Where to work tonight?

December 16, 2012 10:06 AM

Help me find non-Starbucks coffee shops open late on Sundays in Chicago!

The roommate and I need a place to get some work done tonight. We've been working at the excellent CityGrounds coffee bar, but unfortunately they close at 5 on Sundays. I've tried scouring the Web for places that fit my requirements, but independent coffee shops are the kind of place that come and go with such frequency it's difficult to know if postings even a year or two old are up to date.

I'm looking for a place that is absolutely:
- Not a Starbucks. (Nothing against Starbucks: in fact, we've been to so many, we would like a change);
- Open until at least 9 pm. 10 pm is even better;
- In the city of Chicago.
- With wifi.

And preferably:
- Not a Caribou Coffee.
- With good wifi.
- On the North/Northwest sides - we have a car so are pretty flexible
- A great working environment (lots of tables, space)
But I can compromise on any of these, so please let me know if there are places even if they don't quite match the preferences.

And to be honest, beverage quality is not really at all important, although it'd be nice if they had tea in addition to coffee.

Does this place exist? Let me know!

I apparently am frequently looking for places to work, but unfortunately such are the travails of being a grad-student-hopeful without a library to work in.

posted by andrewesque to travel & transportation around Chicago, IL (12 answers total)

Dollop in Buena Park is open till 11 on Sundays and has a nice vibe for getting work done.
posted by enn at 10:10 AM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]

cafe mustache on milwaukee is fantastic, open till midnight, and has great wifi and lots of tables and outlets for getting serious work done.
posted by guybrush_threepwood at 10:15 AM on December 16, 2012 [4 favorites]

Alliance in Wicker Park is open til 9. If you go there, the sitting area is next door to where you get your coffee.
posted by Fig at 10:45 AM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]

The Next Door Cafe in Lakeview (next to TJ's) is open until 10pm.
Intelligentsia on Broadway is open until 9pm.
Kickstand on Belmont is open until 9pm.

Next Door has tons of space, so that's probably your best bet of the three.
posted by juniperesque at 10:53 AM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]

Mustache (midnight), New Wave (11pm), Wormhole (11pm).
posted by ism at 11:11 AM on December 16, 2012 [3 favorites]

The Coffee Studio in north Andersonville/Edgewater is a serious Get Work Done coffee shop. Open til 9 tonight.
posted by misskaz at 12:20 PM on December 16, 2012

Kopi in Andersonville is open until 11pm. Chava in Uptown/Ravenswood is open until 9:30pm.
posted by hal incandenza at 3:28 PM on December 16, 2012

I don't believe Kopi in Andersonville has wifi.

New Wave Coffee in Logan Square is open until 11pm everyday. Bonus: they have excellent coffee, and a friend of mine owns it.
posted by anotheraccount at 6:41 PM on December 16, 2012

Kopi has no wifi.

Seconding the rec for Dollop.
posted by tzikeh at 8:36 PM on December 16, 2012

I frequent all three of the coffee shops mentioned by juniperesque; all are very good for getting work done. Kickstand is usually the most empty of the three, mostly because they have one of those deals where you get two hours of (good, fast) wifi with every purchase, via a code on a card. They do have nice big tables where you can spread out a little. Next Door is often quite full, but the whole place is up for grabs unless there is a class scheduled, so if you are more than just one you can probably take over the little conference room towards the back (past the cafe counter). Next Door also has the cheapest coffee of the three, I believe. Intelligentsia is usually my favorite, but outlets tend to be at a premium. There is a plug on the right wall just past the structural column that gets overlooked a lot because it's half hidden among the display shelves; two could easily set up for the evening on the round table just in front of it. Intelligentsia and Kickstand almost always have some background music going, playing heavily into the indie rock type spectrum. I can't recall what the music at Next Door is like. Evidently, it's quiet enough I haven't really noticed it.

I also go to the 24 hr Starbucks on Clark and Belmont, which kindly provides power strips so more people can plug in at once. Another place I go often is the Starbucks on Southport and Roscoe, which is usually almost compeletly empty and has a nice big table towards the back that would be good for two people to spread out on. I've heard good things about Safari Cup on Siuthport, but have never been myself. By no means should you go to Dunkin Donuts to work.

It turns out I have a lot of opinions about the coffeeshops in Lakeview.
posted by daniel striped tiger at 5:58 AM on December 17, 2012

Kopi doesn't have wifi but people frequently use Einstein Bagel's across the street while sitting at a table at Kopi.
posted by agregoli at 10:00 AM on December 17, 2012

Just wanted to pop in and say thanks for all the answers!

I decided to hit up Dollop, which had a really nice vibe but the wifi was a little weak. As the people left later in the night, it did get better.

Last night I went to Cafe Mustache, which was really fun, good wifi, though it was a bit dim in there.

And lastly, thanks to all of those who mentioned *outlets* in their answer, it's something I totally forgot about but should have put in.
posted by andrewesque at 1:16 PM on December 18, 2012