starbucks roundup, part uno

i spend a whole lot of time in starbuckes. so i had this idea for a new gimmick. and this is it. the starbucks roundup.

at first you might think "that is not a very clever name. there is not even any alliteration or pun or humor or originality or... etc etc" to which i say "i get it i get it, and i considered 'starbuck spotlight' or even 'starbuXmarksthespot' which is pretty clever but reminds me of the logo for Xanadu! On Broadway! but at the end of the day, i have always been partial to the idea of roundups, and the visual image of lassoing the herd of starbucks is both humorous and metaphoric.

so what i am going to do is write a little blurb about notable starbuX in the manhattan area. i will do this whenever i visit a new starbucks and remember to write about it, so you can be assured that there is absolutely no schedule and a very good chance that this could be the only entry ever. who says college grads arent dependable?

today i will highlight the three starbucks from whence my most recent iced venti sugar free vanilla americano with soy milk have come. PLEASE TRY TO CONTAIN YOUR EXCITEMENT!

1. west broadway and fourth.
this joint is a long skinny rectangle that is pretty unremarkable as far as starbucks go. however, it sits on the corner of that trendy maze that is tribeca and soho and whatever the heck else is down there, so take your coffee to go and then wander through the streets exclaiming, "this place looks so cute!" and "we have to come back here!" every three seconds. also, remember: WEST broadway, not regular broadway. if you forget and dont have a cell phone and are meeting someone there, you too may have to use a payphone to correct the address. this recently happened to one of my dear friends. A PAYPHONE!

2. 39th and 8th.
this is the starbucks grotto. as in it's enormous, not as in there are playboy bunnies in waterfalls (sorry). people. it has a LOFT. and a really cool study table with its own private balcony and hanging lamps that would be prime real estate in any college library. there are couches. and a balcony thing where you can spy on everyone ordering their drinks below you. their airconditionning is also really efficient. (read: brrrrr.) also: bankers on coffee breaks. galore.

3. the old standby! 114th and broadway.
the columbia starbucks. also rather unremarkable, save four things, which i will delineate with bullets (fancy!) so as not to confuse the list already begun:

• the seats in the window where i am sitting RIGHT NOW!


• they are filming a movie in front of me. not really cool, but the reason this post sounds like it was written by an ADHD sloth without a spell check (it was)


• you can steal columbia's wireless from said window seat and it's usually quite dependable.


• whenever someone opens the right-side door, paul mccartney's interpretation of blue steel comes frighteningly close to my face. if you snag this seat, you also can pretend that sir mccartney is hitting on you. (why doesnt anyone use the left side door? this is a trend, and weird.)

THANKS FOR JOINING US SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON... THE STARBUCKS ROUNDUP!

'local' beans and local boys

I first visited 'local' at the behest of the owner of the clothing boutique of which I am currently employed after I had a sudden , and surprisingly brutal, panic attack upon my discovery, or lack thereof, of a Starbucks in the immediate area--where was I going to find my mediocre, unreasonably priced cup-of-joe in an area so foreign to me both geographically (living in Morningside Heights) and ideologically (I would not at all describe my wardrobe as trendy. I refuse to spend a billion dollars to look like an Olsen twin ... or a bag lady).

She directed me down the Sullivan between Prince and Houston to a plain storefront with a simple, black, lowercased 'local' on the cement-to-awning glass door. The unexposed brick and white, rectangular table tops didn't shock me, but I found myself at ease in the refuge of the coffee haven with its earthy smells and the quiet hum of the espresso machine. A voice from the back yelled, "Just a sec..." as he finished wrapping up some ham/fig and feta/green pepper sandwiches ($7 each) for two gentlemen typing away at their laptops. I discovered upon reading cleverly placed light pink and green chalkboards that they serve only fair-trade coffee and local (how apropos) baked goods from nearby establishments. The John-Mayer-(who I don't personally find particularly attractive, but whose rugged features still manage to appeal to my double-x chromosomes)-look-alike emerged with a certain boyish charm that was only slightly tainted by his SoHo-hipster attire (I do not care what my cousin Conor says, slippers are NOT an appropriate outdoor shoe choice.)

"I know what you want," he said with mock arrogance. Without a reply from me, we went to work on my beverage, and after a few whirs and whistles from his coffee machinery, presented me with an iced soy chai latte. "It'll blow your mind," he said.

It was totally what I wanted. And you know what? It BLEW MY MIND. (He also told me he only charged me $2 for my $4 drink. It was cute.)

Though they were out of skim milk (hey, it happens), my friend was also equally impressed with her coffee ($2), which she described as "EXCELLENT EXCELLENT." Also excellent was the outrageously tasty zucchini bread ($2.50).

I guess the coffee this side of corporate America comes with a side of flirt. And I'm okay with that.

local
144 Sullivan St.
A to Spring St/R to Prince