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.
posted by edbles to Food & Drink (9 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Edgar's on 84th and Broadway (which is often packed) has just opened a second location on Amsterdam between 91st and 92nd. I've walked by there a couple of times on Saturday, and it was nearly empty. I think this may be due in large part because they have many orthodox customers. They do have table service though.
posted by kimdog at 6:24 AM on November 18, 2009


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]


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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