Nestled quietly on 9
th
Avenue in Hell's Kitchen, a few blocks west of Times Square, Kahve (the Turkish word for coffee) Coffee
Lounge was the perfect break from the bustle of
tourists. With it being open till 10 on weekdays and extra late weekend hours,
you can always find time to stop in for a moment. The narrow, only a few tables
space was the perfect place to do work. Locals claimed most of the tables doing
work that the week had left them, reading, or checking out the variety of
attractive patrons who stopped by for an espresso fix. I and four friends sat
in a homey corner, admiring anything and everything. The exposed brick wall,
the antique-looking mirror, the chalkboard menu boards, it all fit together to
create a small town cafe feel. (Luckily for us, it's right here in our jungle,
NYC.) The drinks were exactly as they should be, no Starbucks version of
macchiatos, lattes, or chais. The (so beautifully hipster) barista behind the counter
recognized the locals, made the newbies feel like locals, and put the Starbucks
addicts in their place. Maybe it was the coffee sacks used for seats, the warm
almond chai, or the calmness in a busy city, but something about the place had
me falling in love. (It also could well have been the attractive man with the
cute dog parallel to my window seat.) Whatever sparked the love, had me locked
in my seat. I contemplated ordering another drink just so I had an excuse to
remain there. But sadly life must go on. (Actually my friends had to drag me
out by my hair. I'm sure the cute man with the dog found that highly
attractive.) It was the perfect morning stop and would be for you as well. Now
I'm back to campus where the men aren't as quaff and Starbucks coffee just
isn't cutting it. Be a local, tourists or not, and head over to Kahve.
