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Want Wine While You Work? Here's Where to Bring Your Laptop Downtown

By Irene Plagianos | July 29, 2014 8:20am | Updated on July 29, 2014 12:07pm
 Check out these nine spots to plunk down with your laptop in Lower Manhattan.
Where to Work Downtown
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LOWER MANHATTAN — Summer is no time to be stuck working in an office or your apartment.

If you're looking to take your laptop out on the town, DNAinfo New York has some spots in Lower Manhattan where the Wi-Fi signal is strong and you can enjoy a cup of coffee, a glass of wine or some fresh air while you work.

"Sometimes I prefer to come out with my laptop, work with a good tea, and in a place that's not a Starbucks," said Nicholas Kosky, 32, a regular customer at R&R Coffee, an artisanal coffee and tea shop on Fulton Street. "There aren't many places like this in this neighborhood — and I walk here from Chinatown for the quieter atmosphere."

Check out this map of coffee shops, libraries and outdoor spaces where you can work Downtown, followed by a list of descriptions below:

Map Key: Red = Coffee Shop; Yellow = Library; Green = Outdoors

Wi-Fi With Coffee or Wine

R&R Coffee
76 Fulton St.
Open weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekends 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Serving artisanal espresso, drip and pour-over coffee, as well as a selection of pastries, R&R Coffee is a great local find on chain-heavy Fulton Street. For tea lovers, there's also a variety of iced and hot options. You can work and people-watch while seated along the large windows facing out on the street. But get there early — the shop can fill up pretty quickly with other laptop-toters, staking their claim on a seat for several hours.

Pecan Café
130 Franklin St.
Open weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekends 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This spacious, bright TriBeCa spot with exposed brick walls serves gourmet coffee, along with a host of sandwiches, soups, salads and pastries to keep you fueled while you toil away remotely. Pecan also sells beer and wine, if you need a different type of workday reviver. Long communal tables are often filled with TriBeCa residents tapping away on their laptops, but even with the lunchtime rush, finding a seat is usually not a problem. It's also the only spot on our list where you don't have to get a password for the Wi-Fi.

Kaffe 1668
275 Greenwich St.
Open weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., weekends 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Kaffe 1668 has become known for its artisanal coffee, and perhaps also the quirky stuffed sheep that line some of its walls. It’s also one of the few cafes open in the evenings in the area. The shop — a rustic, dimly lit space with a long wooden communal table, along with other seating — also recently added a selection of cold-pressed juices to its menu of sandwiches, salads and sweets. The coffee shop can get pretty crowded but has another, larger location just up the road at 413 Greenwich St. However, Wi-Fi isn’t available there.

Mulberry & Vine
73 Warren St.
Open Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sundays.

If you want your Wi-Fi with a side of organic, gluten-free fare, this is the place for you. The recently opened two-level TriBeCa eatery has a bar of cold and hot locally sourced prepared foods, as well as grab-and-go options, and, of course, coffee. Aside from the lunch rush, it’s not overwhelmingly crowded. Plus, there’s wine and beer, which come with happy hour deals from 5 p.m. to close: $4 beer and $5 wine.

Made Fresh Daily
226 Front St.
Open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Historic Front Street eatery is a cozy, light-filled breakfast and lunch spot, and outside of the lunch rush, it's not hard to secure a spot with your laptop. If you're hungry for more than coffee, there's plenty of homey fare for about $9, like the barbecue chicken salad with avocado, coleslaw, grape tomatoes and lime-cilantro vinaigrette on a bed of arugula. For a sweet pick-me-up, try out the homemade cupcakes, which come in a rotating selection of flavors.

Quiet Time

Battery Park City Library
175 North End Ave.
Open Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday noon to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sunday.

For a quieter option than the  bustle of a coffee shop, this library offers a bright, modern space to hunker down and get to work. You'll still have to contend with some noise from the kids' section, where there are often read-alongs and other activities.

Poets House
10 River Terrace
Open weekdays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Sunday.

If you're looking for some inspiration while you work, perhaps being surrounded by 60,000 volumes of poetry can help. The poetry library offers a modern-looking workspace with silence, free Wi-Fi and big windows.

Get Out and Work

Pier 15
78 South St.
Open daily 6 a.m. to dusk

Along with Wi-Fi, you’ll get sweeping views of New York Harbor and the Brooklyn Bridge at this picturesque pier. Plus, there’s a solar-powered charging station. Sit at tables and chairs or lounge on the grassy roof deck atop the pier’s Watermark Bar. The only pitfalls are the potentially distracting beautiful view, and the proximity to a selection of frosty cocktails. 

Elevated Acre
55 Water St.
Open daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Situated next to the East River, this somewhat hidden green space, sandwiched between office buildings, has the feel of an unexpected oasis. Tables, chairs and Wi-Fi make it a workable outdoor office, though it can fill up at lunchtime. There's another solar-powered charger near the elevated plaza, at Coenties Slip, which is also Wi-Fi connected.

For more spots to to work in the sunshine, check out the full list of free Wi-Fi-connected Downtown locations, and where to find Downtown charging stations.

Did we miss your favorite Downtown spot to set up your laptop? Let us know in the comments below.