Someplace to read, write, work alone at night in NYC

November 7, 2009 1:29 PM

Someplace to read, write, relax alone at night in NYC.

I'm looking for somewhere to go where I can unwind alone. I live in Maspeth, Queens where it's mostly residential and after 8PM almost everything is closed. Any place in Queens, Manhattan or Brooklyn would be fine, I don't mind long train rides.

The perfect establishment is very dark inside but all the tables have sufficient lighting for reading/writing. There might be music playing or some kind of live band but it's not a club or frat hang out. I like all kinds of jazz so that would be a bonus. The train station should be a reasonable distance since it's getting pretty cold now. It's open till 3AM or later, never very busy and at no point will I be expected to get up and leave for new customers. I don't want to sit at the bar.

Beer, liquor, coffee and food are all fine but none of them are priority over the atmosphere. As cheap as possible is probably second to atmosphere. I'm looking for a place that's the opposite of where people go to get seen.

I found a few older, similar posts but they seemed focused on Manhattan.

Thanks :)

posted by laptolain to food & drink (6 comments total)

I think you want Black Rabbit, less than a block from the G train stop at Greenpoint Avenue. They have a row of booths with saloon doors that sort of separate you from the action, and lots of other small tables throughout. The lighting is on the low side. Sometimes -- the later it gets, especially -- it starts to get loud because they have like trivia and bingo and other nonsense. But generally it's pretty chill.

The new bar Blackout is right by the very same stop. Same deal -- low lighting, lots of tables, sometimes very relaxed and other times frenetic. I figure that if you got off at that stop, one of those two is bound to suit you.
posted by hermitosis at 2:34 PM on November 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

Veselka in the East Village is pretty chill. I like their beet salad.
posted by twistofrhyme at 7:53 PM on November 7

Want to pop back in and say that several Queens-bound bus lines roll through that intersection as well.
posted by hermitosis at 9:30 PM on November 7

thanks I'll definitely hit those 3 places over the next week
posted by laptolain at 11:19 PM on November 7

In general, Woodside and Sunnyside have a lot of cool, local, low-key bars. I don't know any that well, but that might be a good area to research. Or even to just walk around and explore while it's still nice out.
posted by puckupdate at 2:05 PM on November 9

I live in Jackson Heights and I've been repeatedly coming back to this question in hopes of something I can go to as well that doesn't card. I've also been wracking my brain and the only other thing I can come up with is LaGuardia Airport...?

Sure, the fluorescent lights might bog you down, and you might not get a proper table (or maybe you can) but I can assure you that late at night it'll be deserted and a TON of buses go down there. I'm within walking distance and I've gone down there a few times to get some work done. The marine air terminal is pretty low key, chill.
posted by saxamo at 9:26 PM on November 10