Free (?) Coworking Space in Vancouver for a day or so
March 30, 2016 6:02 PM   Subscribe

I'll be in Vancouver for a couple of days later in April. Where is a good place where I can get free WiFi so I can work? I'm staying at Pender and Richards.
posted by My Dad to Travel & Transportation around Vancouver, BC (7 answers total)
 
The local public library?
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:07 PM on March 30, 2016 [4 favorites]


You can apply for a visitor card at the library, which is about 2 blocks from you.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 6:31 PM on March 30, 2016 [1 favorite]


Don't undersell it, guys. It's a magnificent library and has great work areas available. Here are some photos.
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 6:43 PM on March 30, 2016 [8 favorites]


How to get a visitor card for use at any of the libraries in Vancouver.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 11:10 PM on March 30, 2016 [1 favorite]


I used to work in that area and can say for certain that a lot of people do work on their laptops at the Starbucks at Nelson and Mainland if the library doesn't do it for you. If it's nice out you can probably even sit out on the patio and still get into their wifi. I suppose it's "free-ish" than "free", you just might have to buy a cookie or a coffee or something.
posted by Hoopo at 9:21 AM on March 31, 2016


Yeah, you should use the Blenz and/or the Waves at Richards and Hastings (one block away from where you're staying), or one of the bazillion other cafes with free wifi in that area. As Hoopo says, lots of people work in those places, and they aren't likely to care how long you hang around if you buy something once in a while. If it becomes an issue, you can always move on to the next one. :)

The public library is indeed awesome, and I'd be very surprised if you had to pay to get an internet access card (visitor cards are a different thing, and you won't need one unless you want to check out books). The big downtown branch has six floors and lots of desks, some of which have power outlets. It can be a bit busy during peak study times, but you should be able to find a spot.

Simon Fraser University has a downtown campus called Harbour Centre which is on Hastings between Richards and Seymour; I don't recall offhand whether they have a public wifi network. There are also some dedicated coworking spaces in downtown Vancouver, but they won't be free, and I don't know if any of them provide space on a drop-in basis.
posted by Gerald Bostock at 4:29 PM on March 31, 2016


SFU wifi is not public, or at least it was not when I was last on that campus, and the library there is small and can get quite crowded during the day.
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 1:10 AM on April 3, 2016


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