Jeremy Edmunds
Google
In the perpetual shuffle between Chinatown and the Financial District, where suits blur past dumplings, there's a spot that's managed to carve out its own bizarre little ecosystem. APM Coffee, celebrating five years of keeping Boston's plant parents and caffeine addicts adequately nourished, is the kind of place that Anthony Bourdain might have called "aggressively charming."
Let's be clear - this isn't your standard-issue hipster coffee joint, though all the usual suspects are here: the hanging lights that look like they were stolen from Alice in Wonderland's tea party, enough plants to make a botanist blush, and the requisite Intelligentsia coffee for those who take their morning brew very, very seriously.
But here's where it gets interesting. That green smoothie you're eyeing? The one that costs as much as an hour of parking in Back Bay? It's worth every damn penny. Looking like something that could power a small city, this avocado-kale concoction is what Kermit the Frog would drink if he got into wellness culture. It's the kind of green that makes you wonder if it might start glowing in the dark, but unlike the usual suspect smoothies that taste like lawn clippings and broken dreams, this one's actually good.
The tofu avocado sandwich has developed its own following, like a cult but with better lunch options. And the breakfast menu? It's the reason people willingly show up early to their allergy appointments next door at Boston Specialists - now that's saying something.
Sure, the place is cozy (real estate speak for "tight squeeze"), and you might have to throw some elbows to snag one of those wooden chairs during the lunch rush. The hours are limited to when the sun's up, which feels like a missed opportunity in a city of night owls and overworked medical residents.
But that's part of its charm. In a city where history weighs heavy on every corner, APM has carved out its own modern legend - complete with Instagram-worthy lighting and a playlist that probably includes at least one Lo-fi Hip Hop track at any given moment.
Is it pretentious? Maybe a little. Is it worth it? Absolutely. In a world of cookie-cutter coffee chains and "authentic" experiences manufactured by marketing teams, APM Coffee is genuinely trying to do something different. Even if that something different includes charging you the price of a small appliance for a green smoothie.
But hey, in Boston, where parking spots are treated like inherited family heirlooms and everyone's got an opinion on Dunkin', APM Coffee has managed to do the impossible - make people willingly drink their vegetables while feeling cool about it.
Go for the coffee, stay for the smoothies, and remember - those plants aren't just decor, they're witnesses to five years of Boston's endless parade of students, professionals, and allergy patients, all united in their quest for something better than another chain store cappuccino.
As the great man himself might have said: "This is what happens when good ingredients meet good intentions, and somebody remembers to water the plants."
