Off the 4/5/6 Train
SUBWAY CORRIDORS : CULINARY MEETING SPOTS
"The ballet of the good city sidewalk never repeats itself from place to place, and in any one place is always replete with new improvisations."
— Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Off the 4/5/6
Subway Corridors : Culinary Meeting Spots
Subway Corridor: Fulton Street to 77 St Street Stations
Neighborhoods: Financial District to Upper East Side
Borough: Manhattan
When choosing a meeting spot—to catch up with friends, colleagues, clients—it’s often more convenient to think about what subway line the place is off of than any particular station stop. As the kickoff guide based on train corridors, here are a selection of notable, conversation-friendly cafes, restaurants, and convening points that will please our Upper West Siders, Downtown dwellers, and those for whom Union Square and Grand Central are their gravitational centers of activity.
Places of Note
from the Financial District to Harlem
Fulton St Station (4/5 trains) or Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall (4/5/6 trains)
The Bar Room at the Beekman Hotel
cocktail bar
Canal St Station (6 train)
La Colombe Torrefaction
coffee shop
Though this artisan coffee mini-empire has several locations throughout the city, this cafe in the northern reaches of Tribeca is one of the coziest and daydream inducing. The texture of the space is all brick, wood, and steel, accented by a touch of the Italian ceramic into which your cappuccino is poured. Large windows let in the afternoon light. Petite cafe tables, bolted to the floor, instill a rigorous, evenly-spaced order (and discourage table hogging), making the cafe best for a tête-à-tête. If you’ve never met your date before, the small dimensions of the space make it easy to keep track of the comings of patrons.
319 Church St @ Lispenard St
Spring St Station (6 train)
Housing Works Bookstore & Cafe or McNally Jackson|
bookshop
Bleecker St Station (6 train)
The Smile
cafe
Coming upon this cafe is a surprise and a pleasure. It’s inconspicuously located in a rustic sub-ground space on arguably one of the most interesting architectural blocks in Manhattan. This cafe works for both slow mornings (the light is soft and ambience quiet for the sleepy eyed) and power breakfasts. Settle down to a granola bowl, baked eggs, or the bittersweetness of a caramelized half-grapefruit with mint.
26 Bond St, between Lafayette St & Bowery
Astor Pl Station (6 train)
Abraço
coffee shop & vermouth bar
The delight of all delights.
14 St-Union Square Station (4/5/6 trains)
Ribalta
restaurant
A convivial, casual friends spot offering Neapolitan style pizzas and excellent spritzes. Seating options include a small four-seater bar, a sidebar, and smattering of larger communal tables. During big sporting events like the Olympics and World Cup, Ribalta becomes the community living room, when they roll down a large white screen to project the game of the hour.
48 E 12th St, between Broadway & University Pl
14 St-Union Square Station (4/5/6 trains)
Everyman Espresso |
coffee shop
This cafe around Union Square tend to get packed at all the times during the day when you would want a coffee break. But usually, usually, you and one or two others can squeeze into the flex bench seating along the wall at Everyman and (as is the norm there) use a stool as table. The baristas are top-notch. Also, they’re not so fussy about whether you bring in an outside snack (though they do have an alluring selection of donuts and other such pastries) or set up temporary office, perhaps because it’s a multi-use space at its core: the coffee shop also acts as the lobby for Classic Stage Company.
136 E 13th St, between 3rd & 4th Ave
23 St Station (6 train)
Maialino
class it up
23 St or 28 St Stations (6 train)
Madison Square Park
picnic in the park
33 St Station (6 train)
Hangawi
restaurant
Grand Central-42 St Station (4/5/6 trains)
The Campbell @ Grand Central
77 St Station (6 train)
Flora Bar @ the Met Breuer
cafe & restaurant
A classy spot to meet for brunch, afternoon coffee, or happy hour drink, whether or not you’re a museum goer. There’s a sunken outdoor garden which has you sitting amidst the poetic, ecological surrounds designed by Future Green Studio based out of Red Hook.
