Saturday, October 23, 2010

Day 64: The Coffee Shop

Photo of the Day: Think Coffee


Today was the first day in a long time that I had completely to myself. That means sleeping in, reading, doing laundry, going for a jog in the park, and wandering Manhattan in solitude. I visited the famous Katz's Delicatessen, known for their tender pastrami on rye and even more so for Meg Ryan's fake orgasms in the classic romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally. They even had signs pointing to the exact location where the infamous scene was filmed. The food was justifiably delicious as well; I inhaled my sandwich so quickly I could barely hold everything down.

Afterward, I walked through the Lower East Side to Think Coffee, a cafe near the New York University campus. When I first considered moving here, I had visions of myself spending hours in the city reading and writing at quaint coffee shops. In actuality, there is a surprising dearth of places you can just hang out and get work done with free wireless access, and tonight was the first time I actually made the effort to seek one out.

A relaxing, quiet day ended awfully once I attempted to catch the subway home. Thanks to unannounced station closures and "incidents" on the track, my usual 30-minute commute home stretched for more than two hours and involved multiple transfers and walking for dozens of blocks in the rain. It was extremely and needlessly frustrating. Sometimes, I hate this city.

The renowned Katz's Delicatessen, made famous by Meg Ryan's fake orgasms in When Harry Met Sally.
Katz's classic pastrami and rye.
Enjoying the artsy coffee shop vibe of Think Coffee.
The bar a closing time at Think Coffee.
Walking by Grace Episcopal Church courtyard at night on the way to the subway station.
Apparently someone else was also bored waiting for the train at the subway station and decided to create this random little masterpiece of shredded tape.

4 comments:

  1. That was mom's sentiment when she had to walk miles and miles without knowing if you had it figured out or not. I guess week-end transportation in the big apple is sometimes totally unpredictable, huh?

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  2. Yes, that's my No. 1 tip for NYC visitors and newcomers: don't trust the subways after 11 p.m. or on weekends, or be prepared to wait for a REALLY long time.

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  3. Have you tried coffee at Coffee Foundry yet? (I think you met both Norm and Wilson before - that's their shop)

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  4. I have not...I'll add that to my list. Right now I'm working through some beans from Oren's, and I've heard good things about this roaster called Porto Rico. So far, nothing comes close to Stumptown though.

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