Hangout near North Beach SF

June 16, 2008 12:00 PM

Child is doing summer classes at San Francisco Art Institute (800 Chestnut St), Mon-Fri, 9-4. It's impractical for Mom to go home and come back between drop-off and pick-up, so she needs a place to study near the Institute. Suggestions please for a place to hang out and work - read, write and internet - within an easy walk of Chestnut @ Jones. This will be every day for the next month; low cost is essential. Maybe a library or better a laid-back cafe where not too much coffee needs to be bought. Wi-fi is needed too, preferably free.
posted by anadem to Grab Bag (6 answers total)

Have you asked if there's a place where you could do this at the Art Institute?
posted by OmieWise at 12:07 PM on June 16, 2008

SFPL's North Beach branch is at Mason & Columbus, about three blocks away.
posted by gyusan at 12:10 PM on June 16, 2008

How old is your child? It's a pretty cruddy neighborhood.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:43 PM on June 16, 2008

oops - actually it may not be - I thought you meant at the Academy of Art - which IS in a terrible neighborhood.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:44 PM on June 16, 2008

yeah. i was going to mention the library as well. if it's every day for a month, unless you make some sort of deal with a cafe owner or something, you're going to wear out your welcome.

if you do end up at the library, i recommend introducing yourself to the librarians and perhaps offering to volunteer a bit. it will make your constant presence a bit more pleasant for everyone.
posted by xz at 4:24 PM on June 16, 2008

The Art Institute does have a cafe that is open to the general public. If you told the staff the situation, maybe they wouldn't mind if you hung out there during your child's classes?
posted by trip and a half at 6:32 PM on June 16, 2008