EAST COAST VS WEST COAST | Series 1: Coffee Shops

We are SO excited to introduce our new series called East Coast vs West Coast! As we are now settling into living bicoastal we wanted to create a weekly series that will highlight our lives, things we love and places we love in LA and NYC. We are kicking off with our first post highlighting coffee shops! New York City and Southern California each have their fare share and sometimes it can be overwhelming finding your quote unquote GO TO. Whether that be to work out off, grab your weekend cappuccino or just somewhere to relax and eat amazing pastries. We each scouted out the coffee shop that kept us coming back and our favorite place in the neighborhood. See below for more!

Courtney’s East Coast Pick

Felix Roasting Co. : 450 Park Avenue South.

You guys. To be honest I don’t think I have ever been into ANYWHERE this gorgeous. The decor seriously left me with my jaw dropped. The pictures don’t even do it complete justice. For a little background, Felix Roasting Co opened to the public last Thursday! What makes it different you ask? Well 2 words: Ken Fulk. Ken Fulk is a world renowned Interior Designer that took on designing this particular location. Owner Matthew Moinian of Felix Roasting Co. put it perfectly, “Getting Ken to do a café is like getting Michelangelo to do your bathroom,” Matthew Moinian, a real estate developer by trade. “Why would you do that?”

Ken Fulk completely understood Felix and how to make this cafe stand out. Further Felix Roasting Co is positioned between 30th and 31st street on Park Avenue. After looking at the photos you may think, WOW this is completely a downtown feel. However Moinian wanted to the cafe to be somewhere that everyone could feel and experience it. After experiencing it first hand I can’t help but to say that it is a coffee shop worth getting out of bed for, unlike anywhere else!

If you would like to learn more, Vogue did a beautiful write up linked HERE. If you are a Manhattan resident following along please DM us photos if you stop in!

Kelly’s West Coast Pick

Vanilla Black: 1825 Sunset Blvd

Walking around LA it’s pretty hard to NOT stumble upon a cute coffee shop that is probably going to be instagrammable. Even though I live in West Hollywood, I love to explore Silverlake and Echo Park because these neighborhoods have always felt the most “Brooklyn” to me. This past weekend, my mom was visiting me in Los Angeles so we decided to explore the cute neighborhood of Echo Park. Aside from the bars and live music, I came across Vanilla Black which is the most bright and colorful shop on the block.

The inside is light and airy and the coffee is DEVINE. If you are a coffee shop-dweller and like to get down to work, you will have to get there early and fight for the table in the corner (it is teeny on the inside!) The outdoor seating however is perfect for people watching and getting a little sun! Trust me, the vibes there are just lovely and the perfect afternoon pick-me-up!