I was checking out post holiday sales on flannel at Ralph Lauren Polo this week when I stumbled upon the most unexpected little coffee shop tucked away on their second floor, Ralph’s Coffee. Cute, right?!
Coffee shops (other than Starbucks and super duper expensive hotel cafes) are hard to come by in the central midtown area, so this was a real treat to find. I grabbed an oatmeal raisin cookie ($3) and a cup of joe ($3), and secured a spot by the window, watching snow flurries and 5th avenue hustle and bustle. Besides being spacious, Ralph’s also offers free wi-fi and plenty of plugs to charge up your devices.
The inspiration for the cafe, from the inventor of preppy himself, goes as such: “The smell of freshly brewed coffee evokes so many memories for me, mostly of times spent with friends and family, the people I love. I wanted to develop these coffee blends in that spirit and create a place where people could come together and take a break from their busy days.” Touche, Mr. Lauren.
Besides, I think we can all agree that coffee trumps flannel any day…at least for the wallet;-)
Have you found any foodie gems in your neighborhood lately? Share below!
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.
