Welcome to Writes & Bites — a series where creative writing MFA student Arianna Gundlach reviews a cool writing spot in New York City and tackles a writing topic that’s been weighing on your mind. This week, we look at Georgie’s Cafe and Bar, a Hong Kong-inspired cafe on the Lower East Side.

Hello, lively readers and writers. I’ve been expecting you.

While the first day of spring was March 20, we still seem to be waiting for the season to make its grand entrance. Lows in the 30s and highs in the 50s aren’t cutting it; I don’t know what to wear anymore. Perhaps Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of six more weeks of winter was true. However, Phil, those six weeks are up, so what’s going on? Truthfully, I was hoping Staten Island Chuck — who has a higher accuracy rate (85%) —  was right with his prediction of an early spring.

So, spring hasn’t quite sprung, but luckily for you, I know a place where luscious, leafy vegetation grows all year round — an indoor urban oasis.

On the Lower East Side, make your way down Broome Street and trepidatiously approach VITAL Climbing Gym. Their sign boasts of self-importance, but large signage is important in New York City where there are so many establishments on each street that the one you’re looking for can easily be missed. Now, if the thought of testing your grip strength sends you running in the other direction, don’t fear, dear readers! I’d never lead you astray. Writes & Bites hasn’t started adding gyms to its roster. I imagine this is the closest we’ll ever get.

Georgie’s Cafe & Bar sneakily takes up space on VITAL’s second floor, and you don’t need a membership with VITAL for access. They describe themselves as a “Hong Kong-ish” cafe with drinks like Hong Kong milk tea and yuzu lemonade and Chinese bakery staples like bo lo yao (pineapple bun), red bean buns, and BBQ pork buns. If you’ve seen a particularly leafy cafe washed in natural light with a long communal table on your Instagram feed lately, that’s it.

And on the other hand, if rock climbing excites you (weirdo … haha, just kidding), a day pass at VITAL is $35.

Despite waiting outside for five minutes until it was precisely 9 a.m. (opening) — courtesy of the rule follower in me — more than 10 people were already posted up inside by the time I made it to the top of the stairs. VITAL opens at 8 a.m. on weekdays, so the cafe space may have been open but not serving before 9 a.m.

The stairs to the second floor have a portion with a railing for walking up and down, but they also extend horizontally. There, I found some people sitting and enjoying their breakfast, including a corgi who was sitting nicely for their treat. A place that allows dogs already gets major points in my book.

Plants exist everywhere in the cafe space — growing, climbing, crawling, thriving — starting with the ascent up the stairs. 

They grow uninhibited from soil beds instead of solitary pots. They sprawl across surfaces, creating a unique contrast with the urban infrastructure: black railings, suspension cords, wooden slats, and concrete slabs. Thick and dense, the plant life creates a real habitat instead of an artificial eucalyptus-scented therapist’s office. It reminds me of Jurassic Park if it became trendy and opened a cafe (minus the dinosaurs, of course).

For seating there are 11 two-person tables throughout the space, extending to the far left across from the cafe counter. There are stools along the counter and the right black railing, which overlooks the first floor. But the seating option that attracts the most attention is the long communal table at the center of everything.

If you want more of a view, choose a seat toward the far left across from the counter. There are two seaters along the window, but the plant life takes up a lot of the view. They deservedly demand attention.

I picked a seat along the communal table close to the cafe counter because I wanted time to scope out the menu before I ordered. Unlike most cafes I’ve visited, Georgie’s does not have a menu posted behind the counter. And I have to say, I hate playing the “find-the-menu” game. It’s irritating and tiresome.

I came to find that the menu is right at the register (laminated sheets) when you order, which forces you to make on-the-spot choices, especially if you haven’t seen the menu online or you’re ordering one of the food items that’s based on daily supply. In addition, their alcoholic drink menu is not online; you can only view it in person.

Just the thought of that made me anxious, so I waited a while to even join the ordering line. Before 9:10 a.m. (remember, this is only 10 minutes after opening), there was already a long line growing parallel to the communal table. Eventually the line thinned, and I manifested some courage to order, but the cafe itself starts to fill in around 9:30 a.m. and is in full swing by 11 a.m.

Reaching the front of the line, I got a closer peek behind the counter: green tile, brown sealed bags of coffee on shelves, a few knickknacks (one being a Lunar New Year dragon stuffie) — an organized, minimalist approach. Plants thread through an open black frame above the cafe counter, creating an organic canopy.

The cafe’s drink menu comprises three sections: coffee (traditional drinks), tea (including Hong Kong milk tea), and fruity/fizzy (yuzu lemonade, drewbucha, and canned soda). Flavored syrups and honey are also available at an extra charge. Alcoholic drinks include beer and cider as part of the bar menu. Food offerings consist of baked goods (cookies, Chinese breads, bo lo yao), breakfast (super granola with milk, yogurt bowl), and sandwiches (smokey grilled cheese, spam + egg).

The cookies and breads are based on daily supply, and their availability is visible in the case by the register. Red bean buns, pineapple buns, hot dog buns, BBQ pork buns, chocolate chip cookies, and ube cookies were made the day I visited.

When you order, the barista asks for your name so they can call it when your food and drink are on the counter. And while you can hover nearby until they call it, you’ll most likely still be able to hear your name from wherever you’re sitting. To the left of the register is a tap of ice water with plastic cups. There are also straws, stirrers, silverware, sugar packets, trash cans, and bins where you can return your dishes.

I ordered a sparkling yuzu lemonade and a smokey grilled cheese. The yuzu lemonade was perfectly tart and bubbly. It gives you that “pucker” feeling. People who like their lemonade on the sweeter side may not enjoy this as-is (without adding sugar), but as a sour candy fan, I certainly did. And having a lemonade that truly tastes different is hard to come by.

The grilled cheese came on a solid plate, cut into triangles set on top of each other. This was probably the least cheesy grilled cheese I’ve ever tasted, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The bread was crisp with a slight crunch. I wouldn’t describe it as smokey, but the cheese is listed as “smoked mozzarella.” It was a little sweet from the lap cheong (pork sausage) jam. Those who want a strictly savory grilled cheese may want to pass on this.

Georgie’s also hosts events, which are advertised on their Instagram and website. Past events include a comedy show, pop-ups, trivia nights, holiday markets, and even a latte art throwdown. They previously had a Pixar trivia night, which I was highly tempted to attend.

Looking down the long table, people are busy at work: typing on laptops, drawing on tablets, writing emails, maybe writing novels — focused. Sipping their drinks and taking a bite of their food here and there. The space is charged with productivity. The clicking of computer mice, the chatting on conference calls, the pencil scribbles (okay, maybe that was me). It’s bound to convince you to get some work done too. The table encourages a communal energy to get shit done, without ever talking to the person beside you. It’s not an intentional community — we don’t know each other in the traditional sense. But in some ways, we do — we all have tasks to get done. We feed off of checking things off our to-do lists, hearing our typing pick up as we get into a flow state, moving foward in big and small ways.

Let’s talk about how you would create an intentional community — a writing community. While being a writer is thought of as an isolated act (the story of my hermit existence), it doesn’t have to be. A writing partner, group, or online community helps with feedback, motivation, and staying connected to the creative process. It is up to you to write your book, but everyone needs an outside perspective from time to time. Someone to stand in for your prospective reader.

Now, your closest friends don’t always make the best critique partners. They may be too concerned with hurting your feelings to tell you how it is. I recommend surrounding yourself with writing partners who inspire you, feed your creative drive, and give you feedback that is genuinely constructive and pushes you.

Think back to times when you got the most out of feedback and why. Do you work better with line edits or big-picture notes? Digital or written feedback? Discussed verbally or shown visually? These are things to tell your partner or group so they know how to provide feedback that’s most helpful to who you are as a writer. Everyone’s process is different.

After you’ve formed a group or a partnership, decide what meeting style works best. Personally, I don’t get much out of workshopping or writing in real time on Zoom. In-person feels more active and engaging — plus, there’s a level of commitment to it because you have to show up at a physical place at a certain time. I need a reason to get out of my room.

Next, decide on how you will spend your time together. Will you submit pages and workshop them? Will you discuss process and craft? Will you write in real time together? Then, within these constructs, establish a structure you can fall back on for every meeting. For example, my current writing group starts our workshop time with a speed round of gems and roads for improvement. Whatever you decide as a group or partnership, strive to be consistent and keep each other accountable.

Set goals together and meet them. Whether that’s submitting a certain number of pages each week, outlining major story beats, or finishing your manuscripts — making steady progress toward these goals sets a standard for everyone in your group. And the truth is, we can’t be stuck on Chapter 1 forever. We need to keep moving forward.

Conquer problems together. My current writing group meets in a reserved room at the Vera List Library and utilizes the provided whiteboard, which spans an entire wall (I LOVE it!). We’ve visually plotted out each other’s story arcs, fixed common grammar mistakes, and brainstormed answers to the big questions.

If you want even more of a writing community with extra resources, try NovelBound, described on their website as “a next-gen writers collective helping you write your novel.” A membership is $10 a month or $90 a year; there’s also a free trial. Membership amenities include a beta reader program, small writer groups, writing sprints, community happy hours, an exclusive next-gen writers Discord, and events with authors and industry professionals. There are free resources too!

So when building your writing community, consider meeting at Georgie’s Cafe & Bar. Gather around the communal table. Enjoy a freshly baked good and a mouth-puckering yuzu lemonade. Take a page from the plants soaking in the sunshine. Absorb the creative energy around you: the tapping of keyboards, the scribbling of pencils, your fellow writers chasing their own stories. And then get to work.

Georgie’s Cafe & Bar

182 Broome St., 2^nd Floor

(347) 705-8247

https://www.georgies.cafe

Commute 18 minutes from the UC via subway (F/M)	Hours Daily: 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Tech Outlets available along two-seaters or underneath long table. VITAL Climbing Gym Wi-Fi; password at register. Tappable pay accepted.	Noise Level Conversational.
Gems Hong Kong-inspired cafe; luscious plant life; natural light; yuzu lemonade; communal table; dog friendly.	Atmosphere The epitome of concrete jungle.
Be Aware Inside VITAL Climbing Gym. Full within couple hours. Bathroom code at register. Second floor is accessible via stairs or elevator.	Rating 3/4 Stars – based on The New York Times star system: “ratings range from zero to four stars. Zero is poor, fair or satisfactory. One star, good. Two stars, very good. Three stars, excellent. Four stars, extraordinary.”