Vox Pop: "Counter-culture on the Bowery" Top 5 Page for this destination Vox Pop Tip by toonsarah

Nowhere epitomises the recent gentrification and new-found trendiness of the Lower East Side more than this stretch of the Bowery, with its arty cafés, galleries and fashionable shops. And this bookstore / poetry club/ café is right on trend! We popped in for refreshment and a quick break from pounding the streets and ended up lingering for a while just watching the comings and goings both inside and on the street outside.

Vox Pop claims to have the best coffee on the block, and Chris certainly enjoyed his latte. They also have a range of healthy juices, smoothies etc, and I loved my apple and ginger juice. There are speciality coffees too, such as the Andy Warhol: espresso, chocolate, banana and vanilla ice cream.

We didn’t eat here but it looked a promising (and good value) spot for lunch, with appetising smells wafting from the bowl of soup at the table to my left. Meanwhile to my right a student sat and read “On the Road” which seemed to me to be exactly what you should be reading in such a setting!

The venue is also home to the Bowery Poetry Club and a small, fairly radical book shop. If you want an antidote to the plethora of Starbucks* rampaging across the city, this is the place for you.

*Don’t get me wrong, I love Starbucks, I just like a change from time to time ;-)

Address: 308 Bowery, New York 10012
Comparison: less expensive than average
Directions: Between Houston and Bleecker Streets. Nearest subway stations are at 2nd Avenue (line F) or Bleecker (line 6)
Phone: %s3 %cb (212) 260-1600
Price: less than US$10
Rating: 3
Theme: Other
Website: http://voxpopbowery.com/