By Meghan Campbell
In college, coffee can often be considered your right-hand man. It is there to get you through those late-night study sessions and the dreaded 8:30 a.m. classes and to help you power through that last-minute essay. At Fordham, students can get their caffeine fix at Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks (both on- and off-campus locations) and Rodrigue’s. But when they step outside the neighborhood, they can find a whole new world of coffee.
Dubbed the city that never sleeps, New York City is fueled by coffee. With chain coffee shops on every corner, it is close to impossible not to find a cup of coffee when you need one, if you dig a little deeper in the city streets, however, you will be able to find coffee shops that can easily put any grande caramel frappucino to shame.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Found in Greenwich Village on West 8th Street, it is a spacious shop for customers to meet up with friends or sit on their laptops with a cup of coffee. Due to its popularity, this place is always crowded, but this should not stop you from trying its incredible coffee. The shop offers a variety of drinks and a small selection of pastries, and, although I would not consider its menu cheap, the coffee is definitely worth buying. Stumptown also has a location on West 29th Street in the Ace Hotel, which offers a completely different and beautiful atmosphere where you can enjoy your beverage.
Culture Coffee
Located on both West 78th Street and on West 36th Street, this shop has a perfect mixture of rustic and modern decorations. With extremely tight spacing and relatively loud music, I would not recommend going here if you are looking for a place to catch up on homework or chat with a friend, but the trip is completely worth it if you are craving a good espresso, latte or mocha. With drinks set at very reasonable prices, buying their mouth-watering, homemade chocolate chip or oatmeal cranberry cookies is an entirely guilt-free decision and completes the incredible experience.
The Chipped Cup
Found in Harlem on 3610 Broadway Ave., it offers a quirky atmosphere that you will instantly fall in love with. The interior of the shop is small, with mismatched furniture and brightly colored specials boards that instantly remind you of Central Perk from the sitcom “Friends.” With a relatively broad list of coffees, teas and snacks, this place seems to have it all. Although prices are a bit high, it would be a mistake to skip out on this hidden gem. There is free Wi-Fi for customers, which extends to the outdoor patio, where all are welcome to relax on their laptops while enjoying their coffee.
Café Lalo
Located on West 83rd Street, Cafe Lola offers coffee lovers a fancier twist on the typical coffee shop. Walking into this shop feels like walking into Paris, with beautiful French windows and vintage French posters covering the walls. It has a very relaxed atmosphere, making the perfect place to meet up with friends for brunch. The shop mostly appeals to customers with a sweet tooth, offering delicious cappuccinos and a variety of heavenly cakes and other desserts.
Two Hands
On 164 Mott St, Two Hands offers its costumers a variety of coffee, tea and brunch items that will leave you feeling refreshed and satisfied. With great interior decorations and awesome latte art, this shop is the perfect place to enjoy a great meal all while capturing the experience on your phone.
Latte Art
Located on 15 Stone Street in the Financial District, it offers exactly what its name suggests: a beautiful latte. The shop itself is extremely small and considered a to-go shop, so this is not the place to go if you are looking to relax inside, but the coffee is so incredible that it would be a crime not to visit. You can tell the barista what design you would like on your coffee, and the result looks so amazing that you almost feel guilty drinking it. The shop offers great deals such as punch cards that give a free drink after it has been filled out and mouth-watering 5 dollars empanadas with your coffee during breakfast hours.
There is no better combination than coffee that tastes good and also looks good. These coffee shops offer great cups of coffee with even greater coffee art that make for a fantastic Instagram every time.
These are just a few of the amazing coffee shops New York City has to offer to its caffeine lovers. And after visiting these locations, you will never want to step into another chain shop again.
