From Hook Ups to Breakups: The Best NYC Coffee Shops for Every Occasion

New Yorkers have a unique relationship with coffee. In short, they take it more seriously than others; it drives this city as much as ambition does.

And even that might be an understatement. Our coffee is a morning routine we cling to, a steaming cup of solace, our handwarmer, a beloved ritual. And as such, many pivotal moments take place in coffee shops. During a conversation with a stranger, was that the jolt of chemistry or caffeine? Is that uneasy feeling in your stomach due to a potent sip of espresso, or is a breakup brewing?

The signs, just like the coffee shops themselves, can be hard to locate. So we set out to decipher them for you, sipping americanos, scoping baristas, and making conversation with customers, all to find the coffee shop you need for every occasion. Complex presents your comprehensive guide to caffeine: From Hookups to Breakups: A NYC Coffee Shop For Every Occasion.

Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 136 East 13th St.
Website: everymanespresso.com
Perfect For: Meeting an internet date

So, you met her on [insert dating website/social media platform here] and she looks great in her photos, but you're slightly suspicious. Smart, hot and single? Red flags are tentatively raised, and you'd rather not spend $100 dollars on dinner and a side of dissapointment.

The solution? Everyman Espresso, a cheerful coffee shop tucked among the ecclectic shops of East Village. But, unlike those shops, Everyman Espresso is actually spacious. It's busy (read: safe), but you never have to fight for a chair. And the best part? Every seat offers a full view of the exit, should you need to dart for the door. And if she's actually all her tweets made her out to be, convince her of the merits of Everyman's Italian-style Toscano espresso, which yields an Americano with a sweet finish, and order some Taza chocolates to sweeten the deal.

Neighborhood: Soho
Address: 126 Crosby St.
Website: shophousingworks.com
Perfect For: Starting a revolution (or at least talking about one)

Housing Works is a bookstore first, and a coffee shop second, we'll admit that. That being said, you can get a quality cappuccino here, and it's served in a real mug, which always wins points with us. But the true perks lie in the decidedly intellectual vibe.

Bookstores tend to attract thoughtful people, but used bookstores, where you can buy a Proust paperback for 50 cents, the proceeds of which go towards AIDS/HIV causes bring in a crowd that is damn near enlightened. Lingering over your latte in the literary fiction section, conversations quickly escalate into heated discussions about social issues. Maybe its the smell of old books in the dusty air, or the fact that literary mag n+1 frequently holds events here, but something about this coffee shop gets people talkin' bout a revolution.

Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Address: 160 Berry St.
Website: bluebottlecoffee.net
Perfect For: Mingling with fellow coffee nerds

Remember the beaker and flask riddled set of Bill Nye the Science Guy? That's what Blue Bottle's Williamsburg space looks like, a full-fledged laboratory. Sure, some non-discerning palette may have wandered in unknowingly, but the majority of the customers here are coffee connoisseurs who take their brew seriously, just like the baristas here do.

Five glass contraptions that resemble either a bong or a decanter (depending on your individual sensibilities) showcase their unique per-cup brewing methods, and an industrial slab of metal serves as the only table, a communal meeting place to trade bean preferences, and the only place you may ever seduce a woman with the words "individual drip." Just thinking about it makes us feel naughty and thirsty, all at once.

Neighborhood: Soho
Address: 31 Crosby St.
Website: saturdaysnyc.com/
Perfect For: Pretending you're on vacation

Shut your eyes and imagine sipping your coffee with the smell of surf wax in the warm air. Are you in Hawaii? No, you're in Soho, at Saturday Surf, where the excellent drip coffee is served steaming hot beside gleaming surfboards. And even though their multiple scarves might look like leis before you've finished your first espresso, those people are not the indigenious tribe, they're just hipsters (although, their behavior can be just as perplexing).

But, don't let that take away from the island vibe here. From the lax baristas who are just as literate about brewing methods as they are about catching waves, to the cozy cafe in the back garden made for lingering, you really couldn't ask for a more mellow way to spend a morning.

Neighborhood: Chelsea
Address: 75 9th Ave.
Website: ninthstreetespresso.com
Perfect For: Taking a gluttonous stroll

Ninth Street Espresso's 9th Avenue branch is not so much a cafe as it is a counter, a fact that doesn't detract from it appeal, but adds to it. The lack of seating acts as a scapegoat for extreme over-indulgence, giving you the ideal excuse to roam around Chelsea Market, heavily caffinated and ready to do some damage in its delectable shops.

It should also be said that the espresso here is truly transcendental, a draw in and of iteself. The baristas are some of the most skilled in the city, I mean, they can craft your cappucino into art! But even if you can't appreciate a good foam design, you will appreciate the face-stuffing (and people watching) Chelsea's bustling gourmet scene provide. Chairs? So overrated. A midday jaunt with a pitstop at Amy's Bakery, that's what's up!

Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Address: 248 Mercer St.
Website: thinkcoffeenyc.com
Perfect For: Getting work or studying done, and kicking it with NYU students

Think Coffee feels like being in an NYU student's mind. It's slighly cluttered, always busy but there is genius to be found there. Think Coffee has all of that, plus cold-brewed iced coffee, free Wi-Fi so even the invariably loud music and the eerie glow of 3 dozen laptops can't distract you from your purposes. Many papers have been born here, maybe you'll have similar luck creating your presentation.

And if you decide to scrap the whole work thing, get yourself a cafe con leche to perk up that Spanish fly and go chat up one of the hot undergrads. Sympatheize with sexy procrastinators and trade your latte for a cold beer and take delight in being that slightly creepy dude kicking it to freshman girls. And good news, the cafe is open to 11:30pm: Creep on, my man.

Neighborhood: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Address: 837 Union St.
Website: tealoungeny.com
Perfect For: Lounging and sipping slow

This may be the biggest coffee shop in New York, and not just by New York standards either. Tea Lounge's oversized space is occupied with mismatched sofas and various types of seating that look like misfit garage sale purchases, but it works.

Yes, there is coffee at the Tea Lounge, and quality coffee at that. Doubtful? Try their nutella brevered eye, a rich blend of chocolate, espresso and steamed milk and you'll be a believer. And yes, this is Park Slop so there will inevitably be a child lurking in the wings, but the on-stage rotation, from the bumpin' jazz music to boistrous comedians will be all the distraction you need from rowdy toddlers.

Neighborhood: Tribeca
Address: 319 Church St.
Website: lacolombe.com
Perfect For: Thinking long and hard. Also, staring at pretty women as a distraction.

The brick walls here are simply appointed, and the minimal decor has an aesthetic that's pleasing to a cluttered mind. This city moves fast and sometimes the synapses can't keep up. Thankfully La Colombe serves iced coffee that's cold enough to keep your thoughts crisp and strong enough (potent drip coffee with two shots of espresso to boot) to keep them clear.

Mull over life's conundrums (should you stay or go, make moves or lay low?) and make unabashed eye contact with women who are too pretty to house complicated thoughts like the ones that currently reside in your cluttered skull.

Another positive for long think sessions? No Wi-Fi, no tangled technology webs to get caught in. Just you, your thoughts and a damn good, slow roasted cup. Colombe means dove, so let it all go just like that peaceful white bird. Wait, what? We might have went a little too heavy on the double drip...

Neighborhood: Flatiron
Address: 18 West 29th St.
Website: stumptowncoffee.com
Perfect For: Feeling inferior to your barista. Also, flirting with Ace Hotel guests.

Never has a short espresso looked so sexy. Ok, well it's not the java itself, but the dapperly dressed gentleman handing you your cup. Either way, the entire business is almost condescending. It's 10 a.m. and and your eyes are still narrow with caffeine defficiency, and here's señor suave, serving you your Americano with a smile. It's just not right.

But, really, we can forgive Stumptown's painfully perfect staff because they do good work, creating miracles with a black bean not seen since Jack and his miracle-grow stalk. After a strong soy latte, when you're buzzing with glory of well-crafted caffeine, head into the hotel lobby, a charmingly appointed den that converges lucid coffee drinkers with satiated diners and (if it happens to be 10 p.m.) tipsy hotel guests who've been doing ample time at the bar. All these things combined create the perfect storm, leaving you alert enough to talk to Mrs. Robinson about her night on the town (and her plans for later) or have a chat with a woman who just consumed a full pig at The Breslin. What's hotter than that? Not your barista's Willy Wonka hat, that's for sure.

Neighborhood: Chelsea
Address: 224 West 20th St.
Website: cafegrumpy.com
Perfect For: Breaking it off (in the bad way)

Irony is overrated. The opposite of ironic? Breaking up with your girl in Cafe Grumpy. It's that kind of hit you over-the-head symbolism that gives us true joy. If she says she didn't see it coming, tell her the foreshadowing should have made it pretty damn imminent. You tried.

Commiserate with her over a heartbreaker espresso (seriously, it's on the menu), because nothing washes away the residual uglyness of an unexpected split like a strong shot. And for you? Put a hot cup of Guatemalan coffee where your heart used to be.