NYC Starbucks: Hanover & Pearl

17 Nov

Hanover and Pearl Starbucks

 

After spending a few hours in FiDi today, I began to realize what a ghost town this neighborhood becomes on a Sunday. Sure you see people walking the streets here and there, but most residents are probably tucked away in their apartments, and most businesses are closed until the business crowd comes back on Monday. The few street stragglers appeared to be walking to and from the few sports bars that are playing Sunday football. Of course I passed by each and headed to the Starbucks on Hanover and Pearl.

Today was actually the last day of Starbucks’ latest promotion: buy one, get one Holiday drinks. Although, I’m not the biggest fan of sweet espresso based drinks, I couldn’t pass this one up. Literally, I arrived 2-minutes before the promotion cut-off time, and ordered a gingerbread latte for myself and a peppermint mocha for my boyfriend.

The Starbucks itself is a small L-shaped location, with wraparound window seating and two comfy chairs against one wall. There’s no public restroom and no crowd beating down the door at 5pm on a Sunday. It’s very close to the water’s edge of Manhattan, and it’s ironically the only building on the block that is covered in construction scaffolding.

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NYC Starbucks: 43rd & 3rd

16 Nov

43rd and 3rd Starbucks

Yesterday I visited a small and cramped Starbucks in a neighborhood full of spacious apartments, and today I’m at a considerably sized Starbucks in a neighborhood of unbelievably small apartments. What a conundrum! I guess that just goes to show you can’t depend on the neighborhood stereotypes for everything.

The Starbucks on 43rd and 3rd really did surprise me with its grand size and moderate crowd. From what I’ve discovered, the handful of big Midtown Starbucks are strategically placed to impress travels and tourists — Times Square, Herald Square, etc… But this Starbucks is just hidden enough for the patrons to be residential and still be located near Grand Central Terminal.

If I lived in the neighborhood this would definitely be my “Go-To Starbucks.” In fact, anyone living in Midtown will probably have more office space here than in their own apartments.

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NYC Starbucks: 168th & Broadway

15 Nov

168th and Broadway Starbucks

 

Before I even begin this post, I want it to be known that the Starbucks drink pictured above is not my typical iced coffee. Oh no! It’s something much better. My favorite seasonal drink… the Eggnog Latte.

I was pretty overweight growing up. I didn’t exercise regularly. Guzzled soda. And always asked for a second or third serving at dinner. Still… I blame my adoration of eggnog for a lot of my weight problems. In fact, I remember one distinct December evening where I had consumed nearly a half-gallon of eggnog on my own that something clicked in my mind. That night I decided my new years resolution would be to lose weight by curving my diet, and by my 17th birthday in February I had already dropped over 20 pounds. I like to say that was the year that changed my life. I ended the year nearly 60 pounds lighter, enrolled in a weightlifting class and ready to bulk up in a positive way.

So obviously, I have a love/hate relationship with eggnog. So I figure having it in my lattes every now and again is a safe enough. I also make my own damn-good christmas coffee with nutmeg, cinnamon and eggnog instead of creamer.

But enough about eggnog. Let’s talk about the Starbucks on 168th and Broadway. As of today this is the 2nd most-northern Starbucks in Manhattan. I say “as of today” because Starbucks is in the process of building a Starbucks in Inwood, which is the highest neighborhood on the island. I don’t think it’ll be open by the end of the year, but that still won’t stop me from making the journey up to see it.  This Starbucks is in the large neighborhood of Washington Heights and is conveniently located on top of the A/C and 1 train station.

Needless to say, the Broadway up here is very different than the Broadway in Midtown or even the Broadway in the Upper West Side. Everything up here is much more spread out. You actually have room to breathe — except inside the Starbucks itself. I guess I thought the Starbucks up here would be larger than those in Midtown or FiDi (since space is much cheaper) but they’re really not. This Starbucks is just as small, just as crowded and just as dirty as some of the Midtown Starbucks I’ve come across. The only difference is the patrons up here are locals and not tourists — which are much more tolerable to be around.

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NYC Starbucks: Murray & Church

13 Nov

Murray and Church Starbucks

 

I was actually on my way to a different Starbucks in FiDi when I passed by the Starbucks on Murray and Church. I had to do a double-take to make sure I hadn’t already been to and rated this Starbucks before. Am I losing track of where I’ve been? Maybe… After all, I’ve been to over 170 Starbucks. Deja vu at this point is to be expected.

Once inside the Murray and Church Starbucks, I knew for sure I hadn’t seen this location before. On one of the seating area walls is a long framed picture that represents Lower Manhattan (pictured above). I’ve seen a few similar pictures at Starbucks throughout the city, but this one was definitely unique.

This Starbucks is definitely a good size and is well equipped with seating. The restroom line was much longer than the coffee line, and I had no problem finding a seat at the communal table. Unfortunately, the WiFi was atrocious. At first I thought it was down, but after 10-minutes of playing around with it, my computer finally connected. Still… the connection was so slow I didn’t stay online for more than five minutes before giving up.

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NYC Starbucks: 42nd & 3rd

11 Nov

42nd and 3rd Starbucks

One of the inevitable pangs of living in New York is being stuck in a Starbucks restroom line with a homeless person inside. You can literally be waiting 15-20 minutes while someone bathes, changes clothes, shoots up drugs, talks to themselves… you name it. I feel I’ve been pretty fortunate in my journeys at having avoided this situation; however, today I was not so lucky. I knew I’d be waiting a while in line at the Starbucks on 42nd and 3rd when I heard the toilette flush every 20 or 30 seconds for two-minutes straight. Five minutes later, I was still waiting. Clearly, I wasn’t surprised when the homeless man staggered out. I simply held my nose and dived in after him.

Other than my restroom wait — which can happen at an Starbucks in the city — I found the 42nd & 3rd Starbucks to be welcoming enough. It has plenty of space. It’s well lit. And I caught the line in a lull and barely had to wait. Most of the seating was taken, but it’s not because the crowd was abnormally large. It just seems that there is not enough seating to fill this spacious Starbucks. 10-20 more seats could easily be strategically placed throughout. But then maybe they’d have to put in a second restroom.

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NYC Starbucks: 53rd & Madison

10 Nov

53rd and Madison Starbucks

I was not expecting to be impressed at all by the Starbucks on the corner of 53rd and Madison Avenue. It’s the Midtown reputation that’s to blame. But as I neared this store I spotted its two windows and felt a glimpse of hope.

This Starbucks has window displays similar to those you would find at Bloomingdales and Macy’s (pictured above). No, they’re not as elaborate, but they’re still pretty cool to look at. Hell, you can even sit in them if all the other seating is taken. Also pictured above is the wall art that runs the length of the longest wall in the store. Randomly placed green coffee mugs and saucers are attached to the wood paneling. Underneath them are several padded benches made up of an off-white faux leather.

In all honesty, this Starbucks would have received a 5-Cup rating if it weren’t so small. The crowd was not too large, but confined in the narrow space it seemed way too cramped at times. Other than that, this Starbucks really is excellent. Cozy even.

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NYC Starbucks: 85th & Lexington

9 Nov

85th and Lexington Starbucks

So I’m playing a little bit of catch up for the month of November and just couldn’t help but knock out two Upper East Side Starbucks in the same day. After all, they are only three blocks away from each other and on the same avenue. All I had to do was walk three streets down on Lexington from the Starbucks on 87th street to the one on 85th.

Although these stores are so close, this Starbucks is technically outside the border of the Carnegie Hills sub-neighborhood that its sister store belongs to. What separates them is a train station and the crowded shopping area on 86th street.

The 85th street Starbucks is about half the size of its counterpart with a third of the crowd. It’s L-shaped with the barista bar near the entrance and some extra seating and the restroom located on the north side. I also spotted a large stack of Starbucks boxes with red stickers labeled “NO PEEKING.” This is probably the third time I’ve noticed these boxes at various locations across the city, and now I’m a little curious as to what exactly they are. My best guess is they are extra inventory during the holiday season, and the labels are just a clever way to keep them in the stores without them becoming an eye sore. Pure speculation, though.

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NYC Starbucks: 87th & Lexington

9 Nov

87th and Lexington Starbucks

It seems like every time I think I’ve got all the neighborhoods in Manhattan pegged, I discover a new neighborhood or sub-neighborhood. Today, I’m sitting at the Starbucks on 87th & Lexington in the Upper East Side. This particular area is in the southern portion of a smaller neighborhood named Carnegie Hill — which is ironically no where near Carnegie Hall.

The neighborhood runs from 86th street up through 96th and was named after a mansion that was built on 91st street which has now been converted into a museum owned by the Smithsonian. In fact, within this neighborhood is NYC’s Museum Mile on 5th Avenue. From 81st street through to 105th street exist ten distinct museums to visit including The Met and The Guggenheim. There’s even a museum dedicated to the history of New York City itself. And, although I’ve only visited The Met so far, I feel some of the others calling my name — especially since the temperature continues to drop.

As for the Starbucks itself — it’s fairly impressive. It’s large, contains multiple rooms with tons of seating, and is near some of the best transportation options in the Upper East Side. Something also worth noting is that dozens of adorable dogs passed by on the sidewalk outside during my visit. After all, were just west of Yorkville — home to the baby carriages and dog leashes.

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NYC Starbucks: 49th & 7th

8 Nov

49th and 7th Starbucks

Fall simply does not last long enough here in NYC. It’s only early November and already we’re in the 30s with the threat of snow next week. Obviously that’s the latent Floridian in me talking, but still… Brrr!

I’m currently concealed from the cold drinking my tall hot coffee at the Starbucks on 49th and 7th. Although, it’s technically north of Time Square, it’s still surrounded by the bright lights and hype of the area. The crowd is just as touristy here as it is on 42nd street, and the lines are no shorter. In fact, at the moment I can’t really make out the difference between those waiting to use the single restroom and those waiting for their drinks. They all stew in a still silence.

Also notable on this trip… there seems to be a group of pirates gathering in one corner of this Starbucks. It started with one. Then two. Now I’m sitting across from three fully dressed pirates. Perhaps they make money taking pictures under the bright lights, or maybe this is just a group of guys attending a very late Halloween party.

While I still hold the belief that no Starbucks in NYC is typical, I will admit that this one cannot help resemble every other Times Square Starbucks. It’s bursting with crowds. The baristas move slow simply because they’re consistently overwhelmed. The restroom line is a mess. And 50 percent of the people using the seating — if there is any — have made no purchase.

Still, if you like high energy environments, this very well could be the Starbucks for you!

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NYC Starbucks: 45th & Broadway NWC (Marriott Marquis)

6 Nov

45th and Broadway Starbucks Marriott Marquis

I know what you’re thinking. It’s already the sixth of November, and I’ve only visited two Starbucks so far. I’ve less than 60 days left in the year — time is running out — and here I am slacking. Well, maybe I’m the only one thinking that, but I promise my commitment to the cause is stronger than ever. I just happened to have some friends from Florida visiting for the Halloween weekend, and obviously they wanted to see more of NYC than the insides of various Starbucks.

To kick things back into gear, I decided a trip to a Time Square Starbucks would do the trick. And I’ve had my eye on the Starbucks within The Marriott Marquis lobby for quite some time. Before I describe the Starbucks, let me say how grand this hotel is. No — it’s not grand as in pretentiously opulent — it’s just impressive. The location. The glass elevators. The views from the hotel rooms. The accommodations. The crowds. Everything. It’s very high energy and things don’t really calm down in the lobby until after 4am — don’t ask me how I know that. I will also add that a friend once got their luggage stolen from the lobby when they were checking in. So be careful.

As for the Starbucks… It is located on the southeast side of the building. It has a street entrance on 45th street as well as a glass door leading into the Marriott’s lobby. There’s no seating inside nor is there a restroom dedicated to Starbucks. Fortunately, there is a standing bar that wraps around the glass paneled exterior. This way, visitors can stand in the warmth of the Starbucks while they gaze out the window at The Minskoff Theatre (home to The Lion King) and Junior’s (a giant NYC diner that attracts thousands of pre/post theatergoers). I recommend trying Junior’s grilled cheese!

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