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