Coffee Ride to Java Love - Suffern, NY
This Java Love location has closed. Please consider visiting one of their other locations.
The Ride
30.3 miles may seem like a short jaunt to our coffee shop destination with the compass mode of the Beeline. See our article on discovering new roads with Beeline. However, Suffern, NY, is on the other side of the Hudson River, so it would definitely be longer. The straight line was roughly equal between Bear Mountain Bridge & the Tappan Zee Bridge. There are more fun roads by the Bear Mountain Bridge, so that was where I planned to cross the Hudson.
I left Cross River, heading north on Route 121 before turning left onto Route 138 to start heading west. This road crosses Interstate 684 and the Muscoot Reservoir by Golden’s Bridge. There used to be a bridge on Plum Brook Road over the next section of the reservoir, but it’s been closed for years, so I had to stay on 138 till it terminates at Route 100. I headed south on Route 100 to get onto Plum Brook Road and continue heading west. This ends at Route 139 (Primrose Street), where I turn north until I turn west at Valley Pond Road. This brings me to a road hugging the Amawalk reservoir called Lake Road. I then turn left on Route 202 to keep riding along the reservoir before crossing Route 118 and heading north. I need to head west now toward Bear Mountain Bridge. Still, the only real option in the area is Route 6N, which links to Route 6, which in the area of Jefferson Village through Mohegan Lake is densely populated with shopping centers on either side.
Sometimes, you have to hit the boring roads to get to the good ones. I hop on the Bear Mountain Parkway a bit east of Peekskill, and then after the roundabout just north of Peekskill at Roa Hook Road, I get on 6/202, heading up to the Bear Mountain Bridge. The roundabout has a gas station, a popular meeting point for motorcyclists preparing for a run up to Bear Mountain Bridge along 6/202.
This road passes by Camp Smith on a narrow strip of road directly against a small section of the Hudson that is sheltered like a lake & is popular with kayakers. Camp Smith is the training academy for the National Guard & is nearly 1600 acres, mainly in the mountain terrain along the road I am riding on. This section of road from the roundabout to the bridge is a series of sharp turns climbing up the mountain and is very popular with motorcycles. If you time it right, you avoid the car traffic and can have a nice pace traveling along the road.
Once across the Bear Mountain Bridge, I needed to head south, so at the roundabout, I took 9W/202 south, passing by the Bear Mountain Inn. 9W/202 is a great motorcycle road with plenty of curves, climbs, and descents until a bit north of Stony Point.
The road becomes more populated and congested at Stony Point, so I head west on Route 108 and then back south on Route 47, which combines with Route 98, where I turn right to head west. I miss the turn to stay on 47, so just before reaching the Palisades Parkway, I turn left to head south on Route 94, which brings me back to 47 with a slightly more scenic route.
Back onto Route 202, though on the other side of the Hudson, which hugs the southern border of Harriman State Park with the hills directly on the right. This leads us right into Suffern, NY, and a quick left turn onto Chestnut Street, and I arrive at Java Love.
REVER is a mobile app designed to help you track, plan, or navigate your ride. With the app, you can easily plan your route, view maps and directions, and track your distance using GPS technology. The app is an excellent tool for anyone who loves to ride and wants to keep track of their progress and distance. Check out our full review of Rever.
Some excellent roads were discovered, but several strip mall streets were the only options in some places. The limited crossing options for the Hudson cost us as the track recorded by REVER expanded to 55.3 miles from the 30 miles the direct compass distance showed before we left.
See the route below.
The Coffee Shop
There is limited parking in the Java Love lot, and when I arrived, all the spots were full, but I found street parking across the street.
The exterior is red brick, and a rusted metal sign alerts you to your arrival at Java Love Coffee Roasting Co. There were a few seats outside right in front of the entrance when I arrived.
Inside, the bar has several pieces of wood and rusted metal, keeping the sign theme from outside. A large couch near bookshelves filled with packages of beans stands before the chalkboard, showing the available drinks and prices.
There are a few other seats and tables, but the roaster holds a significant part of the space, which is easily visible. No glass separates you; a perfect view of the process and seeing how the beans make their way to your cup. This is easily the highlight of the experience for me. The roaster emptied out a batch when I was there and added a new one. Often, this is out of sight of cafe patrons either because they do the roasting in the back or buy their beans from another roaster.
Most of the space is used for preparing coffee rather than seating, so expect more of a takeout feeling. If you opt for a seat, several food options are available. Pastry options like muffins, croissants, and banana bread caught my eye, but I’d had breakfast just before I left, so I’ll have to experience those another time. They also have breakfast and lunch options ranging from frittata and pancakes to cheeseburgers and tuna melts.
The Refreshments
My one pet peeve was that due to the limited parking, and a strong takeout business, my cappuccino was served in a paper cup. Ceramic makes the experience so much better, I always enjoy seeing the foam directly and experiencing the texture rather than sipping it through a cup lid! Nonetheless, my cappuccino was tasty and the care the baristas put into preparing a beverage was clear. Next time I’ll have to try some of the food options as the ones I saw did look delicious.
