neighborhood coffee shops

Loves! I've been working a LOT lately (kind of a bummer), but we should always make the most out of our situations, right? So I want to share with you some of my local coffee shop hangouts/work spaces. They're all in downtown Manhattan (my lovely Soho neighborhood), but I hope this list encourages you to keep an eye out for new favorite places of your own!

The Starbucks on Spring and Crosby (above) is one of my favorite local spots to work and read in. I just spent 4 hours here today -- I love the lounge-y layout and free wifi! Sometimes an office environment can be too creatively stifling, so I definitely appreciate the relaxed ambiance and yummy coffee (of course).

Aroma Espresso Bar on Greene and Houston is also super awesome. Actually, Houston St is one of my favorite streets -- the merge between Noho and Soho, the amazing shops and restaurants (like Dos Caminos!)... so fantastic! I love sinking into Aroma's cushy red chairs and taking my time enjoying a chocolate croissant (the best!) and cappuccino. I don't work here much because the wireless access is limited, but I do have plenty of coffee dates with friends. Also, last month, I sat behind THE one and only Vera Wang and her friend Olympic skater Evan Lysacek. Talk about people watching!

Lastly, McNally Jackson bookstore on Mulberry and Prince is such a treat for the creative mind. I'm lucky I live merely a few blocks away, because McNally's is just such a comfortable place to be. Coffee, pastries, and books -- what could be better? I like to sit with my notebook in the fiction section and doodle/ jot down cool word combinations or sample some of their newest short stories on the shelves.

That's it for now -- I'll be sure to share some more of my favorite neighborhood places, perhaps restaurants next? xoxo

PS: Other coffee shop posts: Gryphon Cafe in Philly and Caffe Reggio in the Village.

(photos via 1, 2, 3)