By Emily Nally
Everyday students and faculty come into school with drinks from all over the neighborhood; From the local 1 dollar coffee cart, to 4 dollar 12oz drinks, everyone has their preferences. But who is actually getting the best deal? Curious to see myself, I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood and take a look at various menus. While where you go varies based on morning commutes, and how much change you have, here are some options nearby and their different prices.
Dunkin Donuts is a very popular American chain that’s liked by some LREI students because of it’s close convenience. It’s definitely a good choice if you’re looking for something cheaper with their small iced coffees pricing at $2.89 and their small hot coffees pricing at $1.99. Bonus: You can probably get some free donuts if you go in the evening!
Although Porto Rico isn’t accessible for those who arrive to school super early (given that it opens at 8am), it’s a well liked coffee store for both their beverages and coffee grounds, and even their candy! Bonus: Their muffins are $1 after 6pm.
“Do you want to go to the deli?” LREI students stop by “the corner deli” (or J.N. Natural Fruits Corp) to grab sodas, juice, candy or chips but you never really see students or faculty walking out of there with a hot drink. The great thing about their hot drinks, is that they give you a cup and you make it yourself just how you like it.
Gregory’s is a chain that’s spread across NYC, and is quite popular among LREI students. The Hudson location is very close to school, and works best for those who take the 1 train to Houston, or Jersey students who get off a Christopher St. in the morning. Their iced coffees range from $2.99 to $4.13 and their hot ones start at $2.30 to $3.26.
Starbucks are on every corner around Greenwich village, but LREI students seem to prefer the other smaller chains around the neighborhood. Curious to see how your daily coffee prices compare to the notorious Starbucks? Here you go:
Tall iced/hot coffee: $2.65/2.15
Grande iced/hot coffee: $3.15/2.45
Venti iced/hot coffee: $3.46/2.65
In the morning, and even during lunch, many students and teachers go to Essen because it’s close, quick, and easy, yet it tends to be very expensive. It’s not that popular for coffee, but if you want something close to school you can stop by Essen. Their small hot coffee starts at $2.00 to $2.75, and their hot’s start at $2.75 to $3.75.
La Colombe is the Louis Vuitton of coffee shops. It’s fancy. Although it’s expensive, it’s well liked by both the students and faculty at LREI. They have two sizes for their standard coffee: $2.75 and $3.50. But La Colombe prices get even higher for fancier drinks. For example, their loose tea is $4.50 and their mocha starts at $4.75.
Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee is popular for those who come from West 4th street station in the morning. Their standard stir brew starts at a small being $2.75 and their large being $3.25. But their iced is more pricey. They start at $4.36 and go to $4.92. There is a bonus, their pastries are 50% off after 5pm! Just remember they close at 7!
Le Pain Quotidien is more known for their very very small (and expensive) baked goods, but they also make cold and hot drinks to stay and to go. This bakery also has two locations pretty close to school, one by the middle school for West 4th commuters and one on Hudson street. Their iced coffees are $3.95 for a small and $4.50 for a large, and for a hot coffee it’s $2.50 to $3.00. Bonus: You can buy $2 french baguettes during happy hour (after 6pm).
Even if you get a cappuccino, macchiato, espresso, etc, these standard coffee prices should give you an idea about how expensive their drinks are. Remember those types of drinks can be a dollar or two more expensive than a standard black coffee. If you’re someone that needs their morning coffee, be aware of how much money it adds up to. Try out some of the cheaper options listed above!
Want to try some of these places but don’t know where they are? Here are the addresses of the locations that are closest to school:
Dunkin Donuts: 175 Varick between King and Charlton
Porto Rico: 201 Bleeker St between 6th ave and Macdougal
J.N. Natural Fruits Corp: 202 on the corner of 6th ave and Prince
Gregory’s: 350 Hudson St between King and Charlton
Starbucks: 150 Varick St between Vandam and Spring
Essen: 160 Varick St between Vandam and Charlton
La Colombe: 75 Vandam St between Hudson and Varick
Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee: 10 Downing and 6th ave
Le Pain Quotidien: 375 Hudson St between King and Houston
Sources:
Photos –
https://www.google.com/search?q=puerto+rico+importing+co&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj396nclvjXAhWiSd8KHbyjDRMQ_AUICygC&biw=1045&bih=598#imgrc=20cBOudqODIEJM:
https://s3-media2.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/NeSU_cRiyBCT6GnEnPLZPA/348s.jpg
https://goop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/HudsonLaColombe.jpg