free internet in Philly?

January 3, 2007 7:23 AM

Need to kill many hours in philly

I'm going to the motherland that is philly for the weekend to visit family. Here's the problem though. I'm 23, most of my friends in philly have moved elsewhere and my parents go to bed at about 8pm. (they had me late in life and are generally tired)

I can't sit in the house all weekend, I'll go stir crazy. I'll be spending time with them during the day, but I need something for around 6pm to around 11pm. I was hoping to find some sort of coffee shop where I could sit for several hours while I surfed the internet. Please help feed my internet addiction.

posted by Attackpanda to travel & transportation (24 comments total)

Philly is...big. What general area are we talking here?
posted by iconomy at 7:28 AM on January 3, 2007

I'll be in the northeast part around frankford and cottman ave to give general landmarks. I can always hop on a bus to get someplace farther. I'd prefer not to go to west or north philly though.
posted by Attackpanda at 7:50 AM on January 3, 2007

South Street!
posted by Dizzy at 7:53 AM on January 3, 2007

any particular one on south street? I haven't been down there in a couple years so I don't know what's changed. Do all the coffee shops have free internet down there?
posted by Attackpanda at 7:56 AM on January 3, 2007

You could go to the Last Drop on 12th and Pine. Another good coffee shop is La Colombe on 19th and Sansom, but I don't think it has internet. You could also go to the ING Direct Cafe on 17th and Walnut, which has terminals.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:59 AM on January 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

Check out this list of hotspots in Philly. I can't speak to the validity of the list, but Blazecock is right: if it comes down to it, the ING Cafe has it.

There's a neat concert of local music going on at the World Cafe Saturday night, if you'll be in that area.
posted by sjuhawk31 at 8:05 AM on January 3, 2007

I'd go see "Rocky Balboa", it must be cool to see it in Philly
posted by matteo at 8:13 AM on January 3, 2007

Been a while for me too, unfortunately...
Can anyone help make my suggestion more specific?
posted by Dizzy at 8:25 AM on January 3, 2007

In case the coffeeshop (seconding Last Drop, though) plan gets dull:

If you're going to be here on Friday, you could check out the PMA's Art After 5 tours.

A little closer to home for you, at Frankford and Girard, Johnny Brenda's is a great place to see a band. (With good pub food and good beer, too!)
posted by desuetude at 8:27 AM on January 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

When I visit home in Bucks County (north of Philly) I just look for the closest Panera Bread Company location... most of them have free wireless and free refills on coffee.
posted by kdern at 8:29 AM on January 3, 2007

Do you like records? There's the Philadelphia Record Exchange on 5th and South.

If you like vegetarian food or want to get away from cheesesteaks, there's Horizons on 6th and Bainbridge, a block south of South. Or 10th and South has Whole Foods, with prepared foods inside.

Condom Nation, poster stores, lots of urban clothing boutiques if you're into that. Infinity Piercing is just off 4th(?) and South if you want to stop by for a quickie.

If you have time, walk down 9th from South until you hit the Italian Market. Lots to do there; check out DiBrunos for all your cheese needs and Claudio's for mozarella. Stop at Fante's if you like to cook. Lots of great, cheap taquieras there if you want real Mexican food.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:31 AM on January 3, 2007

There's a Starbucks around 2nd and South AND one at 9th and South, and The Bean Cafe around 10th or 11th (sorry, can't remember which -- I tend to navigate by landmarks, not streets). I don't know about The Bean Cafe, but I think the starbucks have wireless.

If you're into the bar thing, Bob and Barbara's (around 15th and South) and Tattooed Mom's (7th or so?) are very chill and fun.

citypaper.net has listings for stuff going on all the time; give them a look :)
posted by kalimac at 8:32 AM on January 3, 2007

3rd-ing Last Drop, I'm awful fond of the place myself. Across the intersection is Dirty Franks, which is a very....social (?) dive bar. I always run into some fun/strange people there.
posted by nursegracer at 9:02 AM on January 3, 2007

Pleeeease don't spend money in a chain like Panera's when there are so many delightful little homegrown places!
posted by Dizzy at 9:10 AM on January 3, 2007

Across the intersection is Dirty Franks, which is a very....social (?) DIRTY dive bar. Fun, though. If you drink there, I'd (strongly) recommend bottles over draft.
posted by inigo2 at 9:48 AM on January 3, 2007

You, sir, are in luck . . .

The Mummer's Parade, the craziest shit that goes on in Philly all year, was rained out of it's normal New Years Day slot. It's been rescheduled for the 6th. It runs from 8AM to mid afternoon, and judging (I think) takes place around 5pm at city hall. Attend. Afterwards you will be too drunk to remember that you were looking for internet in the first place.
posted by datacenter refugee at 9:59 AM on January 3, 2007

Should I ever go to Philadelphia I'll need to be forcibly restrained from running up yon stairs from Rocky and jumping around at the top (*).

That's got to be good for some small portion of the day.

[* Unless there's a queue of similar idiots like myself. Then, probably not.]
posted by genghis at 10:42 AM on January 3, 2007

You could go to the Last Drop on 12th and Pine. Another good coffee shop is La Colombe on 19th and Sansom, but I don't think it has internet. You could also go to the ING Direct Cafe on 17th and Walnut, which has terminals.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:59 AM EST on January 3

Screw the internet - across the street from the Last Drop is Dirty Franks - a dive bar and art gallery all in one. The bartenders are very friendly and the crowd is a very interesting mix.

The Last Drop (used to) have live but quiet music on sat nights, so it's a good place to sit and chill if a bar is too much.
posted by Pastabagel at 11:46 AM on January 3, 2007

If you have time, walk down 9th from South until you hit the Italian Market. Lots to do there; check out DiBrunos for all your cheese needs and Claudio's for mozarella. Stop at Fante's if you like to cook.

Not from 6 p.m.-11 p.m., though. Most everything's closed by 5. DiBruno is open until 6.
posted by desuetude at 11:52 AM on January 3, 2007

Not from 6 p.m.-11 p.m., though. Most everything's closed by 5. DiBruno is open until 6

You're right, missed that part. Nevermind.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:03 PM on January 3, 2007

You could hang out at the Roosevelt Mall and check out all the rice rockets ;-)
posted by fixedgear at 12:43 PM on January 3, 2007

A cool spot I like is in Old City (at Chestnut and Strawberry) called The Double Shot Espresso Bar. Free wifi, great coffee, cool scene. It's within walking distance of hundreds of cool little galleries and bars, near the Ritz Theatre, walking distance to cool public art (the Irish Memorial on Front St among other things) and if you've got time you can walk over to Penn's Landing as well.

If you're staying local in the NE, there's a decent little coffee spot on Frankford called "That's Nuts and Coffee", I've never hung out there and have no idea if they offer free wifi. There's also a place (always packed -- I think it's the NA / AA hangout) further down Frankford called the Coffee Connection which you may want to check out.

If you're looking for beers in the Northeast, you will find no finer establishment than The Grey Lodge on Frankford. Everything from local brewhouses to Chimay, and damn good ribeye cheesesteaks too.

You could always head up to Bucks County and hit the Great American Diner Pub on State Street. It's a diner, it's a pub (as the name implies) and they also offer free wifi.

Wifi hotspots are also free in several public locations like Love Park, though it may be a little chilly for that. None are very local to Cottman and Frankford though.
posted by edverb at 1:24 PM on January 3, 2007

Did I say State Street? Sorry...The Great American Diner Pub is on Street Rd.
posted by edverb at 1:29 PM on January 3, 2007

IMHO, the Gread American Diner Pub is not worth going out of your way for. It's independently owned, but the decor feels like a chain, and the food is mediocre. There are certainly better places to eat.
posted by kdern at 2:32 PM on January 3, 2007