NEW YORK COFFEE LOVE

When you're in New York, it's really really hard to not just go to Starbucks and grab a coffee. They're everywhere. To be exact (and I hope this is still the right number) there are 171 Starbucks on Manhattan alone. This isn't counting Queens or Brooklyn. With numbers like that there seldom comes a time when you can't look left or right and see one just calling your name.

While Starbucks can provide a consistent, well-branded cup of coffee...they do all remain the same. Big chairs, laminate wood, pretty great mix cds available for purchase. The other, bigger, more important downside is...they're all packed. All the time. Whether you're in Union Square, Astor Place or even the WorldWide Plaza building, they tend to never have a seat. So, here is where my recommendation comes in.

If you want a lovely, local, extremely cozy cup of coffee/espresso you need to go to Cafe Reggio. Just south of Washington Square Park, it sits on a cobblestone street and is surrounded by some pretty spectacular walk-ups. To be more specific, Louisa May Alcott's old house is directly across the street...so...write much?

Cafe Reggio prides itself on being home of the "Original Cappuccino" and honestly...it tastes so good, they might as well be right. The interior is cozy, with a behemoth of an espresso machine that, while they no longer use it, is still there. The original owner, Dominic Parisi, spent his life savings to bring the Italian espresso machine over from Itay in 1935. Alright Dominic...authentic much? 

So next time you're in NY, take a little bit more time and head down to 119 MacDougal Street in Manhattan for one of the best cups of coffee (lattes, cappuccinos) I've ever had. Oh and by the way, they are open til 3a if not 4:30a on the weekends. 

-J.