Friday Feature: Starbucks and the City

On Tuesday, my husband and I were putting the finishing touches on our trip to meet our daughter in Connecticut, with a quick stopover in NYC. He loves the Macy's in New York, but I wasn't in much of a shopping mood, so I was trying to figure out if I could find a place to hang out/work while he shopped. I knew there was at least one Starbucks inside Macy's (as well as dozens between Penn Station and Herald Square), but I also knew that seating is not a given inside Manhattan Starbucks stores, so I went in search of photos.

And did even better. I found a blog -- Starbucks and the City. Five years old, so not up to date, but it was a good starting point, and really fun reading if you're a Starbucks junkie like I am.

Then it occurred to me that another one of my favorite places was not far from Grand Central Station, where we'd be getting our connecting train.

The New York Public Library.

Does it seem a little silly spending an hour or so in the city and ending up at the library or a Starbucks? Probably. But we had only a short time to spend there, and I'd rather write than shop. Plus with temperatures near 90 degrees, a leisurely stroll to an air conditioned destination sounded pretty good.

In the end, the stroll wasn't so leisurely (it's Manhattan, after all) and it was hot. Still, I found a seat at a small table in Bryant Park and worked there for a bit until I needed a change of scenery. Then, I walked a half a block to the 42nd Street entrance of the NY Public Library and availed myself of quiet and air conditioning.

As for the Starbucks where I stopped for libation?

I should've read the Starbucks and the City review before I stopped in. It's tough to mess up an iced chai tea latte, but they managed to do so.

Oh, well. It's not as though I couldn't find another Starbucks.