Where to work with a laptop?

January 3, 2006 12:59 PM

What are some good places for getting work done on a laptop?

After several unproductive months in my new apartment, combined with past history of being notoriously unproductive in my dorm rooms through college, I've realized that I need to be somewhere else to get much work (personal and side-project stuff) done.

The thing is, I haven't the slightest clue what places are any good for this sort of thing. I used to work in the CS lab in college, and had a few quiet hours a day a few times a week in the lab.

The obvious place that comes to mind is the library, except that it closes at 9. By the time I get home from work and have dinner, that only leaves between two and three hours. It may seem like a lot, but after a day's work, it takes some time to get myself going again, and when I get on a roll, I would prefer not to be interrupted to pack up and go home.

Are there any places where someone could go for a few hours with a laptop, get a reasonably comfortable spot, and spend a few hours in a relatively quiet environment? I'm looking for general suggestions, or ones local to Long Island (particularly, Nassau County).

posted by Godbert to Grab Bag (14 answers total)

Is there a nearby college library? sometimes they have later hours.
posted by TheLibrarian at 1:10 PM on January 3, 2006

Response by poster: There are several colleges nearby, but I don't know if they'd let me in. The library at my college made people swipe their school ID just to get into the library.
posted by Godbert at 1:13 PM on January 3, 2006

I use coffee shops. It's easy to get distracted with people, if you want, but if you keep headphones on nobody much bothers you.
posted by LordSludge at 1:20 PM on January 3, 2006

I go to coffee shops and wear in-ear noise-isolating earphones (like the shure / etymotic ones). I really enjoy the experience of seeing the atmosphere but hearing absolutely nothing except my music at a low volume.

If "visual noise" and running a coffee tab isn't a problem, I'd give it a try.
posted by helios at 1:23 PM on January 3, 2006

There are several colleges nearby, but I don't know if they'd let me in. The library at my college made people swipe their school ID just to get into the library.

Well, find out. At least three colleges near me are open until midnight or 1:00 am, and none of them require an ID to get in.

posted by chocolatepeanutbuttercup at 1:33 PM on January 3, 2006

State-financed libraries at NY colleges must let the general public have access to their facilities. You might need to sign up for a different kind of pass, but pester them and you'll be allowed in. Private colleges, no dice. (I'm not sure if this is true nationally? It would make sense though.)
posted by voidcontext at 1:33 PM on January 3, 2006

The swipe-to-get-in libraries aren't all that common, and if you look like you're minding your own business, which presumably you are, they won't care if you're around. Those that are fussiest about their libraries also tend to post their policies very publicly either online or at the door (e.g. Harvard's libraries website explicitly says "this library is open to the public" for the, uh, two, that are.)

College library option number two is being straightforward, and finding out if they have anything like a community membership.

If it's a school that doesn't lock up at night, being able to claim a classroom or study room in otherwise unused hours is a great way to work...
posted by whatzit at 1:34 PM on January 3, 2006

If the campus has more than one library, sometimes only the largest library requires identification, or the one with the most "important" stuff (like a rare books room).

Northwestern here in Chicago has an interesting policy for their main library - there are open hours that anyone can come in, I believe from 8am-5pm. After 5pm, they start checking IDs - but if you're already in the library, they don't kick you out. Of course, 5pm is an early time for your thing, but I second what others are saying - college libraries will be your best bet for long hours and quiet space.
posted by bibbit at 2:02 PM on January 3, 2006

I used to see a lot of people at the local Barnes & Noble in Austin -- they had tons of chairs, tables and comfy sofas. They were open until 10pm, I think. I saw people doing homework, with and without laptops for hours on end and no one seemed to mind.
posted by j at 3:37 PM on January 3, 2006

If you can't get into a college library, by all means try a bookstore as mentioned above. I've spent hours doing homework in Borders; it's less of a hangout than a coffeeshop, so you're less likely to be bothered, but you don't have to miss out on the wireless, comfy chairs, and (overpriced!) snacks.
posted by youarenothere at 4:14 PM on January 3, 2006

Know that most Barnes and Nobles charge now for wifi access, as does Starbucks. Most Panera Breads shops have free wifi, and many local municipal libraries do, also.

However, if you're looking for something open past 10 pm or so, that's going to limit you quite a bit.

My favorite place to relax and get work done has always been the comfy chairs in the lobbies of hotels, the more deluxe the better (better=more nooks and crannies where you can work away from the "traffic" of guests and staff, and better quality furniture). Most if not all of these have wifi now, and they're usually open 24/7. If you're presentable, don't spread out too much and keep to yourself, it's not likely anyone will care.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 4:29 PM on January 3, 2006

Is there a marina around you? The insides of sailboats make peaceful offices. It's quiet, distractionless, and usually has at least a table, comfy couch, place to lie down, and a place to plug in your laptop. Attorneys, writers, and other professionals are sometimes seen wandering on and off the docks at odd hours that aren't live-aboard people. They are permitted to sleep on their boat up to 3 nights a week and have access 24 hours a day without paying the extra liveaboard fee. Boats can be had fairly inexpensively in some cases especially if you have no intention of sailing it anyway. Failing purchasing and slipping your own you may be able to find someone who has a boat they only actually sail a couple days a month that would be thrilled to give you a copy of their key in exchange for some help with their monthly slip rate and could send you a text message or similar on days they are taking it out so you don't go down to the docks and get dissapointed.
Internet access may not be a problem either since there are services wireless services frequently found in marinas for approx. $1 per 24 hour "block" of internet time.
It's just another option to consider if the isolation aspect is especially important to you.
posted by mztreskiki at 6:17 PM on January 3, 2006

Borders Books and Music also has cafes with T-Mobile wireless. If you're there often enough and need the wireless bad enough, their unlimited account is about $30 a month -- not free, but possibly worth it!

I have a friend who used to hang out and write at Chipotle, a chain of Mexican grills (don't know if they have those in Lung Guyland) -- but perhaps there are similar fast-food style places that can give you what you want.
posted by lhauser at 8:46 PM on January 3, 2006

Jack-in-the-box restaurants stay open until midnight. No Wi-fi, but you can usually find a plug.
posted by phewbertie at 7:24 AM on January 5, 2006