NYC Laptop-Friendly Spots

The gold standard for NYC laptop sessions. The Williamsburg flagship has a stunning skylight-lit interior and tons of seating; the Flatiron outpost is cozier. Colombian beans roasted in-house, strong WiFi, lots of outlets. A freelancer institution.

If you need to work in Midtown and don't have an office, this is your place. Multiple work zones from communal tables to a cozy back room with armchairs. Solid WiFi, power outlets, and a freelancer-friendly vibe. Opens at 7am.

A NYC staple for students and remote workers. Multiple locations across Manhattan (Midtown, Union Square, Bowery, and more) with a laid-back vibe, decent WiFi, and comfortable seating. A reliable fallback anywhere you are.

Hip specialty coffee with vegan fare. The Chelsea location is unusually spacious for Manhattan; Fort Greene doubles as a barista training campus. Bright, modern, with reliable WiFi. Be aware: laptops and tablets are not allowed on weekends at the East Village location.

Always buzzing with a "busy coffee shop" energy. Great coffee, small quartz tables, and a rare NYC perk — a public restroom. Go early for the best seats. Locations also in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick, and Park Slope.

Portland-born roaster with beautiful NYC locations. High-speed WiFi, power outlets, air conditioning, outdoor seating, and a photogenic interior. The Cobble Hill spot has a quieter back room for focused work.

Reliable WiFi, vibey music, plenty of outlets, and cool exposed brick walls. Great location near the Christopher St. subway. Open until 6pm — perfect for an afternoon work session.

Cozy couches and spread-out tables in FiDi, with a unique twist: a full bar, so you can transition from coffee to cocktails without switching venues. Great for a full afternoon-to-evening work session downtown.

One of the most Instagrammable cafes in NYC. Beautiful interiors, free WiFi, and a go-to for working near NoMad. Open 8am–5pm. Bring a charged laptop — power outlets are scarce.

One of the few spacious spots downtown with reliable WiFi and plenty of natural light. Communal tables and front window seating make it a great quieter option for writing or focused work. Open daily 8am–7pm.

A model "working cafe." WiFi, outlets, cozy seating, and even printers — it basically functions as a makeshift office. Great for a full day of heads-down work on the LES.

A cozy hybrid of hotel lobby and coffee shop inside the Made Hotel. Free WiFi, power outlets, and a relaxed vibe. Open daily 8am–6pm. A nice middle ground between cafe and hotel-lobby energy.

A beloved Brooklyn spot on Pineapple Street near Clark Street station. The star feature is a colorful backyard where you can camp with your laptop for hours. Inspiring, comfortable, and very work-friendly.

Beans roasted in-house, spacious seating, and tables large enough for a laptop, notebook, coffee, and a meal. Five locations across the city now — the Williamsburg original is still the best for settling in.

Spacious and airy with large windows — a great cavernous space for a productive day between Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights.

Everyone is on their laptop here, and nobody cares. Airy space, plenty of room, strong WiFi, and classic rock at phone-call-appropriate volume. A Bushwick favorite for WFH warriors.

Unlike DUMBO's many crowded coffee shops, Fontainhas on Jay Street is generally quiet and sunny — a welcome exception for getting work done in an otherwise tourist-heavy area.

An informal co-working space that moonlights as a coffee shop, wine bar, and bookstore. Food until 3pm, wine bar from 5pm. Closes 3–7pm daily for the transition. A unique hybrid if you want to work through a full afternoon into evening.

NYC staple for students and freelancers. Ample seating and outlets across three East Village locations. Offers a 10% student discount. Open until 9pm — great for a full work day with evening hours.

Party spot by night, but during the day it's one of the best work cafes in the East Village. Opens 7am with power outlets and free WiFi throughout. A morning-person's paradise for early work sessions.

Not a coffee shop but works like one. Free unlimited WiFi and outlets for everyone; 50% off drinks for cardholders. Private "nooks" bookable via app. Multiple locations make it convenient across Manhattan.

Underrated spot with cozy wooden interiors, reliable WiFi, and power outlets. A favorite for writing and focused work. The intimate atmosphere makes it perfect for deep work sessions.

Exposed brick, reclaimed wood, natural light. Strong WiFi, tables, couches, counter seating with outlets. Known for excellent coffee and multiple Brooklyn locations make it convenient. A go-to for Brooklyn-based workers.

Half plant shop, half cafe. Calm, sunlit space with strong WiFi, plenty of outlets, and seasonal dishes. Large communal table encourages both solo and social work sessions.

Old faithful Brooklyn coffee shop for work. Password-protected WiFi, open 7am–5pm daily. Can be hard to find a seat — people naturally share tables, making it communal and friendly.

Great for spring and summer with a sprawling backyard plus ample indoor seating. A Williamsburg hot spot for remote work that really shines when you can work outside.

A gorgeous nonprofit bookstore and cafe where all profits support homelessness and AIDS-related causes. Used books, a congenial atmosphere, coffee in the back — it's the kind of place that makes you feel good just being there. Excellent for reading or quiet laptop work.

A bookstore and cafe by day, a wine bar by night. Beautiful space in the heart of SoHo. Laptops are welcome during the day — perfect for a refined WFH session. At night it goes laptop-free and transforms into a sultry spot with 3,000+ pours and dinner service.

Independent bookstore meets bar. Cushy leather seats by a fireplace, open from 9am daily. Laptops welcome until 6pm; after that it shifts to a more communal vibe with poetry readings, acoustic sets, and author interviews.

The Seaport location is the only McNally Jackson with a bar — browse two floors of curated books, then settle in with a coffee, beer, or wine. Multiple locations across NYC, all with a thoughtful literary atmosphere.

A pioneer of the bookstore-bar concept since 2012. Used books, a cafe, and a bar all in one cozy Bushwick space. Open until midnight daily — perfect for night-owl work sessions with a beer and a good book nearby.

The iconic "18 miles of books" institution. Not a cafe per se, but a place to get happily lost, browse, and read. A few nooks for sitting, and you're right by Union Square if you need to grab a coffee and park on a bench afterward.

Black-owned bookstore and wine bar at 315 Smith St. Tables and bar upfront, bookshelves and cafe seating in back. Nearly everyone is solo with a laptop or book. Laptops must be put away at 5pm. "Lit Hour" daily from 7pm: $5 beer with book purchase.

Used bookstore and cafe in a cozy setting. Important quirk: NO WiFi by design — a sign urges patrons to "talk to a mortal instead." Best for offline work, reading, or writing by hand. A intentionally unplugged refuge.

Known for great food, wine, walls of antique books, and a real working fireplace. More restaurant-y but excellent for a solo reading or writing session with wine. A unique hybrid of bookstore, cafe, and restaurant.

A massive, gorgeous lobby open to the public with strong WiFi, a quiet vibe, and occasional live jazz. You don't need to be a guest. One of the best hotel lobbies in the city for a productive day downtown.

Deep couches, warm lighting, a huge fireplace, and an atmosphere that's "pretty unmatched." Coffee, WiFi, and a bar. Perfect for a chilly day when you want to sink into a couch with your laptop and not leave for hours.

An entire wall of windows floods the Lobby Bar with natural light. A mix of couches, tables, and semi-private bench nooks, with a downstairs cafe for coffee and snacks. WiFi isn't free but costs about the price of a Manhattan coffee — and the space is worth it.

Dependable lobbies where you're guaranteed a seat and nobody looks twice at a laptop. Both the Flatiron and Brooklyn locations have solid WiFi, coffee, and the classic Ace design-forward vibe.

A 9-story atrium that feels almost cathedral-like. Open to the public and known as one of the best hotel lobbies to work from in NYC. The scale of the space alone makes you feel productive.

A "writer's hotel" with history — Kerouac stayed here. Multiple drawing rooms and lounges, fireplaces, leather and velvet seating. One of the first hotels to perfect the working-lobby formula. Espresso bar serves coffee and tea.

Generous communal lobby spaces with fast fiber WiFi. Library lounge area. Open 24 hours — rare for a free workspace. Perfect for any time of day or night when you need a quiet place to work.

Lobby lounge serviced by Blue Bottle Coffee. Fills up with remote workers midweek. A chill and productive vibe, with great coffee and a relaxed atmosphere perfect for settling in.

Designed to look like a hotel lobby without the hotel. 8,600 sqft with Stumptown coffee, strong WiFi, tons of outlets, outdoor patio, and a game room. Turns into a bar at night so you can close your laptop and stay.

The iconic main branch. The Rose Main Reading Room is one of the most beautiful workspaces on earth — high ceilings, abundant natural light, study tables, outlets, and free WiFi. Can get crowded and touristy, but the grandeur alone is motivating. Free to enter.

A hidden gem. The third floor is especially quiet and recommended for focused work. Much less hectic than the main branch — a true refuge if you're uptown and need a quiet, free workspace.

A municipal landmark in stunning Victorian Gothic style, built in the 1870s. A few blocks from Washington Square Park. Smaller neighborhood branches like this are less frenetic and more serene than the big flagships. Free WiFi.

A three-story reading room open to the public. Annual membership is $50 — far less than any coworking space. A beautifully quiet, underappreciated gem in the middle of Midtown.

One of NYC's best-kept secrets. The annual membership costs about the same as 5 days at WeWork and includes private study rooms at no extra charge. Non-members can still access the reference room. Gorgeous, civilized, and quiet.

Membership gives you access to a quieter second-floor reading room with a small coffee bar, comfortable chairs, and a large table. A literary sanctuary in Brooklyn for readers and writers who want a dedicated space.

A 10-story glass-vaulted pavilion with palm trees, overlooking the Hudson River. Open daily 5am–2am, with free WiFi. Hudson Eats and Le District food courts nearby. Security may limit outlet use, so bring a full charge. A stunning free workspace.

The classic NYC outdoor workspace in warm weather. Free WiFi, clean bathrooms, outlets, movable Parisian-style chairs and tables. Plus ping pong and pétanque from April to October. Right behind the main NYPL branch.

A two-story atrium with a floor-to-ceiling fountain, a living green wall, and plenty of tables and chairs. Free WiFi and free to visit. Located at Broadway between 62nd and 63rd — a calm, well-designed public space.

An indoor garden at 320 E 43rd St — a veritable greenhouse with a pond, lush greenery, and a peaceful atmosphere. One of the most beautiful free interior spaces in Manhattan. Open to the public during business hours.

The former Sony/AT&T Building's public atrium got a major redesign by Snøhetta. Now a year-round public garden (a "POPS" — privately owned public space) with lush plantings and varied seating. A peaceful Midtown retreat.

A through-block indoor atrium between 52nd and 53rd Streets with huge indoor waterfalls providing soothing background noise. Tables along the side for studying or working. Enter from either street.

An enormous free indoor atrium with impressive views. A Midtown West option for when you need a place to retreat and work — especially useful on cold winter days when outdoor parks aren't an option.

Creative community space with WiFi, seating, and free classes (filmmaking, marketing). A cultural hub since 1979. Great for working in a vibrant, inspiring creative environment.

Food hall with open WiFi, mixed-use space with food vendors, artists in residence, and retail pop-ups. Good for a working lunch downtown with plenty of seating and a vibrant atmosphere.

Beer garden and food hall that fills with laptop workers on weekday daytimes. Free WiFi, $1 coffee refills, Mighty Quinn's and other food stalls. Best for weekday work sessions — avoid weekends when kids' birthday parties take over.

Known as a music venue, but during the day its vegan and vegetarian cafe is spacious with several rows of tables. Good for focused work before the music starts in the evening.

Massive food hall with WiFi, tons of seating, and a huge variety of food vendors. Nobody minds if you linger with a laptop — it's a favorite for workers seeking food court-style workspace with excellent food options.