Quiet Coffee Shop Upper West Side
November 18, 2009 6:02 AM Subscribe
NYCfilter: Help me find a quiet coffee shop on the upper west side.
I need to meet someone for a recorded interview on the upper west side (because its a good halfway point for both of us). I'm looking for a location that will be relatively quiet, but won't mind us hanging out and talking for an hour. So ideally a place that is equal parts hangout and study area? Also no table service would be ideal. Googlefu is not doing it. Yelp reviews do not seem to focus on noise level. Any help is appreciated. It's happening on a Saturday.
I need to meet someone for a recorded interview on the upper west side (because its a good halfway point for both of us). I'm looking for a location that will be relatively quiet, but won't mind us hanging out and talking for an hour. So ideally a place that is equal parts hangout and study area? Also no table service would be ideal. Googlefu is not doing it. Yelp reviews do not seem to focus on noise level. Any help is appreciated. It's happening on a Saturday.
Best answer: The Hungarian Pastry Shop is usually filled with students and writers. You can stay as long as you want.
posted by shothotbot at 6:54 AM on November 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by shothotbot at 6:54 AM on November 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I've spent many afternoons working at Strokos Deli on 114th and Amsterdam, which is usually pretty empty except for some occasional traffic from the nearby hospital. If you're near Columbia campus, you could also try the Law School, Architecture School, or Business School cafes--I don't know which of them are likely to be open on a Saturday, though. Further down the UWS, there's an Aroma with upstairs seating at 72nd and Broadway, and of course there's a Starbucks about every 3 blocks.
posted by albrecht at 7:27 AM on November 18, 2009
posted by albrecht at 7:27 AM on November 18, 2009
Best answer: What about a bar? If you're doing it in the afternoon on a Saturday, a deserted bar is more likely to be quiet than a coffeehouse, where Saturdays will be really busy. Maybe P&G or McAleer's?
Aroma, which albrecht mentioned, might also be good—they have a patio, too, which might be even more deserted given the temperature, if you don't mind doing the interview in coats.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:55 AM on November 18, 2009
Aroma, which albrecht mentioned, might also be good—they have a patio, too, which might be even more deserted given the temperature, if you don't mind doing the interview in coats.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:55 AM on November 18, 2009
Best answer: I'd try Fred's you can either try the couches all the way in the back left when you come in (this is bar/ restaurant btw - but they don't care where/what you eat/drink - even if its only coffee) or the tables all the way on the right when you walk in. Either way, I've been there for hours at a time only ordering a drink or two and they've never bothered me. It's also generally (except on friday and saturday night) been fairly quiet and their tvs aren't blaring. Check em out.
posted by jourman2 at 9:43 AM on November 18, 2009
posted by jourman2 at 9:43 AM on November 18, 2009
Best answer: Cafe Amrita at 110 and CPW, northwest part of the circle. Delightful.
posted by orangemiles at 10:04 AM on November 18, 2009
posted by orangemiles at 10:04 AM on November 18, 2009
Best answer: Hungarian Pastry Shop is awesome - and there is no music playing nor table service, but its usually really busy and often noisy with the sound of studying (they do, however, have bottomless coffee and incredible hamentashen (sp????).
A bar during the day is a great idea, IMO, because it will be less busy and quieter than a coffee shop. You might even be able to ask a cool bartender to kick off the music for you for a bit, if you tip him well.
posted by Lutoslawski at 11:45 AM on November 18, 2009
A bar during the day is a great idea, IMO, because it will be less busy and quieter than a coffee shop. You might even be able to ask a cool bartender to kick off the music for you for a bit, if you tip him well.
posted by Lutoslawski at 11:45 AM on November 18, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I like the bar idea, but I had wanted to pay back this dude for helping me with my hobby by buying him some sort of baked good (not a drinker), but there's no reason I couldn't get a muffin or nachos or something.
posted by edbles at 5:21 AM on November 19, 2009
posted by edbles at 5:21 AM on November 19, 2009
Response by poster: This fell through and we had to rearrange, but these were great suggestions and I will bear them in mind if I need to deal with something similar in the future.
posted by edbles at 12:13 PM on December 18, 2009
posted by edbles at 12:13 PM on December 18, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kimdog at 6:24 AM on November 18, 2009