Drinking all the Coffee in NYC

This summer I finally became an adult when I grew addicted to coffee. I'm pretty sure my parents consider this one of their finest achievements for me because they are total coffee snobs and now I am one, too. I can't stand Starbucks coffee, which is actually a shame because we get it for free at school. I can tolerate their light roast coffee but everything else tastes super bitter to me.
I am lucky that one of my best friends from High School also lives in NYC and we have recently established a standing Sunday morning coffee date. We have been trying to try out new places that we read about or have past and look adorable. There is something so perfect about a nice cup of coffee with a friend in the morning. I usually reserve Sundays to homework so it's nice to start the day off in a relaxing manner.

We were at Cafe Grumpy this past Sunday in Chelsea. It's on a beautiful, tree lined block and is pretty quiet. There are no laptops allowed so it's only people talking to friends or reading the paper, which gives it a pretty nice vibe. If we're being honest, this place appealed to my graphic designer side who loved their grumpy man logo.
I ordered a latte and my friend ordered an Aragon coffee. I also had a super  yummy dulce de leche scone because scones are the best thing ever. My latte was delicious and I had a sip of my friend's coffee which was made the super fancy single-cup brewing way, which means your coffee is super fresh. It was very sweet and creamy to me and though we both usually take our coffee with milk, it didn't need it. The place is a little pricey but really about the same as Starbucks. My latte, which came in a nice big mug cost $4.50. The coffee was about $3. This place is so close to me, I would for sure come back.

A lovely latte

Last week we had donuts at Donut Plant, which I have been to more times than a cardiologist would recommend but I'd never had their coffee. It was Intelligentsia coffee and it was super good. Nice and strong but not too fancy. A good vehicle for donuts. Of course, it was side-lined by my amazing chocolate chip cookie donut. I am a cake donut gal, not a yeast donut gal but my friend's coconut donut was actually really good. The creme brûlée donut there is realy the star but they often sell out of it. 

This place wins the award for best mug so far. The handle is so cool. Is that a weird thing to say? #designerproblems

And three weeks ago, I went to Gorilla Coffee for the first time which is SO out of my my way but is the coffee that got me hooked on coffee and my parent's personal favorite. Everything is red and black there and super hip. I had an iced coffee and it was possibly the best iced coffee I've ever had. They call it a cold brew so it's not watered down like most iced coffee. It was SO strong but so perfect that I drank it super fast and then proceeded to have caffeine jitters, followed by a horrible headache. So maybe next time don't down an iced coffee in ten minutes, Rachel. 

I think part of what draws me to these places is their design. They're appealing to a demographic of hip, arty people. People who have an eye for detail (did you see that awesome latte art??), and a discerning palate. People who are willing to go a little out of their way, bypass the 1000000 Starbucks, and pay a little too much for a calming, pleasant experience. I'd much rather give my money to these people. I feel like I'm having an experience and like I can just sit and think about my work. Good job NYC coffee places, you have a marketable vibe. Ha! Art School has changed me. Next week my friend and I are traveling to Brooklyn to check out some new places. Until then!