Dear Mr. Capsis:
First, I am sorry to learn of the loss of John Capsis. My condolences to you and your family.
My reason for writing is this: Gordon T. Hughes, Jr., in his January 2018 WestView article “West Village Coffee Joints,” missed an exquisite newcomer to the neighborhood. Ad Hoc Collective Coffee + Shoppe—part cafe, part antique shop—is all about maintaining and expanding upon genuine community in the Village. Mariquit Ingalla, owner and West Village neighbor, knows every single customer by name.
Ingalla hosts music nights and poetry readings. Her shop is filled with people of all ages—and strangers become friends more often than you’d think possible. In addition to a roster of wood-roasted coffee from Maine, she serves homemade snacks and sandwiches, many of which are named after regulars. People (many of whom trek in from the Upper East Side, Brooklyn, and Queens) say this place is like their living rooms, but better. You can find this cozy, downstairs spot at 13 Christopher Street (between Greenwich Avenue and Waverly Place), below Fairlight.
Respectfully, Joe Elliott
P.S. The owner of Ad Hoc has no idea I am writing this. I just believe it is important to introduce the readers of WestView to a coffee shop that brings back what we love best about the West Village—true community.
Mr. Capsis,
As a fervent patron of the West Village’s neighborhood restaurants and cafes, I follow WestView News and its reviews. However, I am dismayed with Gordon T. Hughes, Jr.’s January 2018 article entitled “West Village Coffee Joints.”
Asserting that Village patrons all seem to be writing the Great American Novel, he cites only four “joints” in the entire story. This seems to refute significant other neighborhood cafes, some better in quality and atmosphere than the ones Hughes profiles. Perhaps this reflects an inability to actually research the neighborhood he claims to know. In fact, just Googling “West Village Coffee” brings up, among others, The Elk at 128 Charles Street and the chef-driven 11th Street Cafe at 327 West 11th Street—certainly one of the more significant “joints” serving the West Village for over 10 years.
So, rather than poke fun at would-be writers or creatives having coffee, perhaps Hughes, as a writer, might consider better quality research and some walking around the neighborhood.
—Michael Soluri
