Courtney Boyd Myers and Erica Berger are the founders of 3460 Miles, a bi-weekly newsletter that connects the New York and London tech, design, and social good communities. Sign up for their newsletter and find them on Twitter and Facebook.
From sun up to sun down, here are 20 of New York City’s most popular hangouts for the NYC tech scene including coffee shops, shared work spaces, outdoor escapes, restaurants and, of course, bars!
If you’re coming into town for The Next Web’s inaugural USA conference in NYC next week, here are the places you may well find members of the team hanging out.
Coffee shops
There aren’t many things that will get a New Yorker out of bed in the morning in the same way a good cup of fresh brew will. Fueling long days and late nights, here are the top coffee shops that offer free WiFi, comfy couches and top-rate espresso.
1) Ground Support in SoHo
399 W Broadway, New York, NY 10012
Tel: (212) 219-8722
Foursquare link
One of the few artisanal coffee shops in the West SoHo area with free WiFi, Ground Support gets all the support it needs from the tech community. Not just for its fresh grounds but also for its INCREDIBLE ginger cookies — the slightly tangy and a tad sweet bites make for a perfect afternoon pick me up.
If you find yourself with an hour to kill in the neighborhood, pop in and saddle up at the picnic bench seating for some people watching and email checking. Just don’t forget the cookie.
2) Birch Coffee in Flatiron
5 E 27th St, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-144
Foursquare link
This is hands down the best place to meet in the mornings or mid-afternoon in the Flatiron/Madison Square Park area. Birch Coffee has delicious cold brew coffee and healthy breakfast and lunch options like granola, fresh fruit, hard-boiled eggs and yummy salads.
Housed in a kitschy hotel that looks like it’s been transplanted from Gaudi’s Barcelona, the little cafe also has an upstairs library for those who wish to escape the din of the 2.0 crowd downstairs. Almost every time we visit Birch, we run into a friend, colleague or client. Unfortunately, the WiFi is only free for an hour.
3) Blue Bottle Coffee
160 Berry St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Tel: (718) 534-5488
Foursquare link
With multiple locations throughout the city (including Meatpacking and Rockefeller Center, two neighborhoods which tend to lack great coffee), this is a favorite of coffee aficionados in every industry. With roasting facilities in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Blue Bottle is as fresh as it gets and won’t serve beans that are more than a few days old from the roaster.
This San Francisco transplant recently raised a round of funding from Google Ventures, so stop by, delight in their pour over and killer 12 hour Japanese cold brewed iced coffee, and wonder what’s next for this better-funded-than-most coffee business.
4) LA Burdick
5 East 20th St, New York, NY 10010
Tel: (212) 796-0143
Foursquare link
In the middle of the winter, particularly on those long, cold days in February, you’ll find us perched up at L.A. Burdick on 20th and Broadway sipping their heavenly dark chocolate hot chocolate. Not in the mood for a sugar rush? LA Burdick offers plenty of coffee and tea options. Don’t get too comfortable; your boss may be sitting right behind you.
5) Saturdays Surf
31 Crosby St, New York, NY 10013
Tel: (212) 966-7875
Foursquare link
A little surfer haven in a concrete jungle, Saturdays Surf is a perfect place to checkout a surfboard, some tank tops and drink a latte. It’s also a super cool spot to host a casual meeting with your friends from Thrillist or Urban Daddy.
Tip: Checkout the back deck, chill out for a minute or two and enjoy the free WiFi.
6) Toby’s Estate in Williamsburg
125 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Tel: (347) 457-6160
Foursquare link
With south facing windows and free WiFi, Toby’s is a weekend-working Brooklynite’s dream in the winter. We love to curl up there for a few hours on Saturday or Sunday with our laptops, where undoubtedly we’ll run into other local neighborhood startup friends.
The coffee is delicious (Australian) and our favorite bite is the Avocado Tahini on whole grain toast. We can’t complain about the plush couches and vintage chic decor either.
Up next, coworking spaces…
Coworking spaces
No matter how good the “free WiFi” is, you can’t stay in a coffee shop all day, which is why finding a great coworking space is essential. These next four are our favorite for their community vibe, thoughtful design and free coconut water.
7) WeWork Soho
154 Grand St, New York, NY 10013
Tel: (212) 961-1300
Foursquare link
With multiple locations throughout the city, WeWork’s Soho West space is where you’ll find Erica on most days. With over 6 floors of dedicated and open desk space, myriad kitschy conference rooms, games like foosball and pinball, kitchens equipped with Nespresso, and unique designs including a themed film floor, there’s so much to love about working here.
WeWork is the fastest growing co-working community and company in the US with multiple locations in NYC and offices in cities across the US including San Francisco and LA.
8) The Fueled Collective
568 Broadway, 11th Flr, New York, NY 10012
Tel: (800) 962-4587
Foursquare link
Located just upstairs from Foursquare’s offices in SoHo, The Fueled Collective receives over 75 visitors on a typical day to its top floor perch of the Prince Building in Soho. The expansive office is more carefully designed and planned than most co-working spaces, with big leather sofas, airy conference rooms, a popcorn machine, an ice cream cart and an endless supply of free snacks and coconut water.
The Fueled Collective is home to Fueled, a leading mobile design and development agency, as well as 25 of New York City’s most high-growth startups. You can also find Courtney here on most days, just steps away from the coconut water or bucket of Kind bars.
9) General Assembly
902 Broadway, Fl 4, New York, NY 10010
Foursquare link
Recognized as the first premier co-working space in NYC, General Assembly kicked off the trend in tech co-working in NYC when it launched in early 2011.
Evolving into a global campus for technology, education, and design, GA is more than just a space to work. Classes range from front-end web development to digital storytelling with teachers from across the U.S., most who are experts in their field. GA is a great space to stop by and get a sample of the pulse of the beating heart of NYC tech while also expanding your entrepreneurial vocabulary.
10) AlleyNYC
500 Fashion Ave, New York, NY 10018
Tel: (212) 960-8543
Foursquare link
AlleyNYC launched a little over a year ago as a destination co-working space in Midtown West. We love Alley for all of the events they host day and night, as well as the views of Pennsylvania Station and the Hudson River.
Up next, where to grab a bite to eat….
Food
Even startup kids take a break sometime. Once the clock strikes seven or eight, most techies start thinking more about fried appetizers than iPhone apps. Here are a few restaurants where you’re bound to run into someone who works for the Internet on any given night.
11) Peels
325 Bowery, New York, NY 10003
Tel: (646) 602-7105
Foursquare link
One of our favorite brunch, lunch and dinner spots, Peels serves up a fresh fusion of East Coast and Southern foods. Think Cajun style fish sandwiches and pan seared scallops, along with amazing fries and high-end cocktails.
What we love most about the space is the architecture — with skylights, gorgeous sun-filled windows, white-washed wood, and 2 floors of seating — this is our go to for out-of-towners craving a country ambiance (with outdoor seating in the summer too!).
12) Westville
210 W 10th St. (btwn Bleecker & W 4th St.), New York, NY 10014
Foursquare link
With multiple locations downtown, Westville is famous for its seasonal market-fresh food at very reasonable prices. Most of the restaurants are small and don’t accept reservations, so don’t turn up here with a big group.
After a long day at the office, grab your best mate and reboot with their Market Plate; Courtney likes to fill it with kale, brussel sprouts, polenta and their to-die for plantains with cojita cheese. If it’s summer time, don’t miss the refreshing mint lemonade!
13) Epistrophy
200 Mott St, New York, NY 10012
(212) 966-0904
Foursquare link
We love Epistrophy’s vibrant bohemian vibe on Mott Street in Manhattan – and we’re not the only ones. (If you can) get a seat at the bar for lunch or get a seat outside if it’s nice, or get that couch by the window if you’re with someone special. Must-haves include the burrata, meatballs and any of the pasta dishes. FYI – It’s cash only.
14) Sauce
78 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002
Tel: (212) 420-7700
Foursquare link
This small, cash-only Italian restaurant at Rivington & Allen was recommended to us by one of our Featured Passengers. We’re told that Sauce’s meatballs and Bolognese are incredible and that they have possibly the best buratta in the world (we’ll have to do a taste test soon!). Take a date here late night and order a bottle of the house red wine. Save room for dessert!
15) City Grit
38 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
Tel: (646) 580-5720
Foursquare link
This is another “Secret Spot” recommendation from one of our Featured Passengers. Although not so secret anymore, now that she’s been written up in The New York Times, Chef Sarah Simmons runs a fantastic supper club called City Grit. With a new cuisine for each event, City Grit is a restaurant that’s constantly in private beta and always pivoting to please.
Next up, bars…
Bars
Burning the candle at both ends? Work hard. Party hard? It seems to be the mantra of many a stressed out startup founder and employee. So where should you go to take the edge off with a cold beer or tasty cocktail? Here are our top picks for evening drinks.
16) Soho House Rooftop
29-35 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10014
Tel: (212) 627 9800
Foursquare link
Soho House New York is a private members’ club and hotel covering six floors and 45,000 square feet of an old warehouse building in the Meatpacking District.
The club offers extensive facilities; the Restaurant, Club Bar, Drawing Room, Pantry Bar, a 44-seat cinema and a heated rooftop pool. The fourth and fifth floors each house private hire spaces including a Screening Room and Library. Expect to see more than just techies vying for a sunbed on the rooftop when New York’s notoriously hot summer days arrive.
17) Smith and Mills (TriBeCa)
71 N Moore St, New York, NY 10013
(212) 226-2515
Foursquare link
After a long day at WeWork Soho, set your evening cocktail meeting here. With a keen interest in Bauhaus and Constructivism and a reverence for industry and design, founders Akiva Elstein and Matthew Abramcyk have created an environment where soft lights envelope aging materials, from walls wrapped in molded plaster to a bar and doors fabricated from centuries-old wood, even to a turn-of–the-century elevator cabin.
Feeling peckish? Chef Paul Gioe composes savory dishes perfectly served in a chic wartime bunker, a necessary urban retreat.
18) Mother’s Ruin
8 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
Tel: (212) 219-0942
Foursquare
One of our favorite semi-secret bars in Nolita (East Soho, closer to Bowery), this spot serves delicious cocktails and amazing flash fried chickpeas, which are, in our opinion, the perfect bar snack.
With high top booths in the back and ample bar space in the front, we like to host happy hours here once per month. There are many amazing restaurants nearby, so it’s a great place to start (or end) your evening.
19) Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Tel: (718) 963-3369
Foursquare link
The Brooklyn Bowl is the only place in the world where you can listen to a Talib Kweli DJ set while drinking a Nutella-Bourbon Milkshake and knocking some pins down with vintage bowling balls.
In case you needed more motivation to check it out, this restaurant/music venue/bowling alley is the nation’s first LEED certified sustainably designed bowling alley with the stage made from used 18-wheeler truck tires and reclaimed wood.
Tip: Try to sneak backstage to the upstairs artist’s room after the show for a hangout with famous celebs or run across the street and catch them heading for a night-cap at the Wythe Hotel.
20) Tom & Jerry’s
288 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012
Tel: (212) 260-5045
Foursquare link
No tech hangout list would be complete with out this quirky yet homey bar that draws a check-in happy crowd. In fact, Tom & Jerry’s has welcomed over 20,000 check-ins since Foursquare launched in 2009. So saddle up at the bar, order a whiskey ginger and say hello to all of your Twitter friends.
Want all these spots in a Foursquare list? 3460 Miles has got you covered. Check it out here.
Tickets for The Next Web Conference USA 2013 are available now.
Header image credit: Thinkstock
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