San Francisco - Looking for a sweet spot where I can study during the day.

October 31, 2011 8:50 PM

San Francisco - your recommendations for public study spots with WiFi please!

I just arrived in San Francisco ( about 2 hrs ago). The hotel I'm booked into is a bit stinky and has no WiFi in the bedroom as advertised. I need to work and study during the day. Where's the best public study spot in San Fran? A charming quiet cafe with free WiFi would be great! Appreciate your suggestions.

posted by LivinginYes to travel & transportation around San Francisco, CA (8 answers total)

Where are you staying?

In the Mission, I'd recommend Haus (quieter, good light) or Ritual (busier, though maybe not so bad on weekdays).
posted by polexa at 9:29 PM on October 31, 2011

Yeah, not sure where your hotel is, but my local coffee-shop, Maxfield's House of Caffeine pretty much fits the bill: Located on beautiful Dolores Street in the Mission, free WiFi as long as you purchase something every once in a while, and the WiFi works as well at their outside tables (you came for the best weather!) as inside.

Folks there every day using it for just what you describe. (I'm not affiliated, but I know these people and they're awesome.)
posted by trip and a half at 9:39 PM on October 31, 2011

Yeah, where you are would help. In my neighborhood (lower nob hill/nob/hill/russian hill) in order of hillitude Cafe Royale is nice and chill, Contraband Coffee has really good coffee, and Nook is really nice.
posted by grapesaresour at 10:27 PM on October 31, 2011

Epicenter Cafe is the best in the SOMA area. Best coffee and people and they serve great food as well as having live music at night.
posted by kcm at 10:35 PM on October 31, 2011

For the downtown / Union Square area:

-The Marriott on 4th and Mission has a very nice, quiet, well-lit lounge area behind the bar with comfy semi-private booths and power outlets aplenty. Highly recommended.

-Just around the corner, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on Market between 4th and 3rd is another spot I like. They have a few big comfy chairs and sofas, along with (less-comfy) metal chairs and tables. It can get a little bit loud, and it's usually quite busy, but I've never found it to be obnoxious. Their iced tea is hit-or-miss.

-The upper levels of the Bloomingdale's side of the Wesfield Shopping Center (Market between 4th and 5th) have nice big sofas and chairs scattered around. Outlets are tougher to find, and it gets noisy when a lot of people are shopping. Avoid the bathrooms on the basement level.
posted by clorox at 11:59 PM on October 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

Mercury Cafe in Hayes Valley at Page and Octavia is a lovely spot with free wifi, excellent sandwiches, and good coffee. Plus they're very study/laptop friendly.
posted by kdar at 9:20 AM on November 1, 2011

I love Mefi. Here I am, on my own in San Fran and feeling a little bit blue ( stinky hotels tend to have that effect!) and you've lifted my spirits with your kind offerings. I'm staying on 972 Sutter Street. From what I've read I think I'll go in the direction of Mission. Thank you all so much!
posted by LivinginYes at 10:10 AM on November 1, 2011

If you get tired of cafes, keep in mind that most branches of the San Francisco Public Library have free wifi.

Here's a map of the branches - I'd say you're pretty close to the Main (on Larkin, near City Hall) and the Chinatown branch (on Powell); I haven't been in the Chinatown branch much but the Main is large and generally cool; there's a cafe in the basement and usually quiet empty spots on the upper floors.

A couple of other cafe possibilities: Contraband at Larkin and California, and the Royal Ground at Polk and Sacramento.

You're right on the north edge of the Tenderloin, which is not hugely worrisome or anything, but you'll probably find it more pleasant going north than going south, although the area around Union Square is generally quite nice; if you do head down toward the Civic Center, you might find Larkin or Polk more pleasant than Hyde or Jones.
posted by kristi at 10:23 PM on November 1, 2011