I don’t know about you, but I can’t function well without coffee. I get all foggy, sentences are processed slower in my head and I just have a harder time being human.

Of course, this kind of dependency is not completely healthy. I’m okay with that though, because a little kick doesn’t hurt. Especially during finals week after three 10-page papers and an all nighter!

A really cool coffee shop to go to (not only during finals week) is Astoria Coffee in Astoria, located at 30-04 30th St.

I like this specific place because it’s so cool. Like so cool. It’s hip, modern, and is decorated in earth tones, which makes the whole place a bit more chill.

As soon as you walk in and shut the glass door behind you, your mood suddenly shifts. It’s quiet and so calm in there and there is soothing music playing softly in the background. It kind of feels like you’ve just entered a spa. You see people working on their laptops or quietly talking with their friends over a nice cup of coffee. And of course it smells so good.

There are a lot of plants around, and plants show up in unexpected places all around the coffee shop. Like in coffee mugs! There’s also an impressive coffee machine behind the counter.

What’s cool about Astoria Coffee is that they sell coffee from roasters across the country on a rotating basis. For example, they serve coffee from Elm Coffee Roasters from Seattle, Washington, from Brioso Coffee from Columbus, Ohio, and Case Coffee Roasters from Ashland, Oregon. You can view a full list of roasters on their website.

I like to get their drip coffee. Drip coffee is a pour-over method which involves pouring water over roasted ground coffee beans in a filter. The water seeps through, passed through the filter and creates the drip coffee. I also like adding half and half to my coffee, I find that you don’t even need to add sugar if you have half and half in it because it makes the beverage sweeter!

They also have really great (and very pretty) lattes! I think that latte art is so cool, and Astoria Coffee definitely works to perfect their latte art and presentation.

Other than coffee they serve tea from “Tea Pigs,” baked goods and pastries from Amy’s Bread and Ceci Cela and ice cream sandwiches by Melt Shop. You can check out their full menu here.

Another cool thing about Astoria Coffee is that they host events! They host events like poetry workshops and open mics. On Saturday June 4th at 7:30 p.m. there will be an event called “Drunken Vocabulary Bee,” which is basically a drunk spelling bee. Details are not finalized, but follow them on twitter for more event information!

And another cool thing (I think the coolest) about Astoria Coffee is their “Today I Am Grateful For…” Journal. Coffee shop goers are welcome to write what they are grateful for in the journal. It’s so nice to be able to read what everyone is grateful for; it kind of puts things into perspective and makes you leave the coffee shop in a good mood. I think this is a great addition to the coffee shop because it just helps bring the neighborhood closer together.

They also have adorable mini coffee trees in mugs for sale! I really want one.

Come check them out for a caffeine fix during finals! Or anytime actually, this is a great neighborhood coffee shop to relax in.

Thank you for reading this post about Astoria Coffee in Astoria, Queens! What do you like to put in your coffee?

Coffee lovers: Where is your favorite place in Queens to get a cup of java? Tell me in a comment below!

This is my last post of the semester, during the summer I suggest going to some of the great places I’ve talked about in Queens! You can refresh your memory by checking out my other posts here.

Until next semester! Go out and explore your borough!