A Coffee Geek’s Guide To New York

May 7, 2014 • Food and Drink • New York • Travel


an interesting article appeared on the NEW YORK TIMES‘ website yesterday about the new york coffee scene. it explains how it has grown up beyond the snobbery to a place where specialty coffee is now available at bigger chain stores and a part of many more people’s lives. it’s become more inclusive and less obscure – in other words, third wave coffee has gone mainstream in new york, and i guess that’s a good thing. but wait, wasn’t this obscure hipster vibe at least part of the reason why i love coffee so much? if i’m being totally honest – yes. totally.

hi, my name is stephanie and i’m a hipster-coffee-holic. i love it when coffee bars are located on hard-to-find streets in neighborhoods i’d otherwise never venture into. i sometimes pay more attention to the other people in a coffee place than to, say, my coffee. i am disappointed when a coffee bar doesn’t at least feature some of the following – a rad looking faema/lamarzocco, to-go cups with stamped logos (HIPSTER LOGOS, naturally), tattooed baristas and some kind of locally made or sourced chocolate or granola.

which is not to say that i fancy myself a hipster – not by a long shot. i know that’s what ALL the hipsters say, but take one look at me and you’ll know what i mean. i’m not one of them, but i really like looking into their world, almost like an anthropologist would. and if that doesn’t make me a geek, then this post – detailing my obsession with hipster coffee culture – certainly does. so there you have it – i’m a geek. (a geek that appreciates THIS KIND OF HUMOR)

but if you happen to be a coffee geek in the same way as i am, and you were wondering where to go in new york to get your fix – look no further. these are some of my favorite places, top to bottom // GASOLINE ALLEY // LA COLOMBE // STUMPTOWN // BLUE BOTTLE // TOBY’S ESTATE. if you’re just after good coffee (which, in all seriousness, i do really appreciate, too) i suggest taking a look at this map of the new york times’ 101 places to find great coffee.

photos by matthias rabaey and stephanie duval // originally taken for the CONNECTIONS urban explorer guide to new york – click HERE to check the guide for more of my favorite places // and HERE for more new york favorites on this blog

Warby Parker

April 24, 2013 • New York • Style

can i admit to something? i loved finding out that i need to start wearing glasses. literally the first thing that went through my mind was ‘oh no, how on earth am i going to be able to choose between all of those rad glasses out there?!’ and the second thought was: ‘yay for WARBY PARKER and my upcoming trip to new york!’

if you’re a reader of american blogs, you’re sure to have seen warby parker pop up somewhere. it’s an american company that produces and sells retro-style prescription glasses directly to the customer via their online shop: no middle-me, good quality for a low price, and a great charity program that gives one pair of glasses to people in need for each pair bought. it’s this kind of business model that i strongly believe has potential to take over an entire market segment. of course it helps that their branding is super cool, too.

in fact, warby parker’s story reads as somewhat of an example of what a start-up should be, and i was in awe of the way they handled things even before i set foot in their headquarters in new york. but once i did, i was sold. they have a little showroom where you can try on glasses (you need to order them online), and from where you can see right into their office space. it’s a bunch of cool people sitting behind giant imacs, but still you feel the energy of a company that is buzzing with energy and great ideas.

while i was there, plenty of international visitors were inquiring about buying a frame – but the company doesn’t ship abroad yet. i was lucky enough to be able to purchase a pair they had in stock, without the prescription glasses (which would have taken too long for my stay in the city), and i certainly wasn’t the first one to do so. perhaps that’s why warby parker has recently opened a shop in manhattan – to serve those needy tourists?

photos by stephanie duval