PlantShed

The PlantShed is a gorgeous café inside a flower shop in the Upper West Side. As you can imagine, the space is absolutely stunning. It’s a comfortable and interactive spot where you can browse a selection of plants, potted succulents and gorgeous blooms along with handmade candles and cards.

The café is off to the corner and serves coffee and espresso drinks from Toby’s Estate. It was created out of the despite to enjoy an environment filled with beautiful plants and creates a sense of community amongst plant lovers. They serve delicious pastries – the apple turnover was to die for – along with other floral/plant based drinks and cold brew. They also have a seasonal menu with very unique drinks! I was so happy that I remembered my reusable travel mug as well! 

They are open 7 days a week from 7 am to 7 pm, and have a few tables so if you’re lucky enough to get a seat make sure you really enjoy your time there! It’s the perfect afternoon escape and I really did feel like I was enjoying some time in an oasis.

Travel Tip: The American Museum of Natural History is a short walk from here! 

Brooklyn Roasting Company

Brooklyn Roasting Company is a roastery dedicated to sourcing sustainable coffee and supports environmentally friendly farming and trade practices. They have a production facility at the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard which is home base to about 60 employees who work in operations, roasting, packaging, sales and training! The roasting process is also very interesting and they actually are more environmentally friendly and 80% more efficient compared to any other roaster of comparable scale!  They really are committed to the environment and package their coffee in reusable cans on tin-steel and even use vintage or built-in-house furniture at their cafes!

Out of their 6 locations, there is 1 in Chelsea right in my neck of the woods. I stopped in for a quick coffee to go and really enjoyed the brew which was Guatemalan blend (medium roast) with notes of caramel, dried fruit and coca notes. 

BRC is a casual space with great coffee and cool merchandise. I love supporting local cafes and it’s even better when I know they do their part to be kind to our environment!