Place to work in downtown Chicago?

January 27, 2015 8:44 PM

I'm in downtown Chicago for a conference. Where can I sneak away to work for a few hours every day? I would like to walk somewhere close to the Intercontinental Hotel downtown with my laptop and index cards and just write.

I'm staying in a hotel room with someone who is not going to skedaddle, so I'm going to need to find a place near the Intercontinental Hotel downtown to sit down and work for several long stretches of time over the next few days. I would prefer to work in a place where I can sit at a table, with an outlet nearby to plug in my computer, and I'd love for it to be well-heated (buildings without heat are a bit problem in my home state, North Carolina, at this time of the year). I would also like to be able to drink coffee there; if I can purchase it there, that's great too. I prefer places that are not super-duper crowded or super noisy.

I'm in the last week of writing my dissertation, so yes, while I'd love to put down the laptop and just enjoy being in Chicago, that's not in the cards for this trip!

posted by k8lin to Travel & Transportation around Chicago, IL (11 answers total)

At the risk of stating the obvious, the Intercontinental should have a business center that would be fairly quiet, have work spaces, and be near coffee.
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:00 PM on January 27, 2015

Is leaving the hotel a requirement? They claim to have a 24 hour business center on their amenities page, which sounds like it might be just what you're looking for. Most places that cater to business travelers have something similar, in my experience.
posted by jordemort at 10:00 PM on January 27, 2015

The winter garden at the Harold Washington Library is gorgeous and one of my favorite places to go and sit and read or whatever while I'm stuck downtown. Unfortunately that library is a mile south of you and there's no coffee.

For really great coffee, you can't go wrong with Intelligentsia. There's one at Randolph and Wabash, across the river + a few blocks. Still not super convenient.

Eataly is in the River North area and right around the corner from where you're staying. Food options are excellent but the availability of places to sit and camp is crap.

Or you could go with the Chicago MeFi favorite and go to the Billy Goat. It's not the most luxurious place to hang out, and you'll be drinking tiny beers instead of coffee, but hey, it's the Goat!

I have also on two occasions just walked into some random restaurant or bar that isn't properly open yet, asked the first person I saw if it was ok if I sat in there for a while and sent some emails while the rain cleared, and both of those times they just shrugged and said no problem.

There's always the option of just hanging out in your hotel. I've only been inside the Intercontinental a few times to collect visiting folks so I'm not familiar with its layout, but they probably have an area with some chairs and tables that you can crash in no problem. Right across the street is a Marriott where I have spent a bunch of idle hours. It's where I go if I need a quiet place to make a phone call or send some emails or sit in a climate controlled room or poop when I'm hanging out downtown. They have a loungey area downstairs with a bar and a Starbucks, and their mezzanine level has a few quiet tables and chairs. Act like you belong there and no one will give you any trouble.

I'm starting to realize that I spend a lot of time idly dicking around.
posted by phunniemee at 10:05 PM on January 27, 2015 [4 favorites]

Seconding the Marriott if for whatever reason the business center in the Intercontinental is no good. (Actually the Intercontinental used to, at least, have a cozy and pleasant bar area next to the lobby, which would almost certainly have coffee available, but it may have been taken over by a wine and chocolate restaurant.)

You will not have any problems with unheated buildings in Chicago in January, this is a fact.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 10:21 PM on January 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

The Equitable Building two doors up the street has a food court in its basement. It's a huge space with tons of tables, and windows overlooking the river let in lots of light. It's carpeted and warm.

It doesn't matter if the food court is open or not, not-eating people hang out there all the time. I get the impression that people in the office tower above use it for the same purpose as yours. (I've never looked for outlets but I imagine there are more than a few.) You'd have zero trouble finding yourself a quiet corner.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 12:22 AM on January 28, 2015

There is a large Starbucks just off the lobby of the IC. Depending on the time of day, it won't be too crowded, and the one time I was there, I had no trouble finding an outlet.
posted by coppermoss at 2:23 AM on January 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

1104 s wabash is part of Columbia and had a nice view of the street and does not check your id. Actually none of the Columbia College builidings do.
posted by defmute at 3:11 AM on January 28, 2015

The Chicago Cultural Center is just south of the bridge, across the river, on Michigan and Randolph. If it's still there, there's a coffee shop kiosk and some big wide tables.
posted by hooray at 5:29 AM on January 28, 2015 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Awesome! Thanks! I'll check out that food court and the Marriott.

I'm trying to avoid the conference hotel itself so I don't get interrupted by other attendees. It's a small field and I can't go three steps without running in to someone that I know.
posted by k8lin at 5:38 AM on January 28, 2015

I'd actually second the Billy Goat. It's underground, so slightly off the beaten path for most passers-by (except for those tourists looking for it). On the weekend, there are more tourist groups flocking in and out, but if I remember correctly, it's pretty quiet, and mostly regulars during the week.

They probably have coffee, it'll be warm, and you'll end up wanting a cheeseburger before you leave. The air is saturated with their scent. Though I suppose some find that a turn-off, rather than a selling point.
posted by BevosAngryGhost at 9:25 AM on January 28, 2015

Across the street in the Tribune complex: Argo Tea Cafe at 435 North Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60611. You set up for a couple of hours without hassle and get tea.
posted by zenon at 10:51 AM on January 28, 2015