NYC Cafe Pick Me Up
East Village, corner of 9th & A
un-Thu 7am-1:30am, Fri-Sat 7am-2am
Disclaimer: this place doesn’t offer wifi. At least not the kind that you don’t have to steal. But I’m including it here because it’s been the home of many of my most inspiring afternoons. I’ve had a greater number of focused reading or writing sessions here than just about anywhere else in NY.
Maybe it ain’t so bad going without wifi once in awhile. (Gasp!)
This place is about location, location, location. It’s on one of the best the corners in one of the best neighborhoods in NY (says me). Want buzz? Try 9th & A — throw a coffee mug and you hit a bar, restaurant, organic [fill-in-the-blank], or teenage rebel without a cause. Good for people like me that want to be around the mix, even if they’re not in it.
It also offers serenity now. (Gotta love that Seinfeld episode.) Ask someone to watch your stuff and pop across the street to Tompkins Square Park. Granted, it’s far from zen – but I’ve always found that just being amidst trees and being able to watch puppies play in the dog park helps unclog my head. And just after it snows… OMG.
As for food and drink, the coffee’s okay, the food’s okay, the service is okay. They have enough to keep you from chewing off your arm, but n
othing that I became addicted to. (I usually did the yogurt/granola or breakfast sandwich thing – both tasty and a pretty decent deal.)
Oh, and for those who work late: wine bottles and candles come out at night. Creates a cozy – yet still productive – environment. Plus, it’s an easy transition to, “I’m working right now, but almost done – why don’t you come down and meet me?” 😉
