A to the C
June 21, 2010 6:22 AM Subscribe
Please help me find an air conditioned café in Brooklyn.
It's going to be 90 degrees and humid here in NYC today. I'm dyin' here. The instant I woke up, it was already too hot. No a/c in the apartment, and I have work to do. So I'm hoping y'all can help me find a cool (literally and figuratively) coffee shop where I can set up shop.
I'm in Crown Heights. My ideal café would:
- feature air conditioning, and not be afraid to crank that sucker up;
- be within biking distance or a short subway ride (Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Bed-Stuy, Gowanus, Boerum Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill). I'd rather not go into (lower) Manhattan, but will if I need to.
- have free WiFi;
- not mind if I sit there for several hours - I'll buy beverages and food, of course;
- be pretty quiet, but I don't mind music playing -- so long as there are screaming, unmonitored children running amok (I'm looking at you, K Dog and Dune Buggy...)
Above all, though, it must be cool!
Any ideas?
It's going to be 90 degrees and humid here in NYC today. I'm dyin' here. The instant I woke up, it was already too hot. No a/c in the apartment, and I have work to do. So I'm hoping y'all can help me find a cool (literally and figuratively) coffee shop where I can set up shop.
I'm in Crown Heights. My ideal café would:
- feature air conditioning, and not be afraid to crank that sucker up;
- be within biking distance or a short subway ride (Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Bed-Stuy, Gowanus, Boerum Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill). I'd rather not go into (lower) Manhattan, but will if I need to.
- have free WiFi;
- not mind if I sit there for several hours - I'll buy beverages and food, of course;
- be pretty quiet, but I don't mind music playing -- so long as there are screaming, unmonitored children running amok (I'm looking at you, K Dog and Dune Buggy...)
Above all, though, it must be cool!
Any ideas?
Response by poster: Thanks, Narrative Priorities, for the suggestions. The thing is that, last time I went there, the Tea Lounge was not air-conditioned: it just had a bunch of fans. Which is OK, but it is, and I want to stress this, NOT COLD ENOUGH.
I thought about the main branch of the BPL, too - I should say that I'm not committed to the idea of a café per se - but, yes, the unpluggability is a major problem, especially if I'll be there for a few hours.
posted by Dr. Wu at 6:47 AM on June 21, 2010
I thought about the main branch of the BPL, too - I should say that I'm not committed to the idea of a café per se - but, yes, the unpluggability is a major problem, especially if I'll be there for a few hours.
posted by Dr. Wu at 6:47 AM on June 21, 2010
Ozzy's in Park Slope used to be much less kid-packed than Tea Lounge, but this was a few years back. Def. air conditioned, tho.
posted by rikschell at 7:53 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by rikschell at 7:53 AM on June 21, 2010
2nding Cocoa Bar, it's always freezing in there. I used to work from there all the time. Low kiddie factor, nice staff, and generally pluggable. A couple of times the wifi was out, and I'd schlep to Heights Coffee as a backup.
posted by activitystory at 7:53 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by activitystory at 7:53 AM on June 21, 2010
why don't you just go to Starbucks? They are plentiful, have AC, rarely many kids, and the wifi.
posted by sweetkid at 8:26 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by sweetkid at 8:26 AM on June 21, 2010
Cafe Shane, on Washington ave about 3 blocks north of Eastern Parkway, has free wifi, outlets if you sit along the bar on the inside room, and was freezing yesterday.
posted by Salamandrous at 9:46 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by Salamandrous at 9:46 AM on June 21, 2010
sweetkid - Starbucks wifi isn't free until July 1st. Just an FYI.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 10:19 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 10:19 AM on June 21, 2010
Hello, fellow Crown Heights-er!
Tea Lounge is more fanned than A/Ced, but it's actually kept at a very decent temperature -- in fact, I'm sitting here now, and it feels just right.
Sit and Wonder, on Washington and St. Marks has A/C right near the back, and they do have wifi, and they do have plugs. The few times I've been there it's been half-full of people with laptops.
Outpost Cafe, on Fulton and Grand, has outlets and computers, and I think A/C. You might wanna check with them.
posted by suedehead at 7:09 PM on June 21, 2010
Tea Lounge is more fanned than A/Ced, but it's actually kept at a very decent temperature -- in fact, I'm sitting here now, and it feels just right.
Sit and Wonder, on Washington and St. Marks has A/C right near the back, and they do have wifi, and they do have plugs. The few times I've been there it's been half-full of people with laptops.
Outpost Cafe, on Fulton and Grand, has outlets and computers, and I think A/C. You might wanna check with them.
posted by suedehead at 7:09 PM on June 21, 2010
Whoops, did I say outlets and computers? I meant to say outlets and wifi.
posted by suedehead at 10:02 PM on June 21, 2010
posted by suedehead at 10:02 PM on June 21, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Have you ever been to the Coco Bar? It was certainly air conditioned last summer, and it's much more freelancer-friendly than some other places. The drinks and snacks are a little more expensive than some other places, but delicious.
You might also want to check out the Brooklyn Public Library. The central branch is at Grand Army Plaza, and there's a quiet study area on the south side of the top floor that's nice and air conditioned AND free of extra noise. There are also two cafes, one inside and one outdoors, in case you want a snack or something to drink. (You might also want to check out whatever branch is nearest you. The Flatbush one was recently renovated and is now excellent for freelance work, with lots of outlets and tables to use. The main problem with the central branch, for me, is that there's no where to plug in my laptop)
posted by Narrative Priorities at 6:37 AM on June 21, 2010