The New York Spring is off to a brisk but beautiful start. With the cafes starting to spill onto the sidewalks, the streets lively with natives & tourists and color returning to the parks, the city is operating at its finest. New York’s urban landscape in the Spring becomes a brilliant backdrop for doing business. The city encourages you to get out of the office and feed off of the energy, richness and unpredictability to build stuff with others.

For startups, where developing new relationships is a critical part of the growth and development cycle, it’s an ideal time to find potential partners, clients, investors and advisors. As I meet with folks in my new role in mobile BD at Braintree / Venmo, here are a few of my favorite New York spots for business & professional meetings:

Cafes & Coffee Shops:

• Grey Dog Chelsea – just down the street from Google, spacious with great all day menu: http://www.thegreydog.com/location-hours/
• Coffee Shop – grab a stool and a coffee at the counter: http://thecoffeeshopnyc.com/
• Cafe Grumpy Chelsea – delicious coffee, indoor & outdoor seating: http://cafegrumpy.com/locations/chelsea/
• Brooklyn Bagel Chelsea – best bagel in NYC!: http://www.yelp.com/biz/brooklyn-bagel-and-coffee-company-new-york-2
• Tarallucci E Vino – doubles as a great restaurant: http://taralluccievino.net/the-restaurant/
• Argo Tea Chelsea – a huge, welcoming tea shop, best in the chain: http://www.argotea.com/locations_new_york.shtml

Restaurants:

• Cafeteria – grab a table outside!: http://www.cafeteriagroup.com/
• Almond – spacious with tasty lunch: http://www.almondnyc.com/p3.php
• Olio Pizza e Piu – delicious Neapolitan pizza, tons of outdoor seating, right in the heart of Greenwich Village: http://olionyc.com/
• Maysville – not too busy at lunch, top notch food: http://maysvillenyc.com/
• Despana – amazing Spanish sandwiches & tapas: http://www.despanabrandfoods.com/food-shop/despana-soho
• Phebe’s – versatile during the day 🙂 http://www.phebesnyc.com/

Bars:

• Pierre Loti – across the street from Google, great happy hour specials, great Turkish food, friendly folks: http://www.pierrelotiwinebar.com/chelsea/
• Shake Shack Madison Square Park (B Line) – the B line serves only beer & wine with none of the wait. Have your meeting in the Park!: http://www.shakeshack.com/location/madison-square-park/
• Park Bar – just off Union Square: http://www.parkbarnyc.com/
• NoMad Hotel Bar – upscale bar in festive Flatiron hotel: http://www.thenomadhotel.com/#!/dining/bar
• Ace Hotel Lobby Bar – bustling hotel bar in lobby frequented by many tech folks: http://www.acehotel.com/newyork

Parks:

• Madison Square Park – #1 choice by far -> least chaotic, central, beautiful
• Union Square Park – perfectly located, but can be hectic
• Washington Square Park – the renovation has created some quiet spots for chats
• Bryant Park – beautiful and comfortable, although a bit far from “central” Flatiron / Chelsea / Union Sq area

My list skews heavily toward downtown Manhattan, so all suggestions on other great places to do business outside of the office are much appreciated!

Madison Square Park in full bloom