Need a wireless hotspot in S. philly tomorrow night

December 11, 2008 2:13 PM

For reasons too tedious to get into, I need a quiet place with a broadband wireless connection between the hours of 7-9 p.m. tomorrow night, 12/15, as close to the Spectrum in South Philly as possible. Anybody got any suggestions?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders to computers & internet (10 comments total)

All the libraries down there close at 5 but -- and this is seriously ad hoc -- maybe you could park out front of one and hop on their signal?

The only coffee shop even near there that I know runs wireless is Benna's on 8th and Wharton but that's also closed by that time, I believe.

I'll have to defer to deswehtoood on this one, she might be your only hope.
posted by The Straightener at 4:34 PM on December 11, 2008

there's a starbux at wolf and broad. they have wifi now. is that remotely helpful?
posted by misanthropicsarah at 8:18 PM on December 11, 2008

ObiWanDesuetude here. The following places are not necessarily quiet. But the Spectrum is not really in a neighborhoody neighborhood -- that end of Broad Street is really just stadiums and related venues, and quiet is going to be a pretty tall order. Unless you can get some sort of press credentials? 'Cause I'm sure the press room has wireless.

First thought was the stadium Holiday Inn. I'm sure they've got wireless in their rooms, but don't know about the common areas or the hotel resto/bar called, I am not kidding, Benny the Bum's. Call and inquire as if a potential guest. Or, like, dude with Important Business.

McFadden's at Citizens Bank Park (home of our current World Fucking Champions, thank you) will be open and is VERY close, but is a total long shot for wireless. Worth a call, but not getting your hopes up. Also potentially noisy to the point of W.T.F.

Chickie & Pete's strike me as more likely to have wireless? Also not likely to be quiet. But get the crab fries.

Once you get farther away from the stadiums into the actually-populated bits, you're in a part of South Philly very unlikely to have wireless access in random businesses. It makes me giggle to think of asking random shopkeepers about wireless. It's all funeral homes and shoe stores.

Depending on what you mean by "close" though, there is a Starbucks about a mile and a quarter from the Spectrum, at Broad and Jackson. If you want to give The Straightener's library plan a shot, the closest library is at Broad and Porter, about a mile from the Spectrum. Yes, you can parallel park in the middle of Broad Street.

Are you going to be at Neil Young? 'Cause I am.
posted by desuetude at 8:38 PM on December 11, 2008

Hm, did you need it tomorrow night or 12/15? I only ask because it sounds like you have an important engagement so... I wouldn't want you to miss it.

I don't really venture far into South Philly so I have no real answers for your question, just that my favorite coffee shop with WIFI is the Chapterhouse which is at 9th & Bainbridge... miles away from where you will be.
posted by polexa at 10:43 PM on December 11, 2008

No, it's tonight, 12/12. Thanks.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 5:28 AM on December 12, 2008

If anyone can vouch for StupidSexyFlanders's status as a person-not-to-be-feared, I live in the vicinity of 8th and Dickenson and have reliable wireless at my house. You are welcome to leech my bandwidth if you like. The Starbucks on Broad is closer to the Spectrum, though. MeMail me if you need to.
posted by 8dot3 at 5:57 AM on December 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

Clarification: by 'leech my bandwidth' I meant, 'come in out of the cold, plug in, sit at the desk/couch and get your work done', not 'parked like some wardriver outside my house'. In case that wasn't clear. :)
posted by 8dot3 at 6:23 AM on December 12, 2008

(If you decide to go this route, I can vouch for 8dot3 being a person not to be feared, stupidsexyFlanders.)
posted by desuetude at 6:45 AM on December 12, 2008

8dot3, check your memail...
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:48 AM on December 12, 2008

Did you make it to the concert? Update, pls!
posted by desuetude at 11:55 PM on December 12, 2008