Living in Chinatown has major perks. For starters, you're right in the heart of downtown, making it a breeze to hit the West Village, Soho, Nolita, or even Union Square. As you can imagine, the city is full of cozy cafes and coffee joints on every block. As a black coffee drinker for nearly a third of my life (yes you read that right, my first espresso was at the ripe young age of 14), I take careful consideration into finding my go-to coffee shops in every city I have the opportunity to live in for a period of time.
I floated around NYC on a caffeine cloud discovering the city's best coffee and cafes so that you don't have to. Below are my top spots in the city (primarily downtown Manhattan).
Greecologies : The outdoor patio is the perfect oasis. I recommend the iced coffee with almond milk or an almond milk latte.
Happy Bones : Counter Culture coffee for $2 in Manhattan?! Yes please. The black coffee is incredible, but the cafe is extremely tiny so don't expect to sit down and get work done. This is my go-to for good coffee and cool baristas on my way to work or before filming.
Two Hands: A cafe and Australian breakfast spot that quickly became my obsession. The acai bowl is heavenly, and the almond milk matcha latte will make you want to sing praises.
Brooklyn Roasting Co: Located right across the Manhattan Bridge on Jay Street, this is the perfect spot to get work done or have meetings. The coffee is always smooth, and there is plenty of seating in the old warehouse. The alternate location in Flatiron always has open seating as well, and the wifi connection is strong.
Joe & The Juice: Dozens of fresh juice options, a free photo booth, strong coffee, and friendly baristas? Yea that's Joe & The Juice on Spring Street. They just opened up about a month ago, and are quickly becoming a sensation in Soho.
La Colombe: Okay, this cafe gets on the list primarily because one of favorite human beings works at this hot spot. The only pitfall to this cafe is that there isn't any wifi, but that means that there is quick turnover on seats, and you can get lots of writing done here without social media distractions.
Got any cafes that you think should make the list? I'd love to know about them, and check out the coffee for myself (or hey, lets meet up and go together, why not?) so leave me a comment below or connect on my contact page.