Where should I work for the day in Cleveland?
December 5, 2019 6:35 PM Subscribe
Due to travel weirdness I will have a layover day in Cleveland next week. Besides staying at the hotel, where should I do a mostly regular computer-y workday?
I always enjoy exploring neighborhoods and new cities, and haven’t been to Cleveland in decades. I have a rental car and am staying east of downtown. I will need to do “heads down” computer work much of the day.
Coffee houses are preferred, but odds are good I will want to change venues during the course of the day and would like to get a good lunch and shop, et al, to break it up. For work I will need superb wifi, outlets, and good coffee - the usual. I do have a few video meetings, but only a few, so a totally silent place like a library is out.
So neighborhood and specific places are welcomed! Mega extra bonus points for queer-friendly spots and neighborhoods.
I always enjoy exploring neighborhoods and new cities, and haven’t been to Cleveland in decades. I have a rental car and am staying east of downtown. I will need to do “heads down” computer work much of the day.
Coffee houses are preferred, but odds are good I will want to change venues during the course of the day and would like to get a good lunch and shop, et al, to break it up. For work I will need superb wifi, outlets, and good coffee - the usual. I do have a few video meetings, but only a few, so a totally silent place like a library is out.
So neighborhood and specific places are welcomed! Mega extra bonus points for queer-friendly spots and neighborhoods.
What’s “East of downtown”?
Yeah, this - we're a fairly sprawling metro area (for our size) and suggestions might change depending on if your hotel is on E. 30 or in Cleveland Heights or in Mentor.
Rising Star has several locations around the area - I can't speak to their wifi or work-friendly ambiance but their coffee is good.
posted by soundguy99 at 8:48 PM on December 5, 2019
Yeah, this - we're a fairly sprawling metro area (for our size) and suggestions might change depending on if your hotel is on E. 30 or in Cleveland Heights or in Mentor.
Rising Star has several locations around the area - I can't speak to their wifi or work-friendly ambiance but their coffee is good.
posted by soundguy99 at 8:48 PM on December 5, 2019
Response by poster: East of downtown = way east, Mayfield Heights. Again though, fine to drive. Thanks for the help thus far.
posted by hijinx at 9:23 PM on December 5, 2019
posted by hijinx at 9:23 PM on December 5, 2019
Best answer: Hrrrrmmm . . . to my mind Mayfield Heights is kinda out in the suburban wilderness of chain everything, and I'm not super familiar with the far east side.
Gates Mills, Pepper Pike, Hunting Valley, Orange, and Beachwood are some of the tonier suburbs, so might be places to look for dining and shopping, if it's in your budget.
Otherwise I'm thinking someplace in Shaker Heights - Larchmere, or The Van Aken District. Sorry I can't give specific recommendations - I've only been to the Larchmere area a few times and the Van Aken plaza thing is a new rebuild that I haven't been to yet. Larchmere especially has struck me as queer-friendly, although most of the queer areas I know about are on the West Side - Lakewood, Ohio City, Tremont. (I know you're willing to drive, but I'm suggesting closer stuff because due to street & highway routing it's . . . not easy or particularly quick to get from the far eastern areas to anywhere else.)
Shaker has a nice main library with free wifi, so that's maybe a place to hunker down to do a lot of your work.
Coventry in Cleveland Heights could be another queer-friendly place to do some shopping or dining, but I'm pretty sure there's not really a place to work, I think the Phoenix Coffee shop might be too small.
posted by soundguy99 at 7:12 AM on December 6, 2019
Gates Mills, Pepper Pike, Hunting Valley, Orange, and Beachwood are some of the tonier suburbs, so might be places to look for dining and shopping, if it's in your budget.
Otherwise I'm thinking someplace in Shaker Heights - Larchmere, or The Van Aken District. Sorry I can't give specific recommendations - I've only been to the Larchmere area a few times and the Van Aken plaza thing is a new rebuild that I haven't been to yet. Larchmere especially has struck me as queer-friendly, although most of the queer areas I know about are on the West Side - Lakewood, Ohio City, Tremont. (I know you're willing to drive, but I'm suggesting closer stuff because due to street & highway routing it's . . . not easy or particularly quick to get from the far eastern areas to anywhere else.)
Shaker has a nice main library with free wifi, so that's maybe a place to hunker down to do a lot of your work.
Coventry in Cleveland Heights could be another queer-friendly place to do some shopping or dining, but I'm pretty sure there's not really a place to work, I think the Phoenix Coffee shop might be too small.
posted by soundguy99 at 7:12 AM on December 6, 2019
Best answer: The Arcade is a pretty cool place with lots of quiet nooks, and IIRC it has public wifi.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 10:21 AM on December 6, 2019
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 10:21 AM on December 6, 2019
Best answer: The Orange branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library has some quiet study rooms with doors and tables with built-in outlets. The glass-walled quiet study rooms aren't reserve-able but since you're going during the business hours and there are plenty of them, you won't have any competiion for them. Since it's a library, there's good wi-fi. A bonus is that there's a fireplace. Other east side Cuyahoga County Public Library branches with quiet study rooms and fireplaces are South Euclid-Lyndhurst and Mayfield. The South Euclid-Lyndhurst one is about 15 minutes from Little Italy and the aforementioned Coventry neighborhood. All three branches are <15 minutes of each other.
posted by dlwr300 at 11:30 AM on December 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by dlwr300 at 11:30 AM on December 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Wanted to note for future historians that the Van Aken District was a great place to work (the main food hall has good seating, acoustics, and wifi) and was also what I would call largely queer-friendly. Recommended! Thanks all.
posted by hijinx at 3:30 PM on December 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by hijinx at 3:30 PM on December 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
There’s also the Rising Star coffee in Lakewood which is ...just a coffee shop but I really like it.
What’s “East of downtown”? I’m sure University Circle has some great options but I’m not super familiar with them these days.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:41 PM on December 5, 2019 [1 favorite]