Downing Bray suggests another venue for wanton caffeine consumption. Get it before it’s too late!


ALT Coffee

Ave. A and 9th St.

A Lower East Side coffee shop legend is dead . . . almost. After a decade of service, ALT Coffee, boasting “consistently good coffee, occasionally cranky computers, and possibly the scariest bathroom currently on Avenue,” is closing next week. (ed. note: Like another LES staple.) I checked out the joint for a late night coffee chat and, after experiencing its quirky charm first hand, I think it’s clear that in New York, a city filled with so many Starbuckses and Barnes and Nobles, ALT is a far cry from a yuppie Village locale or fancy pants Upper East Side cafe. It’s a travesty it has to close. The combination of
yellow-painted walls and dim lighting emanating from odd chandeliers and colored lamps, along with a random smattering of tables, dingy chairs and grungy yet comfy multi-colored sofas that look like they were purchased at a yard sale– plus a handful of computers with free wireless– is enough to attract many a wandering soul to ALT. The clientele is a mix between computer nerds, emoish hipsters, and the dreadlocked and piercing-sporting set. It’s totally unassuming, laid back, and off-beat – a true find for any coffee shop fiend. So if you find yourself in Alphabet City in need of a taste of the (old?) neighborhood or just a good cup of coffee within the next week, give ALT a visit. Also, on Saturday April 7th, they’ll be having an “ALT-is-almost-dead memorial service, complete with Open Mic, Memorial Wall, and General Merriment. It starts at 3PM and goes on until . . . it ends.”