Starbucks faithful clientele of snazzy coffee drinkers were breathing a nifty sigh of relief this week. While the cost of living and even dying is soaring towards insanity, these caffeine groupies were deeply considering a far more important matter: Would Starbucks join the ongoing diaspora of businesses leaving New York City on the wings of downsizing, presently soaring toward the clouds of oblivion?
Joy of Joys!!! There was singing and dancing along the streets and avenues of the city when it was proclaimed throughout the land that Starbucks would not be leaving New York. With the exception of one Starbucks closure in Staten Island (which few mainland New Yorkers care about anyway), Starbucks was here to stay serving up their chic blends and exotic brews…including coffee. Life would once again be wondrous and magical and everyone who was walking and worrying too fast finally slowed down and were feeling groovy.
Alas, dream too brief to last. Joy quickly vanished and was replaced with sorrow when it was learned today that the happy proclamation was erroneous and that Starbucks was indeed departing. Six Starbucks locations will be closing in Midtown Manhattan, along with two others in Queens and another in Brooklyn, with and ever-growing list of further closures to be announced later. In short, the fabulous King of The Coffee Bean will (almost certainly, I think) have virtually disappeared from NYC by 2010.
But in a day and age when the Wall Street Journal mentions General Motors with the word “bankruptcy” in the same sentence, one should understand that he or she will have to eventually cut back on their cream and sugar. Luckily for me, I already take my coffee black…but sometimes even I like to treat myself to something exquisite.
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July 21st, 2008 - 6:23 pm
haha, black, hm? Have you tried Turkish coffee yet? It’s a staple in Lebanon but it’s ten times stronger than regular coffee. “Thick enough to stand a spoon up in it” is the old adage.
I’m not generally a coffee drinker but my sister would send her sympathies — she loves coffee!!
July 21st, 2008 - 6:53 pm
Welcome back, Andave. With blogging and other work, while also trying to exist in the real world, I’ll gladly take the Turkish coffee (be it mud or not)…but not for six dollars or so a hit.
July 22nd, 2008 - 4:21 am
OMG. This is the first time I’ve heard of this Starbuck – New York closure situation. I’m totally shocked that this would happen! I’m going to have to LEARN how to like black, homemade coffee if this keeps up.
Funny bit about mainland New Yorkers not caring about Staten Island. That cracked me up. What up with Staten Island – is that just a funny “bit” or is it really somewhere no one ever goes?
July 22nd, 2008 - 12:35 pm
Welcome back, Suzann.
Why is it that I just don’t care whether Starbucks leaves or stays? Outside of it being reflective of the nation’s overall economic snafu, this dandy chain of gourmet frivolity only mocks the very conditions that have caused its failure.
Insofar as Staten Island is concerned, I’m not kidding: it’s an anomaly. Most native New Yorkers view that island across the Narrows as the “other borough” and not the fifth borough; a “somewhere/ nowhere” land! However, these days I’m trying to figure out what a “native” New Yorker is or was.
Thanks, Suzann
July 4th, 2009 - 10:38 am
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July 4th, 2009 - 6:24 pm
Thanks very much for your feedback, Evden.