As a freelance designer, I am always searching for a good wi-fi cafe. All I would like is: a quiet cafe with good coffee, free wi-fi, enough outlets, good table space, open late hours, and a restroom that doesn’t smell like urine. But I think I may be asking for too much.
Anyways, here are some options:
Housing Works Book Store Cafe: I love this place, even if it smells like an attic and it feels like I’m in a bat cave. You’ll feel good knowing that 100% of their profits go to Housing Works, Inc. and its totally run by volunteers. That’s why you can’t get mad at the barista when they’re really slow and when your coffee is cold. But there’s a limited number of outlets and the tables are small and often they’re all taken.
Aroma Espresso Bar: There’s 2 locations, one in the Upper West Side and one in SoHo. The last time I was at the SoHo location, they shut my wi-fi off after 30 minutes. And you could only get a password after you purchased something. The food here is actually ok, the sandwiches are made with super thick bread and the soups are pretty good. The coffee is decent and you always get a piece of chocolate with it, which I always like. However, I don’t know if the prices are worth the food and service is never that good.
THINK Coffee: If I was a hipster NYU student, I’d love this place. I’d also love this place if I could get a table. They have great grilled cheese sandwiches with generous portions of buttery bread and good coffee. THINK also carries vegan cupcakes from Babycakes, my favorite Vegan bakery in the Lower East Side. On Friday and Saturday nights they play live music (really loud too), so don’t plan on getting much work done here on weekends. But maybe I’m the only workaholic working on a Saturday night…
Gramstand: I haven’t been to this place in awhile but when I went a year ago it was really cute. The cafe is located on Ave A and 13th street and they have a great selection of teas. Again, like all cute cafes, its small and hard to get a table. Double points if you can score a couch.
Subtle Tea: Another great tea place is this cafe in Murray Hill. The seating however is only one large table but service is always really friendly here.
Cosi Sandwich Works: Their salads are never fresh and are overpriced. The sandwiches are ok because their bread is so darn good. When its not too crowded, I’ve spent some really good afternoons at Cosi. I’m pretty content with their bread samples, free fountain drink refills, and being able to sit in a booth.
and lastly, I default to, do I dare say it, Starbucks. They offer “free” wi-fi if you sign up for their rewards cards. Sometimes the convenience of one being on every street corner overrides how bad their coffee is. My favorite Starbucks is the one on 88th and Broadway, but it turns out thats everyone else’s favorite Starbucks as well. It’s probably the plush couches and the upstairs section that lures everyone. Also, has anyone ever noticed the strange Harry Potter mini doors at this place? If only they led to a place with better coffee…
So that is my round-up for now. I know there are many other wi-fi places I have probably forgotten to mention and will be adding to this list soon…
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availability for laptops in the cafes.