Working from home, in essence, allows me to work from anywhere, which is lovely. My laptopneeds access to wi-fi.

But on my last trip to NYC, I encountered an unusual problem. No decent coffee shops to work from in the City That Never Sleeps. The search for a reputable coffee shop where I could get work done was such an impossible task. Now keep in mind that I was staying at an Airbnb on the Upper West Side for the first time. I’ve stayed on the Lower East Side, Mid-Town, and Brooklyn.

Now, I didn’t want to travel too far to get work done. So I did what most millennials do. I searched Google for “coffee shops to work from” and “remote working coffee shops.” Unfortunately, every list had one or two coffee shops near me, and let me tell you it was a complete failure.

Boule and Cherie:

This place is not as big as the photos make you think. It’s a small place with a few tables and fewer working outlets. The wi-fi is decent, but the crowd was too loud. I had to scream to be heard over the other customers while making calls. This place is perfect if you only have a few emails to send and a fully charged laptop.

Shakespeare and Co:

This place wasn’t listed, but it was nearby and looked like a place to work. There were tables, and people with laptops. It’s part of a bookstore, so you would think it would suit me, due to my love for books. But no. They literally have tables with signs announcing that “this is a technology-free zone.” Really? I swear if I met another cafe owner that wants people to “talk” in their establishment, I will scream. The few provided outlets were near the bartop tables and all of them were occupied. However, we figured we could break the “no technology rule” cause everyone else was. But the wi-fi was not letting us log in. Finally, Nick and I gave up and took the subway to another area.

Irving Farm Table:

So this is a small chain. They are listed as a great place to work. Again, who are these people working for? Like what do they consider work? Coloring in their book? Anywho, this place is spacious with plenty of seats but not a lot of outlets. Also, no wi-fi. So we ended up using our hotspot.

Needless to say, getting work done, you know that activity that makes me money was more difficult than it had to be. I’ll continue my search for a good cup of coffee, a spacious place, strong wi-fi, plenty of outlets, and roomy tables in NYC.