Late-night wifi in the Twin Cities

November 11, 2009 11:13 AM

Where can I find late-night wifi in the Twin Cities?

I love bringing my laptop to coffee shops and working while I sip a nice latte, but my problem is that I prefer to work late, and no coffee shop with which I'm familiar is open past 8pm.

What other locations would you recommend where I could work until 11 or midnight on weekday evenings? The location should have power outlets, free (speedy) wifi, and not care if I take up a table for four hours. Good food, coffee, and/or beer are bonuses. It doesn't need to be quiet, but super loud and jammed with people might make getting work done a little difficult.

Libraries close way too early. I've tried Borders and B&N, but they usually close at 10pm and their wifi sucks. Few bars or restaurants seem to have free wifi, and those that do don't have power outlets and don't like me taking up a table all evening. Do places like this even exist? Am I asking for too much?

I'd prefer locations on the Minneapolis side of town, but if you know of a hidden gem somewhere in the East Metro, I'm willing to drive.

Thanks Twin Cities Mefites!

posted by beautifulstuff to society & culture (9 comments total)

The purple onion in Dinkytown and Espresso Expose on the East Bank campus are both open until midnight. Also, the Dunn Brothers on 3rd and Washington is open until midnight I believe.

I don't know if the hard times cafe on the west bank has wifi, but they're open really late as well
posted by Think_Long at 11:19 AM on November 11

Gingko Coffehouse on Snelling Ave. in St. Paul is open until 11PM on weeknights and midnights on Friday and Saturday. They have live music on some nights, so check the schedule on the website if that's a dealbreaker for you.

The Starbucks at Fairview and Highway 36 in Roseville used to be open until 11PM, but I'm not sure if that's still the case.
posted by cabingirl at 11:30 AM on November 11

Caffetto cafe on Lyndale is open until 2:00 AM. The music is sometimes on the more experimental side, which may be distracting, but they're one of the few places that keep hours that late.
posted by mammary16 at 11:31 AM on November 11

The Hennepin Espresso Royale might fit the bill for you. Open until 11 PM on week nights.
posted by elmer benson at 11:34 AM on November 11

Few bars or restaurants seem to have free wifi, and those that do don't have power outlets and don't like me taking up a table all evening. [...] Am I asking for too much?

Sort of. I'm not really sure any coffeehouse/bar/restaurant loves the idea of a customer popping in for the use of the free wifi, staying four hours, and not spending any money. This question seems to address some of the ethics around table-squatting and free internet use.

I worked at a Twin Cities coffee shop for a while when I first moved to town and never really minded people taking up a table and using the free wifi. I don't know if that's a universal, though.
posted by elmer benson at 11:43 AM on November 11

Good point, Elmer. I don't think I'd be squatting...

I'd grab a $4 16oz beverage. Or if it were a bar, I'd probably have multiple pints. But maybe that's still kind of squatting, since I'd never order as much as if I left and three or four other parties cycled through that table.

Something to conscious of, thanks.
posted by beautifulstuff at 11:59 AM on November 11

There are plenty of coffeehouses in uptown open late nights-along with Caffetto (which is actually half a block off Lyndale on 22nd), there's also Muddy Waters at 24th and Lyndale, Common Roots at 26th and Lyndale, Bob's at 27th and Lyndale . . . you get the idea.
posted by dinty_moore at 12:36 PM on November 11

This doesn't help you with the location so much but you could always sign up for city-wide wifi. Then you can "squat" anywhere in the coverage zone and have your fi-wi. Also, I have on occasion, parked underneath the Southdale Library.

I guess what I am recommending is that you hide in your car somewhere. That way you can work and creep people out at the same time... Bonus!

http://www.usiwireless.com/service/minneapolis/schedule.htm
posted by rdurbin at 12:53 PM on November 11

I know that Cosmic Charlie's, a coffee house on Snelling just north of Selby in St. Paul, is open late; I think that they offer free wifi but wasn't able to verify this online.
posted by lakeroon at 9:10 PM on November 11