Tag Archives: iced coffee

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: Barclay & Broadway

9 May

BarclayandBroadway

Today my caffeinated journey took me to a new Downtown neighborhood — Civic Center of Manhattan. This small neighborhood is the municipal heart of NYC. It surrounds the beautiful City Hall Park and contains city hall (obviously…), the  courthouses, and the police headquarters. It is also a few blocks north east of the World Trade Center and 911 Memorial.

For being in one of the many hustle and bustle parts of Manhattan, I have to say this Starbucks can handle the crowd just fine. Of course there’s a congestion of low-headed individuals waiting for the 1 restroom near the entrance, but that’s just the NYC norm. Past that, this Starbucks contains a plentiful amount of seating (which is only 3/4 full during business hour rush) and some pretty adorable decor. The music is a blast from the past (70s and 80s), but they seem to have the volume up a tad too much. And there are outlets in the building — they just aren’t conveniently located near the majority of seating.

Another interesting factoid  is that this Starbucks is below the Woolsworth building, which New York University owns part of.  I randomly ran into two classmates of mine while scoping out the place. One insists that this Starbucks might want to look into dusting the security cameras they have placed above the barista bar. Just passing along the message…

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NYC Starbucks: 24th & 6th

3 May

24thand6th

Now I’d like to think that I have a strong knowledge of the Starbucks menu and what they do and do not offer. So since I just spotted salads and pretzels at Starbucks last week, I’m going to assume that these are recent additions and not old offerings. Right?

Although I haven’t tried either, I’m more intrigued by the salad then the pretzel. Cafes offer baked goods; that’s a given. But Starbucks is slowly tip-toeing across the line to becoming a lunch destination as well as coffee house. Did you know that Starbucks got its start selling coffee beans, and not coffee itself? Expansion seems to be built into the fabric of the company, so it makes sense that the next evolution may be a fast-food hybrid. This is also ironic, because McDonald’s is clearly trying to be more like Starbucks with the McCafe.  Personally, I don’t trust McDonald’s with espresso, and I wouldn’t trust Starbucks with a burger.

But that’s a discussion to be explored at another time… Now let’s focus on the Flatiron Starbucks on 24th and 6th.

This location has more seating per square foot than most I’ve been to. It’s simply crammed in everywhere. There’s tables for two filling one side of the room, a very long and slender community table that reminds me of those horrid cafeteria tables in high school, more long bar seating next to that, and then a little seating nook with a few comfy leather chairs. No this location is not abnormally large… it is just very accommodating. Unfortunately it’s also covered in construction awnings on both sides of the street.

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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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Reflection: April

2 May

April - Copy

 

You can tell it warmed up in the month of April just by looking above and seeing iced coffees and teas in most of my photos.

This month I reached a total of 14 unique Starbucks locations throughout Manhattan in 9 different neighborhoods. However, because of sheer density alone, most of the Starbucks I visited this month were in Midtown. Which makes sense, because if I had to give a rough estimate, I’d say 50-60% of the Manhattan locations belong to this large neighborhood.

This month I got the pleasure of visiting the one and only Starbucks located in the Lower East Side. But the most impressive Starbucks I came across in April has to be the Greenwich and 8th location. The swanky decor and plate glass walls made this one of the most aesthetically appealing locations I’ve seen on my journey. Unfortunately, this month I’ve encountered no 5-Cup locations, while I did stumble across two 1-Cup locations I’d recommend in a caffeine emergency only — both in the center of midtown on 42nd & 43rd street.

With a third of the year already spent. My plan is to kick it into high gear over the some. I’ll be searching for new neighborhoods and new drink combinations. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

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NYC Starbucks: 14th & 6th

25 Apr

14thand6th

The Starbucks on 14th & 6th straddles the West Village to the south and Chelsea to the northeast. Although these are two of my favorite neighborhoods in the city, neither this block nor this location takes on any of their admirable characteristics.

This isn’t a “bad” location by any means — it’s just crowded and condensed. Besides the fact that 14th street brings a lot of pedestrian traffic, it’s also right off of the F/M trains. Fortunately, this location is just a 10 minute walk from several great attractions, including: the Chelsea Market, Union Square, Washington Square Park, and the Meatpacking District.

One notable characteristic is that the restroom is slightly hidden. There’s no signage for it, and it’s behind a door with a keypad-handle. It opens right up to reveal a small hallway with the typical gender-neutral restroom at the other end. Unless you’re curious-by-nature or inquisitive, you may miss it entirely.

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NYC Starbucks: 43rd & Broadway

17 Apr

43rdandBroadway

Today my Starbucks adventure took me back to one of the many Time Square locations.

Unfortunately, this one does not have much to brag about — in fact, it doesn’t have much at all. Literally, this Starbucks is nothing but a small room with a barista bar, milk station, and a swiveling line. No tables, no chairs, no restroom. Just coffee, tea, and baked goods. There were literally people sitting on the window sills. 

I’ll say one thing about Starbucks like this — they’re kind of a necessity. They’re not glamorous. They’re not meant for lingering. But without them, the nicer & larger Starbucks that are close by would be frequented by even more people. They’re both a blessing and a curse. 

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NYC Starbucks: Delancey & Allen

14 Apr

DelanceyandAllen

This weekend has been a weekend of firsts for me. Yesterday I had my first Dim Sum brunch in Chinatown, and today is my first day exploring the Lower East Side.

This neighborhood is known for its roots in immigrant families and tenement housing. In fact, there’s a Tenement Museum here that replicates the close quarters and living style of the families that traveled over through Ellis Island. The LES’s reputation for being a poor, working class neighborhood of diverse cultures is now fading away due to gentrification. In fact, the neighborhood itself is shrinking. The East Village, Alphabet City, Chinatown, and Little Italy used to all be lumped together in this neighborhood before breaking out with identities of their very own.

Here’s another trivial fact for you — the LES has only one Starbucks.

The single Starbucks on the busy corner of Delancey and Allen street — to me — shows that gentrification (dreaded by all Manhattan traditionalists!) has yet to immerse this neighborhood completely. My biggest guess for the lack of Starbucks here is the lack of transportation in the southern parts of the LES.

Fortunately this one Starbucks is much more impressive than most in Midtown. It’s large, full of seating, and lacks the cramped feeling of most here in the city. It’s also the only Starbucks in the city I’ve encountered with an extended sidewalk awning — another first!

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NYC Starbucks: Greenwich & 8th

12 Apr

Greenwichand8th

Today I decided to try out Starbucks’ Clover machine on an iced coffee. In case you haven’t heard of the Clover, it’s this coffee pressing contraption that is only available at select Starbucks locations. Like a traditional coffee press, it uses heat and pressure to extract the rich flavor from roasted coffee grounds. You can request to get most coffee based drinks with the Clover, and it really enhances the taste of the bean.

My iced coffee was made with the Starbucks Kenya roast, and I have to say it beats the hell out of a regular iced coffee from Starbucks. I usually drink my grande iced coffee with 2 Splenda,but only needed one for this guy. If you haven’t tried the Clover, I highly recommend it. You can use your Starbucks app to figure out which stores offer it and which don’t.

The Starbucks on Greenwich & 8th Avenue is just as impressive as the Clover. As far as design is concerned, it’s one of the best in the city. The exterior is nothing but glass panels that round out the street corner instead of creating a sharp angle. The interior has a dark wood theme throughout and large concrete columns with wooden shelves and seating arrangements built into them. Although it’s not the biggest location, and outlet availability could be better, this Starbucks makes up for it with style alone.

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