Minchelin Guide
@Conwell Coffee Hall
Summer 2025
Why Conwell Coffee Hall?
Conwell Coffee Hall is located in the Financial District on the Lower Manhattan. I initially planned to observe
people working in finance as background research for my thesis. I wanted to understand the kinds of
conversations they have during their workdays, which is why I chose Conwell Coffee Hall for my visual research
project. However, I ended up shifting the direction of my thesis and no longer needed to focus on people in
finance. So instead, I decided to create my own Michelin Guide at Conwell Coffee Hall.
What can you find at Conwell Coffee Hall?
When I first entered the cafe and got seated, I was able to grab a table. Although there's a menu you can take
from the main counter to look through, you still have to place your order at the register.
Since I no longer had a research agenda in finance people, I turned my attention to my surroundings. Here are
some of the things I noticed. I hope you spot these too when you visit Conwell Coffee Hall:
What are the options I want to try from Conwell Coffee Hall's menu?
While looking through the menu, I found quite a few options that made it hard to decide. So, I created a chart
to help clarify what drinks I might want to try on my next visit.
From espresso to cocktails, the drinks cater to various times of the day. While the time of day plays a crucial
role in choosing based on caffeine or alcohol content, price is also an important factor. It all adds up in the
decision-making process.
After considering all of this, I decided to go with a black iced coffee.
If you haven't tried the iced coffee at Conwell Coffee Hall, I recommend it.
I personally think the cafe's iced coffee has a unique, nutty flavor.
Now that I've started exploring the food menu, I've been thinking in terms of sweet vs. savory to determine how
much I want to try certain dishes. I am planning to try the apple ricotta toast for my next visit.
This time, I chose the item I was least interested in, which was breakfast tacos, and it was...
okay.
Let's move on!
What are others doing at Conwell Coffee Hall?
As I was working on this research of the location, one question popped into my mind: What are the others doing
here? I mean, I'm here for visual research, but why they are here cause there are countless cafes in
Manhattan.
So I started to observe and count people to see how many people are doing what at the cafe. Click the image to see how people have moved and changed over time. As more people engage in certain activities, the images increase in size to reflect their popularity.
How would I embrace my tiredness?
After all of these experiences, I've realized that it's now time for me to go back and work on my thesis
project. Despite the tiredness and stress that I can't avoid, I still want to end on a brighter note, by
motivating myself with another cup of coffee. Thank you for reading and following my journey. I hope you have a
great rest of your day!
