in the day.

For the last Starbucks in July, I’m paying a visit to the East Village. On 9th and 2nd Avenue, there is a sizable Starbucks, just north of St Marks Place. This Starbucks has what most don’t — an outdoor seating area. No, it’s not fully secluded from passersby like the Starbucks in Yorkville ,but it does have a 3-foot high metal gate separating you from the sidewalk crowd. It even has a large awning that extends from the side of the building.

Inside, this Starbucks has exposed brick pillars and walls that really give it the NYC vibe. There is plenty of seating (especially at the crack of dawn), and it’s spaced enough for it not to get too crowded.

All in all, I’m a sucker for a Starbucks with an outdoor area, but I’d have to come back to see what the crowd is like midday.

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NYC Starbucks: 117th & Pleasant (Target)

30 Jul

117th and Pleasant Starbucks

As the month wraps up, I’m continuing my trend of Starbucks stuffed into place, and everyone’s who’s ever visited a Target store knows how convenient it is to see smell their favorite coffee brand the moment they walk in.

There is actually only one Target on the island of Manhattan, and although this retail superstore is not nearly as popular in the city, it still has a special place in my heart. Without Target, I would never have had the courage to move to NYC. I actually worked for the company as a manager (or Team Leader, in Target-speak) for five years, and they were willing to transfer me up to one of their Brooklyn locations when I got accepted to New York University. Throughout my undergrad, I built my leadership skills within the red wall of Target; I’ve made several great friends; I learned work-ethic and life lessons; and I would never have met my current boyfriend if I had never adorned the red & khaki.

Another thing I got from working at Target — obviously — was an addiction to Starbucks coffee. Although I never worked at this Target, located on 117th and Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem, just walking in here brings back so many memories of my days with the company. I never did work in any of the licensed Starbucks that are within Target stores, but I would frequent them enough to get to know all the barista team members.

The Starbucks inside this Target actually has a great deal of space to itself. There are plenty of small and large tables to sit at, and not surprisingly, at least half of them are occupied by guests with loaded shopping carts. Of course it’s brighter than most Starbucks (fluorescent lights and all), and due to frequent guest traffic, tends to get dirtier a little more quickly.

All in all, it’s not the Starbucks you want to meet a friend for coffee at or hold a study group, but it sure is convenient if you need to get some shopping done.

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NYC Starbucks: 33rd & 6th (Manhattan Mall)

29 Jul

33rd and 6th Starbucks

New York City is known for some of the best shopping opportunities in the country. However, one thing NYC is not known for is its malls. After all, this isn’t Minnesota. Where other cities rely on malls to bring the people and retail chains together, here in Manhattan, clothing stores and specialty shops can thrive without the confines of a shopping mall.

However, there is at least one mall on the island of Manhattan that I’ve stumbled upon, and that mall, of  course, happens to have a Starbucks in it.

The Manhattan Mall is just south of Herald Square and rests in the shadow of the gigantic Macy’s. It consists of your typical, run of the mill mall stores like Victoria’s Secret, JC Penney’s, Express and Aeropostale, but is lacking the typical mall food court. The mall is typically flooded with Midtown tourists and a younger crowd of high school mall-rats with nothing better to do — oh the memories!

The Starbucks is located on the first floor near the entrances on both 33rd and 6th Avenue. Unlike some mall Starbucks that I’ve seen in my day, this one doesn’t have a seating area or separate lobby at all. It was literally built directly on top of the mall tile below the escalator to the second floor. It almost looks like a pop-up Starbucks — like they could clear out at any moment without a trace of ever being there.

I would say I’d only recommend this Starbucks to someone up for some serious mall shopping, but then I really wouldn’t recommend coming to Manhattan to shop at a mall.

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NYC Starbucks: 42nd & 9th

26 Jul

42nd and 9th Starbucks

I’ve passed by the Starbucks on 42nd and 9th avenue several times, and although never entering, I knew what I would most likely rate this Starbucks months ago. That’s because its exterior wall is nothing but paneled glass. Each time I passed, I could see exactly what was going on inside.

Essentially, this Starbucks is a small space with crowded tables, a consistent crowd and little room for much else. I could even tell there was no restroom just by a passing glance. Although it’s well enough removed from Time Square to not have a giant crowd shuffling by outside, it still attracts enough of a crowd. It’s close to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and just north of the traffic nightmare known as Hellsea.

I’m not saying grabbing a seat here would be impossible. Just prepare to wait a while — or arrive early. This bad boy opens up at 6am, Monday-Friday.

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NYC Starbucks: 36th & Madison

24 Jul

36th and Madison Starbucks

Today you get to hear about one of my Starbucks pet-peeves that I’ve yet to discuss. It’s something so little that I really have no idea why it even bothers me at all. So before you label this with the infamous FirstWorldProblems hashtag, just know I’m aware of of the triviality of this pet-peeve. But I just can’t help it…

I hate it when they run out of regular lids and give me a frappuccino lid when I have an iced drink that doesn’t require one (pictured above). I think it’s because the drink seems less protected, and for a clumsy person like myself, the lid leads to a greater chance of spillage on my part. Or possibly I just don’t get how a cafe can run out of lids in the first place.

Okay — there you have it. I’ve said what I had to say about that.

The Starbucks on 36th and Madison has a lot going for it despite the fact that it gave me a frappuccino lid on an iced latte. Its seating area is larger than most, and better yet, it is lightly occupied with patrons. It is designed with arches instead of corners, so the seating area almost looks like a semi-circle or a curving road. Maple wood is used for throughout instead of the typical espresso tint, and there is a large lightly colored mural on the long wall opposite the door.

Ironically, when I first spotted this Starbucks on Monday it was free of exterior construction, but now the entire outside on both sides is covered by the hideous metal bars. It’s funny, because I only ever see these things pop up, but rarely notice one taken down. Perhaps the entire city will soon be covered in them.

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