When you move from Australia to the US, people warn you about the culture shock. You think they're joking, because even before you come here you feel an affinity with the US. Thanks to TV, books, and advertising, American culture has been a part of most of our lives since we were little. We think we know it; that assimilation will be easy. But the culture shock does exist, for all of us. It's just that it reveals itself in little ways - such as our different approaches to queuing, or the size of food portions.
And if the moans of Aussie tourists and new arrivals are anything to go by, our definition of what constitutes "good coffee" is just another cultural disparity we need to navigate.
There are 201 Starbucks stores on Manhattan alone, and I note a new resident has rather strangely set himself the challenge of visiting every single one. I don't know anyone (American or otherwise) who declares Starbucks to be their favourite coffee of all time though, but we can generally accept that it scratches an itch. Because it's not a popular coffee chain back home, Australians are challenged by the ordering process at Starbucks; all this tall, grande, venti business. By and large we don't do the fancy coffees either, like the frapaccino, no-whip mocha stuff. We're just not used to it. And at some point, when you add nutmeg and cinnamon and gingerbread spice and all that jazz to your drink, it really does cease to be coffee.
But Starbucks is never your only option for coffee in this City; it just seems to be the most prevalent one. In the three years that I've lived here, I've noticed an increase in the number of smaller coffee shops & cafes popping up around town. These are the types of places that Australians tend to favour. If you're prepared to look for them, they are definitely around. You may not be able to get yours hands on a "flat white", but the baristas will definitely get your heart pumping with espresso goodness.
I've compiled a short list of my favourite coffee shops below. It's not an exhaustive list by any means, and coffee appreciation really is all relative anyway. These are just the places where I can reliably count on having a delicious coffee every time:
- Eataly (Lavazza coffee and authentic Italian pastries)
- Fika (a Swedish coffee chain)
- Blue Bottle (easy to walk past - make sure you're paying attention)
- 9th Street Espresso (inside Chelsea Market)
- Joe Coffee (a family-owned business with a couple of locations)
- Culture Espresso (not far from Bryant Park)
- Little Collins (a taste of Melbourne on the Upper East Side)
- Laughing Man (Hugh Jackman's shop, fair trade beans)
- Stumptown (hipster baristas)
- Pie Face (a controversial choice, but they make flat whites in a range of strengths)
