Charlotte Café
New York City, NY
November 21st, 2024
As a resident of the Jersey Shore, my primary – and preferred – mode of transportation into New York City is the ferry. While it is an expensive option if you don’t buy season passes, I would quite literally pay anything to avoid the monstrosity that is New Jersey transit. My sincerest condolences go out to you if you, too, have experienced being trampled by the sea of people running to catch their train that leaves in one minute and was posted one minute ago in an NJ Transit station. It happens to the best of us.
The ferry is peaceful. Or, at least, it should be. Sometimes the water is a bit choppy, and I will admit that I have gotten seasick on a Seastreak boat. My sickness, however, did not come on a trip from New Jersey to New York, but rather a whale watching tour, so for the moment it is not relevant. All I’ll say is perhaps avoid eating a large sub before venturing out to treacherous ocean conditions, and also I am sorry to the crew that was on board that day.
I mention the ferry in this post that is, allegedly, about Charlotte Café because it is through the ferry that I discovered this gem in Murray Hill. While exiting the ferry at the East 35th Ferry Terminal, I looked to my right to discover my Aunt and Uncle, too, were exiting the ferry. Unbeknownst to all involved, we had been sitting on the same floor the entire ride. Happy to see familiar faces, we walked together for a couple of blocks and then split off.
At the end of the day, after I had returned from the Upper West Side where I was filming a small project with a friend, and they had finished their adventures on the High Line and in the meatpacking district, we came together on the 5pm ferry back – which, as always, I was seconds away from missing. We sat together, and I remarked how I had walked across the entire city, and I didn’t find a café that I wanted to go into. Granted, I didn’t look any up beforehand, which is always wise to do, but I figured I might just stumble across one. I was surprised, and saddened, that I did not.
My Aunt and Uncle, however, did. And, in fact, they found one rather close to the ferry terminal. They recommended Charlotte Cafe to me, and when I went into the city the following week, this cafe was the first place I stopped into. I ordered a cappuccino and an almond croissant. I will say that carrying these treats in the rain – with fallen leaves strewn about the sidewalk – felt very cinematic. Very fall NYC energy. There was a lot of room to sit down, as well, tables in the front and an entire back room, but I could only stop in for a short while. They had many pastries on display, and the service was excellent – the person working the register and the barista were so friendly it made my entire day.
I will certainly be making this a regular stop when I arrive in New York via the ferry, and now – as I
remarked to my Aunt – I have a reason, perhaps, to arrive a little bit earlier to the ferry when it’s time to go. If you’ve ever ridden on a Seastreak ferry, you know they will leave you in the dust if you are not on time. They are sticklers for their schedule. As they should be. I really cannot afford to be crossing my fingers in the Uber, praying for the crosstown traffic to be not as bad as expected, and sprinting down the ferry terminal anymore. It’s just not sustainable! So, Charlotte Café, you may just be my saving grace.
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