Tag Archives: Chelsea

NYC Starbucks: 22nd & 6th

8 Mar

22ndand6th

This Starbucks is my go-to location for my morning coffee. Like so many of you, I can’t imagine coming into work without bearing a coffee in one hand. Luckily this location is directly on my path from the 1-Train in Chelsea to where I work in the Flat Iron.

Surrounded by businesses, this is the type of location where the baristas don’t even need to ask your drink order. They simply smile at you out of recognition and confirm your drink with you: “Venti Pike, right?” — “Yep, that’s me.” Getting to know your team of baristas — or “partners” — has value. Being on a first name basis with those who provide your daily fix is always a good thing. Starbucks clearly takes pride in hiring those with a warm and friendly disposition. Plus they can be an excellent source of information for coffee questions or suggestions. My baristas back home — Logan & Marla — introduced me to many different items — both on and off the menu.

One aspect I really appreciate about this location is that the early morning rush does not affect the welcoming environment. There is a seating area in the back and one on the front, and both are typically bare between the hours of 8am-10am. Which makes perfect sense. Who has time to sit and enjoy their coffee anymore? This guy! If I’m ever ahead of schedule, I can guarantee that  I will be able to find a nice cozy spot here to sit and read the New York Times while I enjoy my coffee and a bagel.

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NYC Starbucks: 23rd & 7th

30 Jan

23rdand7th

I walked in and was struck with deja vu — I’ve been here before! — I suddenly realized.

Back in my NYC infancy I found myself at this Chelsea Starbucks while apartment hunting throughout the city.  I remember sitting in the lounge area while a homeless person came in and slowly and discreetly made his way through the patrons asking for money. It took about 2-3 minutes before the baristas realized and had to ask him to leave.

Now, nearly 6 months later, I find myself sitting in the same exact spot — and at the same time, in a very different position. Then I had no idea that I was sitting in Chelsea — or what Chelsea really was — for that matter. Neighborhoods? Boroughs? 1,2,3? A,C,E? Moving to New York can feel like learning a new language, and in fact I’m still learning to this day. And although I dropped out of German III in high school, the language of the city is one I plan to follow through to its completion.

The more I sit here, the more this Starbucks begins to remind me of the stereotypical grandma’s house — without the plastic-wrap on the furniture, that is. The dim lighting, dark accenting walls, and floral patterned sofa just scream old lady to me. Don’t let that deter you though; just like grandma’s house, this Starbucks has plenty of room for you to come and take a load off.

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NYC Starbucks: 15th & 9th

10 Jan

15thand9th

Chelsea, oh Chelsea.

I look at Chelsea and I see it as a neighborhood of perfectionists. Art studios, dance studios, designer boutiques, corporate offices, beautiful architecture, distinctive restaurants, and upscale lounges — all filled with perfect looking people. Yes, this is New York and looks are always deceiving, but if you were willing to judge a book by its cover — Chelsea gives you a beautiful cover to look at.

This particular Starbucks on 15th St and 9th Ave sits directly across from the Chelsea Market. Once a Nabisco factory, now a concourse of foods, drinks, retail shops, and art studios, the market attracts quite the crowd. The Starbucks is also nestled into Google’s NYC outpost. And in case you haven’t heard, Google just made news for providing free WiFi to the Chelsea neighborhood. Yay for fiber-optics!

But despite Google’s generosity, I sit using Starbucks WiFi staring out onto 9th Ave watching the beautiful Chelsea-ians walk by. It’s hard to say if this Starbucks is truly representative of Chelsea, because the market scene seems to dominate the room — people coming and going. In fact, if I had to make flash-judgement, I’d say this is a Starbucks of Lines.

You walk in and are immediately confronted with the bathroom line — which a friend and I actually stood in and chatted for 3-5 minutes until we realized where it led. Then you sneak around the corner to the drink line. A high bar lines the window, and there is a line of tables on the far wall. After lining up to order, patrons seem to line up to wait for a seat. Oh the lines, lines, lines!

Okay — once you manage to work your way through the lines and manage to find a seat, you may want to put on a sweater, because it seems to run a bit cold in here. In my experience, this can actually be said about most Starbucks I go to. Several times when doing work at Starbucks, I’ve found myself rubbing my hands together for warmth. Am I alone in this one?

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