Holiday season is in full swing. Thanksgiving has just passed, Black Friday weekend madness is currently underway, and minds everywhere turn toward Christmas and all its treasures and troubles. In New York terms, this means Christmas trees are popping up on sidewalks everywhere, tourists are invading Midtown — avoid 5th & 6th avenue altogether! — and bubble jackets and winter hats can be seen everywhere. In terms of Starbucks, this means that red cups are back, holiday drinks are a-brewin’, and iced beverages are few and far between.
During November, I saw 18 new Starbucks across the city: from 168th street in Washington Heights to Water street in South Ferry. And obviously, there were a lot of Midtown Starbucks in-between. I spent a good amount of time in Times Square; I visited Starbucks that serve both Columbia and Pace universities; and I even made my way out to the Starbucks that caters to the conventioneers at the Javits Center.
Although I saw some well-designed and decorated stores over the past 30-days, not one earned a 5-Cup rating. In fact, exactly half were rated 2-Cup or under — with a whopping 3 Starbucks getting the lowest rating of all. I swear I didn’t intentionally save some of the worst for last! I’m hoping there’s still an undiscovered 5-Cup out there somewhere. And with only 20 — or so — Starbucks left to visit, the chances are seeming kind of slim.
As I prepare to enter my last month of coffee blogging — is that a real thing? — I’m also looking back at where I was a year ago and how much 11 months in NYC can change a person. More on that soon to come! In the meantime, there’s still another round of Starbucks to go, and I’m pretty darn excited for my next stop. I’ll even give you a hint: four distinct Starbucks can be found in this 10-story NYC landmark.
Starbucks and the City 