Digression Loops - Southside Coffee
Digression Loops attempt to antidote loop fatigue. On those slow, mild days where the breeze has your back and you’ve got some extra miles to burn, this is the alternative to laps around the park. The only governing rule is each run has to reveal something spectacular about the city—usually food; probably carbs.
Southside Coffee in South Slope—known for its killer breakfast sandwiches and swag-worthy logo.
The Digression:
A mostly pleasant roll around Red Hook with a Tesla flyby, a lurch over the Gowanus Canal, and a sprint* finish up 19th in South Slope.
GAP up Flatbush
Left onto Bergen > Congress
Left onto Columbia
Right onto Degraw
Left onto Van Brunt
Left onto Wolcott > Lorraine
Right onto Hamilton > 3rd
Left onto 19th
*Sprint finish neither required or encouraged.
Bathroom Opportunity: The Red Hook track bathrooms are conveniently accessible via this digression as well as (less conveniently) the Fornino bathrooms at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6.
Google has the audacity to describe this as “mostly flat”.
Trickiest Part: Traversing six lanes of 3rd Ave as well as the Gowanus Expressway underpass is a good opportunity to pause and reset for the climb up 19th.
Distance: ~5 miles
The Food:
Southside Coffee’s breakfast sandwiches are a rare example of something that not only lives up to the NYC hype, but actually exceeds it. They also sling Counter Culture coffee as well as a smattering of indulgent homemade baked goods (this day featured a pineapple bar whose tropical affect was so nuanced and thoughtful that I’ll forever associate the contentious fruit with a well-balanced breakfast rather than the overly sweet poolside drinks I spent the latter half of my 20s trying to purge from memory).
A visual guide to the optimal Southside order.
If you’re a sucker for sesame seeded rolls and hip sounding names, the “New School” will not disappoint. The addition of bacon, eggs, miso-tahini kale, and hot sauce elevate the sandwich from delightful bodega fare to full-on blazer of the breakfast trail. There are some who argue that the eponymous Southside is the real star here—ham, eggs, cheddar, ‘breakfast mayo’ and pickled red onion. This is kind of like saying that LA bagels are better than NY bagels—different, yes; good, probably; but better? We’ll leave it to you to decide.
The “New School” travels incredibly well, even after a jarring ~2 mile cool-down trying to beat all the traffic lights.
The Return:
6th > Union > GAP: ~1.5 miles
Best Part: Blasting down 6th towards Union is a good opportunity for some downhill speed if you can time the crosswalks. I’d recommend, however, pausing briefly on the Prospect Expy overpass, staring down at the inevitable traffic below, and appreciating the fact that you’re not currently stuck in it.
The neatly packaged “New School” makes for a great running/photo companion.
May your run resemble a Saturday morning NYC expressway—nothing but smooth sailing.
The ReST:
Total distance: ~6-7 miles
Tag a picture of your best Southside moment with #digressionloops. We may feature it in our next digression.
Past digressions:
PPTC is a diverse and supportive team. We want to celebrate the diversity of our club and membership. We welcome and encourage everyone to share their stories with us.
Words/pictures by John Vaghi (he/him)