Cup

Cup is a cute and bright little neighborhood coffee-shop located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I was surprised to learn that there are actually quite a few great independent restaurants and coffee-shops in this area. I have spent very little time in this area and Manhattan Ave. (the main drag in that area) seemed very unassuming. Cup is located off of the Nassau Ave stop on the G train. Greenpoint is just North of the oh-so-trendy Williamsburg and, while popularin it's own right, is kind of like the slightly less cool little sister of Williamsburg.

My boyfriend and I went there on a Sunday afternoon in early August and I really had to look for the place, hoping that my Google Maps directions were not leading me astray. (usually my motto is: 'Trust in Google') It did not help that it was a weekend and, as usual, the MTA was having 'issues', but sure enough we found Cup, a bright emerald gem, in the middle of a very quiet and residential block. There was another interesting shop right next door, Brooklyn Mac, and I still can't believe we didn't try it.

There were a lot of cute gardens in the neighborhood and I really got the feeling that Cup was a popular community spot.

Cup's claim to fame is their Cococano (advertised above). It is basically an Americano made with coconut water and apparently a great hangover cure... so of course I had to get one! The barista helpfully recommended adding a lot of milk to help adjust to the flavor. He also said that if you're not used to it, it can be a bit of an acquired taste and I have to agree. I was getting used to it by the time I was about half-way through but I'm not sure I will ever order it again. It's a shame I didn't really like it because I've read other reviews on Yelp that say the coffee there is great and brewed from local roasters! I guess it doesn't always pay to go for the gimmick.

Luckily there was no wait when we got there on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but I can easily imagine the line going out the door with early weekday commuters. The interior is on the tiny side, but it has very cute window seat with a little community library! The policy is: you bring a book, you take a book! Brilliant! They even had a decent selection of children's books!

It's surprising to me that their website is such a basic webpage, rather than the elaborate setup that most of their competitors seem to have, especially considering they have been opened since 2009. Their webpage includes a description, location, hours, and an email to contact them. Perhaps that is because they seem to be a much smaller setup then other chain spots (imagine running a coffee shop out of a garage). Come to think of it, most of the companies with an elaborate site, classes, etc have at least two locations.

Actually, visiting Cup has really given me hope for my own ventures. It can be very intimidating seeing the highly polished cafes that NYC offers but Cup proves that good coffee is really all you need to be successful. 

FYI- Cup takes cash only.

On a side note, we were also hunting for good record stores (it's one of the only ways I can lure my boyfriend into coming with me on my reviews). We were having a nice discussion with the barista and when we told him we were looking for record stores, he recommended a place just two blocks away called: Co-Op 87! Luckily they placed this sign at the corner or we would have had a really hard time finding it. It's very easy to walk past it in this residential area. Incidentally, it's a great record store and the salesperson was very funny and helpful. Definitely a place to check out while you drink your coffee from Cup.