“If you’ve ever tried to find a spot in New York to camp out with your laptop and get some work done, you’re probably familiar with the struggle of finding a café with reliable—and free—WiFi, let alone a place with a good atmosphere for staying focused.”
If you’re a freelancer—or anyone else whose “office” is wherever their computer is—this struggle is a defining experience of your professional life. While the ability to work from the comfort of your own home (read: bed) can sound appealing on paper, there’s only so much time one can spend churning out projects in a cramped NYC apartment that may not even have air conditioning. Eventually, productivity starts to suffer. Also, being around other humans is good for you, and yes, harcore introverts and solo apartment dwellers, I’m talking to you. Don’t end up like Jack Torrance. Because this city is filled with coffee shops that only give you an hour of “complimentary” WiFi with your purchase of a $6 latte, we asked passersby for the scoop on where it’s really at when it comes to getting your work grind on. Click through the slideshow to find your new home office-away-from-home, but please, keep these semi-secret spots on the DL.
Words by Kate Palisay