When I lived in Chicago, there was a great late-night coffee shop called New Wave Cafe in Logan Square that was perfect for after-work writing. I've been having a hard time finding a similar spot since moving to NYC. It doesn't need to be a coffee shop, but it does need to be well-lit enough that I can read, and calm enough that I won't be seen as preventing the establishment from doing business. Bonus points if the place has a neighborhood-y feel with a friendly staff. I live in Greenpoint, work in SoHo, and usually commute via bicycle over the Williamsburg Bridge. Any suggestions, Metafilter?
posted by eustacescrubb on Mar 31, 2013 - 12 answers

I asked out a cute person, and he said yes, but... where do I want to go tomorrow night? Looking for someplace quietish (not too crowded, quiet enough so we don't have to yell at each other, and could maybe play a game of Scrabble), pretty casual (not overly-romantic), and pretty cheap. Could just be a drink or coffee, doesn't have to be a restaurant.
posted by emumimic on Feb 26, 2013 - 10 answers

I'm looking for a quiet and classy hotel lobby in DC where a couple can have a drink tonight. [more inside]
posted by Xalf on Nov 23, 2012 - 5 answers

NYC: Low-key non-dive downtown Friday night bar? [more inside]
posted by greta simone on May 18, 2012 - 10 answers

Quiet bar or restaurant in central Toronto that doesn't play music? [more inside]
posted by JPDD on May 4, 2012 - 6 answers

Quiet bars in Cambridge, MA on Friday and Saturday evenings? [more inside]
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth on Apr 19, 2010 - 13 answers

Know of a quiet-ish restaurant and a bar you don't have to shout to be heard in boston on a thursday night? [more inside]
posted by soplerfo on Oct 9, 2006 - 21 answers