The Local Coffee Renaissance

Williamsburg and Greenpoint have voted with their pocketbooks, and we continue to go deeper with the new high-quality coffee choices. The new expectation is that you shouldn't have to go far for a really good cup, something I wholeheartedly subscribe to. The bar being very high now for all-things-coffee, I think now it's really about the vibe - if you can get a good cup all over the place, then where do I want to be regularly? Anyway - here's a snapshot of some of the stand-outs. 

OSLO COFFEE ROASTERS (133 Roebling @ North 4th / 328 Bedford @ South 2nd) - local latte pioneers, elevated the game, nice place to read the paper

EL BEIT (158 Bedford @ North 8th) - attractive people, rustic, worldly

CAFE GRUMPY (193 Meserole @ Diamond) - very local, rustic, authentic, laptops

TOBY'S ESTATE (125 North 6th St @ Berry) - sunny and open, effusively Australian and decidedly not west coast (like most of the others)

BLUE BOTTLE (160 Berry) preciousness in simplicity, west coast coffee geekery, people watching

URO CAFE (277 Driggs @ Leonard) - laughing family, quirky ease, Polish punk 

VARIETY (368 Graham @ Conselyea / 145 Driggs @ Russell) - almost perfected the Williamsburg cafe, disheveled minimalist, Portland roasters, friendly hipsters, local art

CAFE ROYAL (195 Nassau @ Humboldt) - office of choice by freelancing Greenpointers 

BAKERI (150 Wythe @ North 8th) - upscale homey decadence

SECOND STOP (524 Lorimer @ Ainsle) - old-tymey rustic preciousness

GIMME! COFFEE (495 Lorimer @ Powers / 107 Roebling @ North 6th) - modern minimalist, vanguard of coffee snobbery

MARLOW & SONS (81 Broadway @ Berry) - established pioneers, slightly older demographic, big bands and Steely Dan.

UPRIGHT COFFEE (860 Manhattan @ Noble) - classical music, earnest, friendly and clean, standing room only

This is by no means comprehensive - there are others, including restaurants (i.e. Five Leaves) and corner stores (Depaneur) that reach for that high bar too. I had to stop somewhere ;)

Blue Bottle Cafe photo by Rebeca and Diego-Max, Clown by Uro Cafe